Jeff Risdon, Lions WireMon, December 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM UTC·1 min readThe 21-day activation window came and went for Detroit Lions defensive end Josh Paschal. Now that the window has closed and Paschal was not activated from the PUP/Reserve list by the team, Paschal is officially out for the remainder of the 2025 season.
It's a disappointing development for the Lions and for Paschal, who was attempting to return from a back injury. The injury required surgery in the offseason, which resulted in his placement on the physically-unable-to-perform (PUP) reserve list.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLions head coach Dan Campbell explained why Paschal wasn't activated despite having his window to return to action opened by Detroit.
“It just wasn’t enough time, really, to really be able to say that we knew he would be able to get through the year or that he was ready," Campbell told reporters on Sunday. "That’s what it came down to. Hate it for him, but it’s where it was at.”
Paschal has battled several injuries since joining the Lions as a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. During his collegiate career at Kentucky, Paschal successfully overcame a bout with skin cancer. He appeared in a career-high 14 games in 2024, starting 10. His rookie contract expires at the end of the 2025 season.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Josh Paschal: Why Lions didn't activate the DE from PUP/reserve list
AdvertisementAdvertisement
