The Detroit Lions have placed defensive tackle Haloti Ngata on injured reserve after he suffered a biceps injury against Carolina on Sunday.
It was the latest injury for Ngata, who had played through a shoulder injury the past two weeks. The 33-year-old Ngata had started all five games for Detroit this season with seven tackles and two sacks.
Ngata was in his third season with Detroit after being traded from Baltimore in 2015 to help the Lions replace Ndamukong Suh, who left for Miami. In three seasons in Detroit, Ngata started 32 games, making 53 tackles along with six sacks.
He had been a key part of Detroit's run defense, which ranked No. 3 in the league in yards per game (74.6) and fourth in yards per rush (3.27). He had also been a leadership presence in the locker room with a mostly young unit.
Ngata, the Ravens' No. 12 overall pick in the 2006 draft out of Oregon, has played in 167 career games, starting 165 of them. He has 499 career tackles, 31.5 sacks, five interceptions, six forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.
Ngata is in the final year of a two-year contract with Detroit. Prior to returning for this season with the Lions, he had cognitive and brain examinations done at the Sports Neurology Clinic at the CORE Institute in Brighton, Michigan. He wanted to make sure his brain was still healthy before he chose to continue playing football.
To replace Ngata, the Lions made official their signing of Datone Jones. The team also added Caraun Reid, who was a fifth-round pick of the Lions in 2014 and played two seasons in Detroit before being waived and claimed by San Diego. He played in seven games for the Chargers last season, making five tackles.
The Lions also waived linebacker Thurston Armbrister to make room for Jones and Reid.
