Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones missed a third straight day of practice Friday, putting his availability in doubt for Sunday’s home game against the Carolina Panthers.
Jones suffered a right knee injury in last week’s 34-22 loss at the Chicago Bears. ESPN reported Friday that Jones was receiving a second opinion on the knee, which it termed a bone bruise.
Detroit’s passing game has struggled since sending wide receiver Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles at the trade deadline. The Lions failed to get in the end zone in a 24-9 loss at Minnesota on Nov. 4 and were dominated by Chicago before a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns made the final score respectable.
Jones, in his third season with Detroit and sixth overall, has 35 receptions for 508 yards and five touchdowns. He finished with three catches for 32 yards against the Bears after recording 13 receptions in the previous two contests.
A fifth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2012 NFL Draft, Jones had his first 1,000-yard season in 2017 with the Lions while also snagging nine scoring passes — one shy of his career high.
The 28-year-old Jones, who registered at least 51 receptions in each of his previous four seasons, has 33 touchdown passes in 83 career games.
If Jones is unable to play against Carolina, TJ Jones likely would draw the starting assignment opposite Kenny Golladay.