WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. >> The Detroit Lions’ defensive shorthandedness is expected to bleed into the 2025 season.

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who suffered a torn ACL in a Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills, is not expected to be ready to play until well into next season, head coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday at the NFL’s annual league meetings in West Palm Beach.

“It’s tough to say right now when Mac will be back,” Campbell told reporters. “ACLs are all a little bit different. Obviously, it’s not going to be training camp or probably even the early part of the season, but we will get him back (eventually).”

At the time of injury, McNeill was having a career year (45 pressures, seven quarterback hits, 3.5 sacks, 25 tackles) and fresh off signing a four-year, $97 million contract with $55 million guaranteed. With the Lions having their sights set on achieving the ultimate prize, Campbell is less concerned with how quickly McNeill can return to the field than he is with McNeill returning to form when he does get back on the grass.

“I think the big thing here is get him back healthy where he feels good, he can move, obviously protect himself, but still be productive,” Campbell said. “I think more than anything, you want him getting back to where he felt like was before the injury. That’s important, at least for this year, because that will be plenty.”

McNeill is a cornerstone defensive lineman selected in the third round of the 2021 draft, Brad Holmes’ first as general manager in Detroit. He’s seen significant growth in his four seasons and was a critical part of the Lions’ success through the first three-quarters of the season despite several other members of the defensive line suffering significant injuries.

Recovery timetables with ACLs vary, but the general timeline is typically 10 to 12 months. A player of McNeill’s size (6-foot-2, 315 pounds) might not return until the back half of the 2025 season.

At the end of last season, McNeill said he didn’t have an expected timetable for recovery.

“I’m not going to rush anything, but I’m just going to push myself,” McNeill said. “This is the first time I’ve ever had a season-ending injury, and my first time having surgery … so it was definitely tough. But you kind of have to put your (mindset) in a different type of spot. Now that we’re done, I’ve just gotta figure out how to get back on the field as fast as I can.”

O-line shuffle

Offensive guard Kevin Zeitler was one of the key departures in Detroit’s offseason. While it’s easy to envision slotting Christian Mahogany into his spot and running it back with the rest of the unit, a surprise competitor might be entering the mix.

Giovanni Manu, a third-round project pick by the Lions in 2024, could be trying his hand at guard in the upcoming offseason.

The topic was broached when Campbell was asked whether Graham Glasgow, who flipped to left guard after spending most of his career on the right side, would move back to his natural position while Mahogany backfilled his spot on the left side.

“We’ve talked about that,” Campbell said of the Glasgow-Mahogany shuffle. “(Does Graham) go back to right and is it Mahogany at left? Is it somebody we drafted? You’re gonna do your best to let these guys compete and see where they’re at. I mean, does Manu — do we try Manu at guard? That’s a thought. So, we’re gonna try to let these guys compete a little bit and move them around and see what’s right, see where we’re at. But it’s not gonna be set in stone.”

Campbell said Manu hasn’t repped much at guard outside of limited scout team reps, but at 6-foot-7, 354 pounds, Manu — who played his college ball in Canada (University of British Columbia) — has a body type that would fit nicely on the interior.

“You’re gonna kind of take a leap of faith and push those reps and see if he can grow from them, you know?” Campbell said. “Do you do that or do you keep him outside? Those are just some of the thoughts I’ve had, (and) we’ve had.”

Glasgow, who will turn 33 before the start of next season, struggled after moving to the left side last season, but Campbell maintained a favorable view of his versatility. Glasgow is the team’s backup center and has played the position on multiple occasions in the last few seasons when Frank Ragnow missed time with injuries.

“We know where Graham is at. Every year, you play that position, and it’s a year later, you know? But Graham’s somebody that we still value because he’s got versatility,” Campbell said. “… He can also play center. I think people forget that some. Man, he can do an excellent job at center, as a matter of fact. So I think there’s things that he brings to us that are not always easy to find. So, yeah, we have confidence in him. And there again, the fact that you know he can play all the positions, man, that lets you breathe easy.”

Farewell to ‘Commish’

Following former defensive lineman John Cominsky’s retirement announcement, many Lions fans expressed their appreciation for a player who had a pivotal role in the team’s comeback.

Cominsky, who announced his medical retirement on Instagram Monday, was claimed off waivers by Detroit before the 2022 season and embodied the Lions’ rise from the dead. He registered four sacks in the Lions’ first winning season since 2017 for a unit that lacked a consistent pass rush. He earned a two-year contract that ran through 2024 but suffered a torn MCL in training camp last year and announced his retirement after a long, grueling rehab.

Tuesday, Campbell echoed the sentiment expressed by fans on social media.

“He was kind of the model of what we were early in this thing. The value that he brought to us, the type of teammate he was, the type of player he was, that’ll be missed, man,” said Campbell, who affectionately referred to Cominsky as “Commish.”

“Unfortunately, (injuries are) part of this game. You get these injuries and some of them, it’s just hard to recover from. So, I wish him the best of luck, certainly, and love him to death, man. He was the best.”