The Detroit Lions had a hard-fought tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 10, and one of the hardest hits on the field was applied by safety Tracy Walker.
Walker blasted Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph, and while Rudolph didn’t take the worst of the collision, Walker did. He laid on the turf for a few minutes and needed help getting up off the field. Certainly, it didn’t look good for the key defender after the contact.
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In spite of that, though, Walker himself seems to be fine. He took to Instagram and posted an update about the situation, and said that he is doing fine and should be ready for Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns.
Obviously, the Lions could ill-afford to lose Walker for any length of time considering their other ailments in the secondary. At cornerback, the Lions are dinged-up, but fortunately, they’ve kept their health at safety for the most part. Avoiding a serious injury here is good news for the defense.
Walker’s Stats & Highlights
In his Detroit career, Walker has been solid since being a third-round draft pick in 2018. His first season in the league, Walker managed to put up 21 tackles and 1 interception. From there, though, he has only taken on a bigger role and managed to play a more meaningful role for the team’s defense. In 2019, Walker bounced back and put up his best season to date, with 103 tackles and 1 interception. As a whole, Walker has put up 263 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions. Here’s a look at some highlights:
Walker is a free agent in the 2022 offseason, so it will be interesting to see whether or not the Lions elect to bring him back. He’s tough and has solid instincts, so to that end he is the kind of player who could fit in for the future.
Walker Praised by Dan Campbell for 2021 Play
Speaking with the media on Monday, October 11 after a loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Campbell was asked about Walker, and provided a good answer about where he sees his development. As he said, the effort in Week 5 was what the Lions have been hoping for out of Walker, and the play showed signs of being amongst the best at his position.
“That’s the Tracy we know and have been waiting to come out of his shell. I’ll tell you what, he played confident, he played physical, he communicated well and it was great to see. Because he did, he played like a top-notch safety (Sunday). He was a factor and you felt his presence,” Campbell said at the time.
Walker put up decent numbers the last few seasons, racking up 103 tackles in 2019 and 87 in 2020, but his evolution into a more complete player could leave him ready to put together his best season in 2021 regardless of what the statistics show the rest of the way. So far, he has 52 tackles.
The good news? This week, health seems to be on Walker’s side.
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