PITTSBURGH -- In a year where very little has gone right for the Detroit Lions, kicker Austin Seibert has stood out as one of the year’s more pleasant surprises. Now he’s hurt too.
Seibert returned from the off week nursing a right hip injury that held him out of practice all week. He was ruled out of the game against the Steelers on Friday, then moved to injured reserve a day later. He will miss at least three games, which means he won’t be eligible to return to the field until after Thanksgiving.
The injury is the latest turn in Detroit’s bid to replace Matt Prater, who was allowed to walk in free agency. The club cycled through guys like Matt Wright, Randy Bullock and Zane Gonzalez in the offseason before eventually claiming Seibert off waivers from Cleveland before the opener. Seibert missed his first attempt of the season, a 51-yarder, but has misfired just once since. He’s 10 for 12 overall, with a long of 52 yards.
He might not be Matt Prater, but that’s pretty reliable.
Now, he’s out at least three games as Detroit emerges from the bye looking for its first win of the season.
Ryan Santoso was elevated from the practice squad for the game on Sunday in Pittsburgh, which is one of the most difficult places to kick in the league. But Santoso does have NFL experience, including with Detroit this season. When Seibert missed the Ravens game due to COVID, Santoso made a go-ahead 35-yarder that gave Detroit a 17-16 lead with 1:08 left.
Santoso began the season with the Jets, and has made all three attempts overall.
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