Injuries to Detroit Lions starting middle linebacker Jarrad Davis and center Frank Ragnow will not end their seasons, coach Matt Patricia said Saturday after both players were hurt in the first half of Friday's preseason loss to Buffalo and did not return.
Patricia said he doesn't consider the injuries to Davis and Ragnow as ones that would require them to be placed on injured reserve.
Patricia declined to put a timetable on the injuries for either player or to provide more details on what kind of injuries they are. NFL rules stipulate the franchise does not have to give detailed injury reports until the regular season begins.
A source told ESPN on Friday night that Davis was expected to have an MRI on his right foot on Saturday. NFL Network reported Ragnow's injury as an ankle sprain.
"They will be healing day by day," Patricia said. "We are still evaluating where they'll be at. The one great thing about these two guys is that they have tremendous work ethic. We know they are going to be working as hard as they can to get back as soon as possible.
"I would say any time you have something like this, we don't try to put a timetable on it. It just puts an unnecessary target on the situation that is just not necessary."
Davis was injured toward the end of a LeSean McCoy run in the first quarter when teammate Devon Kennard accidentally hit Davis in the legs. He tried to push through but eventually couldn't put pressure on his right leg and had to be helped to the sideline and was eventually carted to the locker room.
Ragnow was hurt after a Bills defender rolled into his legs during a C.J. Anderson run and hobbled off the field, going straight to the locker room.
Patricia said neither player will be in the preseason finale against Cleveland -- they likely wouldn't have appeared in the game anyway. If they miss time in the regular season, it's likely Davis will be replaced by second-round pick Jahlani Tavai at middle linebacker, and last year's center, Graham Glasgow, would slide over from guard to reprise his old role.
It would still leave Detroit with questions at guard, where Joe Dahl, Oday Aboushi and Kenny Wiggins -- all of whom had been competing for one open starting spot -- might be competing for two in the short term.