Who Should I Start? Nephi Sewell or Malcolm Rodriguez

Wednesday, March 20, 2:43 PM

New Orleans Saints linebacker Nephi Sewell (knee), who tore his ACL in Week 17, is not expected to be ready to go for training camp this summer, according to head coach Dennis Allen. Given the timing of Sewell's injury late last year, nobody should be expecting him to be ready for training camp, let alone the start of the 2024 regular season. The 25-year-old was a depth linebacker for the Saints last year while also contributing on special teams. In the 16 games he appeared in, Sewell didn't make any starts and finished with 15 tackles (11 solo) and one forced fumble. He entered the NFL with the Saints in 2022 as an undrafted free agent after playing college ball at both Nevada and Utah.

Friday, November 29, 1:08 PM

Detroit Lions linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (knee) suffered a torn right ACL in Thursday's Thanksgiving Day win over the division-rival Chicago Bears and will miss the rest of the season. It's a tough blow for Rodriguez, who had started six games this year while picking up 43 tackles and two sacks. The 25-year-old's season-ending injury came in the fourth quarter of the eventual 23-20 victory over Chicago on Turkey Day. He had five tackles and one pass breakup in the game before departing. Rodriguez will certainly need surgery and could be in danger of missing the start of the 2025 season, depending on how his rehab goes in the offseason. The Lions defense also lost a key piece of their linebacking corps recently when Alex Anzalone broke his forearm. The 30-year-old is expected to miss six to eight weeks and was placed on Injured Reserve.