‘Cover Him with the Blood of Jesus’: Lions Turn to Prayer after Jack Campbell Injury
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Detroit Lions players leaned on the power of prayer Sunday after a teammate suffered a frightening neck injury during the game against Minnesota, taking a knee as they watched medical personnel cart him off the field before he was taken to a local hospital.
Linebacker Jack Campbell lay motionless, face down on the turf, after tackling tight end T.J. Hockenson early in the fourth quarter. Medical personnel treated him for about 10 minutes, immobilizing him on a backboard before lifting him onto a cart.
The entire #Lions defense is huddled in prayer moments after Jack Campbell is carted off the field 🙏 https://t.co/GpIxhHHpxe
— Brooke Kirchhofer (@brookechesney) November 1, 2026
Detroit coach Dan Campbell said afterward that he had no new information about the linebacker’s condition. The team later announced that Campbell was resting and would remain hospitalized overnight for continued evaluation.
Coach Dan Campbell led a postgame locker room prayer for the injured linebacker, and several players said they were also turning to God on their teammate’s behalf.
“You look at the humanity side of it. The first thing you do is pray and cover him with the blood of Jesus and ask that he gets healed,” cornerback D.J. Reed said, according to The Detroit News.
“And then you start thinking about his wife, you start thinking about his child. Obviously, you think about him, as well. I hope everything goes well and he's OK.”
As Campbell lay on the turf, players from both teams dropped to one knee in prayer. On the sideline, Lions defenders formed a circle to pray for him.
“Jack's deal was definitely scary,” Detroit quarterback Jared Goff said, according to The Detroit News. “It just brings you back to reality for a moment, that he's a husband and a father. It's scary. We're praying for him and hoping he's gonna be all right. If I know anyone that's tough enough to get through something like that, it's going to be him.”
Hockenson, the Minnesota player Campbell helped tackle, also offered prayers. Both played college football at Iowa.
“Prayers out to Jack Campbell, man, and his family,” Hockenson said. “I was in on that play. I didn’t see what happened, but that’s an Iowa guy. I know Jack. I just want to send good vibes to him and his family and his locker room. We’re competitors but at the end of the day, we’re on the same team. We put our body on the line every Sunday. … We go out there. We know what we signed up for but you never want to see anyone go down. … Get down on one knee, say a prayer and hope for the best. God’s got him in His hands and He’s got plans for him.”
Detroit defeated Minnesota 19-15.
Photo Credit: Screen Capture/X
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published November 02, 2026.
