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Lions linebacker Devin White breaks forearm in Arizona and faces surgery

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Dan Campbell says White's injury does not look good, and receiver Tom Kennedy is also expected to miss time with a knee injury as Detroit heads into its bye.

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WhyNFL Sports DeskPublished
Devin White in a 2021 archive photograph.
Devin White in 2021 (archive photo). Photo: All-Pro Reels / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Detroit Lions linebacker Devin White broke his forearm in Sunday’s 45-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals and is expected to have surgery, a blow that lands just as the Lions head into their bye week.

Head coach Dan Campbell delivered the diagnosis after the game in Glendale, saying the injury did not look good and that White would likely need an operation. Ian Rapoport later reported that White will have surgery to repair the fracture. The Lions have not announced a timetable for his return.

White went down with only seconds left in the first quarter after taking a direct shot to the arm. He clutched it in obvious pain, was taken off the field on a cart and never came back. Detroit first listed him as questionable before ruling him out, and he was seen after the game wearing a cast with the arm in a sling.

Tom Kennedy also hurt

The Lions lost a second player in the first half when receiver and return man Tom Kennedy hurt his knee. Kennedy, who had brought back two punts for 33 yards before the injury, was also carted off and was later seen on crutches with his leg in a brace.

Campbell was guarded about Kennedy as well. He said the outlook “doesn’t look good as far as anything short-term,” that the team would know more on Monday, and that he was hoping the injury turns out to be a sprain.

A thin spot for Detroit’s defense

White joined Detroit on a one-year contract in August after a 2025 season with the Las Vegas Raiders in which he set a franchise record with 174 tackles, adding 2.5 sacks and an interception. In Detroit he has worked alongside Jack Campbell, who led the Lions with 10 tackles on Sunday, at the heart of a defense that has already had to cover for several injuries this fall.

His loss did not slow Detroit against the Cardinals. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns, Jared Goff threw for 271 yards and three scores, and the Lions scored 24 points in the second quarter to pull away and improve to 3-2. Arizona fell to 1-4.

The bye arrives at a useful moment. It gives the Lions an extra week to settle the linebacker rotation and to learn the full extent of Kennedy’s knee injury before they decide on any roster moves. Follow Detroit’s injury list on the WhyNFL injury report and the result on the Game Center.

What comes next

Detroit is off in Week 6 and returns to play the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on Sunday, October 25, at 4:25 p.m. EDT.

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