From when he stepped into the starting lineup permanently in Week 14 last season, all the way through the playoffs, Ifeatu Melifonwu was one of the best players on the Detroit Lions’ defense and one of the top-performing safeties in the entire league.
Unfortunately, injuries have been a big part of Melifonwu’s NFL career so far. Two weeks into his fourth season he has missed 19 total games, and he’ll make it 20 after being ruled out for Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals with an ankle injury.
After the preseason finale in August, head coach Dan Campbell offered a vague mention of an injury Melifonwu was dealing with…