Detroit Lions Shane Zylstra Expected to Miss Six Months with 'Serious' Knee Injury

The Detroit Lions are likely going to be without tight end Shane Zylstra for the next six months, as NFL Media is reporting the 26-year-old suffered a "serious" knee injury at training camp practice Monday. 

On Day 8, cornerback Khalil Dorsey brought the 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end down with a below the waist tackle. 

The scene was somber, as Zylstra was helped up and then gingerly walked off the field. 

“We were supposed to have another period and he (Dan Campbell) goes, 'Two-minute,'" Amon-Ra St. Brown said, via the Free Press.  "I go, 'What? We have another period of live,' which I wanted cause I had that one drop."

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Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta also did not finish practice Monday. 

"It’s a position that, if you cannot block and deal with the physicality, then in our offense, the value goes down," said Johnson, when asked about his expectations for the tight ends room when padded practices begin. "Tight ends that can’t block really are glorified receivers and that’s really a lot of Sam (LaPorta)’s value that he had at Iowa was the ability to do both, be a pass catcher and also a run blocker. So, looking forward to see that versatility come to life when we do get the pads on.”

James Mitchell and Brock Wright were in competition with Zylstra for reps and targets in Ben Johnson's offense. 

Detroit's third-year head coach will update the team's injury situation on Wednesday, following a scheduled players day off.