Lions rookie LB Jimmy Rolder updates injury return timeline

The Detroit Lions can expect rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder back soon.

Rolder, who is recovering from a leg injury, said in a Tuesday appearance on X's and BrO's with host Matt Shepard that he should be back in a week or so.

“Leg’s getting better. We’re definitely making some strides. Hopefully I’ll be back out there in a week. Week or so. We’ll see,” Rolder said.

The 6-foot-2, 238-pound linebacker is a rookie out of Michigan that the Lions selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft with pick No. 118 overall. As Rolder works to get back onto the practice field, he loves the way his game will fit the Lions' defense.

"I think I fit that brand. I think I play that hard-nosed, physical brand of football, playing smart and just playing fast. I think this defense, it’s set up for guys that can play smart, can play fast, can play physical, so I think once I come back from this little setback here, it’s going to be a great match," Rolder said.

Asked for differences between fall camps at Michigan and Lions training camp, Rolder said Detroit training camp has been more physical than advertised. The Oakland Park, Ill., product said Lions training camp is a reflection of head coach Dan Campbell.

"I think just overall difference, it almost feels like I’m a freshman coming into camp, I’m trying to learn everything and still like compete and prove myself. So, I think just overall, there’s just a lot going on. In the NFL, people would talk about it not being as physical in practice, but, honestly, it’s been if not more physical in practice with the Lions.

"I think it’s very much needed going out there and putting the pads on and tackling very often, playing physical. I think that’s what you need. I think what I’ve seen so far in how our training camp has been, it’s just a testament to our head coach and how he operates because he wants us to be the most physical team out there and you can see it every day when we’re out there on the practice field," Rolder said.

Rolder said Michigan's defenses are similar to the Lions' system and that's helped the transition to the NFL. Detroit's defense comes with some added details.

"One, it’s the terminology of the playbook. I came from Michigan. We ran an NFL-style defense all four years I was there, but the difference in this one is there’s just a little more detail added to each call, each play and we’ve got to learn the different checks within the call. What to do if this happens and then how to adjust if this formation comes out. There’s just a bunch of little details that might have been a little different from Michigan that have definitely upticked here," Rolder said.

At Michigan, Rolder played under defensive coordinators Jesse Minters (2022-23) and Wink Martindale (2024-25).

"“Just learning from those guys, it was awesome. They ran the same defense, but different playstyles and different play calls. With Jesse Minter, he was a little bit more detail-oriented, whereas Wink just kind of let it fly more. He was a big-time blitzer, liked to pressure. It was just awesome to learn and see the different styles and you could tell when Wink came in—he was coming from the NFL—there was a lot that he wanted to put in, but he didn’t want to put as much on us, being just a college group, not an NFL group. So, you could tell the stuff we ran that there could be more to it. I think he kind of simplified it down for us just being in that college setting," Rolder said.

Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has been a good mix of both.

“I think he’s a mix of both defensive coordinators I had. He likes to pressure a lot and he’s very, very detail-oriented, so, you know, you get that mix of both of what I had. So, it’s just putting it all together," Rolder said.

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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions rookie LB Jimmy Rolder updates injury return timeline