Amon-Ra St. Brown wasn't sugar-coating how his left ankle felt Tuesday, Dec. 2, five days after he sprained it in a Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers.
"It hurts," St. Brown told reporters.
But that doesn't necessarily mean the Pro Bowl wide receiver will miss the Detroit Lions' must-win game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday (8:15 p.m., Prime Video).
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) runs after a catch during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.KERBY JOSEPH INJURY UPDATE: No 'setback' as Lions S misses practice
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe also wasn’t ruled out Wednesday, when the team released its injury report.
St. Brown, an All-Pro receiver, is listed as questionable despite not practicing this week as he continues his recovery from a low ankle sprain suffered in the first quarter of the Lions’ 31-24 Thanksgiving Day loss to Green Bay.
St. Brown said Tuesday he plans to take his availability to gametime before deciding whether to play and wants to see how his injury impacts his ability to cut, change directions and make "the little movements that you don't even think about when you're out there."
"I'm not sure right now, if I'm being honest," St. Brown said when asked how optimistic he is he'll play against the Cowboys. "It’s still up in the air. I'm going to try to be out there for the guys, for my teammates. But I couldn't answer that question right now."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Lions (7-5) need a win against the Cowboys to keep pace in a muddied playoff race.
They're in third-place in the NFC North with five games to play and trail the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) by 1½ games for the NFC's final wild-card spot.
"It's obviously a one-week mentality for us each and every week, but the games just get more important and more important as we get going here," St. Brown said. "This is a big one for us, against a good team in Dallas who's hot right now. NFC opponent, so this is a big game for us."
A two-time first-team All-Pro, St. Brown leads the Lions in every major receiving category and has long been a catalyst on offense.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) walks off the field due to an injury of St. Brown during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025.Jameson Williams played as the Lions' No. 1 receiver in St. Brown's absence last week – he set career-highs with seven catches and 144 yards, but the Lions failed to convert two big fourth downs – and Lions coach Dan Campbell said he has "high confidence" in Williams' ability to lead the offense.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRookie third-round pick Isaac TeSlaa and practice-squad receiver Tom Kennedy also are in line for elevated roles if St. Brown can't play and with No. 3 receiver Kalif Raymond expected to miss his second straight game with an ankle injury.
"He’s really growing," Campbell said of Williams. "I mean he just continues to grow and get better. He’s fearless. ... His fundamentals. For the speed and quickness he has, the ability for him to drop his weight now and there’s really some detail to his routes. He’s becoming a hard cover."
As well as the receiving corps played last week – TeSlaa caught two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown in a career-high 58 snaps, while Kennedy had four catches for 36 yards in his first game of the season – St. Brown said he "felt like I let [my team] down by not being out there."
"I've had ankle sprains before and I was able to come back during the game, but this one, it just, I couldn't – the pain was just too much," St. Brown said. "And it was tough watching the game on the sideline. I don't know how many games I've watched on the sideline or not being on the field while I’ve been here in Detroit, so it's tough. I felt the guys through the screen."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSt. Brown said his ankle has gotten incrementally better in recent days, and Campbell said he's confident St. Brown will play if at all possible.
"It's getting better, so that's the good news," St. Brown said. "It's just day by day, just trying to make sure I'm out there for my guys."
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
Free Press sports writer Rainer Sabin contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Will Amon-Ra St. Brown play for Detroit Lions on Thursday vs Dallas?
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