The Detroit Lions have designated Canadian offensive lineman Giovanni Manu to return from injured reserve.
The move commences a three-week evaluation period where Manu, who has missed the last nine games with a knee injury, is allowed to practice with the team. At the end of that window, he must be added to the active roster, returned to injured reserve for the remainder of the season, or released.
Head coach Dan Campbell told the Detroit media on Wednesday that the designation is primarily meant to ensure Manu’s development is not further stagnated.
“I think for Gio is he needs reps, practice reps. Get out there against our defence, against (Marcus) Davenport and (Aidan Hutchinson) and real-time practice. It’s not a ton of them. It’s not like training camp, but he just needs reps, man,” said Campbell. “He cannot get enough reps. If we’re able to use him, or there’s something there this year, that’s a bonus. It’s really about will this set him up better for next year? That’s really it.”
Manu appeared in four contests early in the season and started his first career NFL game in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals, helping the Lions win 37-24. The six-foot-seven, 350-pound blocker started at left tackle and allowed two sacks on 28 pass-blocking snaps, which earned him a 42.2 grade from Pro Football Focus.
Campbell called the performance “up and down,” and Manu was vocal about his dissatisfaction. Unfortunately, that game also resulted in a knee injury, and he was placed on injured reserve the following week.
Born in Tonga and raised in Pitt Meadows, B.C., Manu was selected in the fourth round, 126th overall, during the 2024 NFL Draft out of the University of British Columbia. That made him the first U Sports player to be drafted by an NFL team since David Onyemata was selected out of the University of Manitoba in 2016. He spent his entire rookie season in a reserve role, without playing a game, and has received mixed reviews from Campbell regarding his development.
The Lions currently sit third in the NFC North with a 8-6 record and are battling for a wild card playoff spot. They have three games remaining and next host the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) on Sunday, December 21.
