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LAS VEGAS — Jason Cabinda wants to play for the Detroit Lions again in 2024, and the door is open for him to return. But the free agent fullback has something more pressing to deal with first.
“I think right now I’m just concentrating on my body. I’m doing everything I can to get my body in the right state, in the desired state,” Cabinda said during last week’s Super Bowl 58. told the Free Press. “Give yourself the best chance to start preparing again and see how it goes. Give yourself a few weeks to breathe, kick your knee up, let it recover a little bit, go on a trip and see how you feel.” Let’s look at.”
Cabinda spent most of this season on injured reserve with cartilage problems in his knee.
He said the injury did not require surgery, but he received three gel injections before returning to the field.
The Lions cut Cabinda for roster management reasons after placing him on injured reserve in late December, but re-signed him to the practice squad and played him in the final regular-season game against the Minnesota Vikings and in the playoffs. Promoted to the gameday roster for all games.
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Cabinda had one no-gain catch in the Lions’ divisional-round playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played 25 snaps as a fullback/blocking tight end in the postseason offense, as well as 64 snaps on special teams.
“A lot of players go through a lot of injuries and a lot of rehabilitation behind the scenes behind the scenes,” Cabinda said. “So, it was definitely difficult for me. It’s just the mental side of not being able to go out and be with my teammates. Just being able to go out and play and show the world what I’ve got. Because I can’t do that, I don’t feel like it’s that useful.”
“So being able to stay there mentally and get back on the field and get back to where I need to be again was a big thing for me. So I’m grateful.”
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The Lions lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, falling just short of a Super Bowl appearance, but Cabinda said the way the game ended, in which the Lions blew a 17-point lead at halftime, “definitely stuck with me. He gave me a lot,” he said. motivation. “
“I feel the same way that Ben (Johnson) feels,” Cabinda said of the Lions’ offensive coordinator, who withdrew his name from consideration for the head coaching job as the team heads to the Super Bowl in Detroit. “Unfinished business.”
If Cabinda returns in 2024, he will establish himself as the top blocker in what he calls “the most dynamic running back duo in football right now.”
Lions running backs David Montgomery and Jahmil Gibbs combined for 1,960 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns last season, making them the only set of teammates to rush for at least 850 yards each. Montgomery had his second career 1,000-yard rushing season, and Gibbs finished his rookie season with 1,261 yards from scrimmage.
“Jah is a special guy,” Cabinda said. “I mean, acceleration, speed, vision, I mean he can do a lot of things. He can really do anything. And then the way D-Mo locks runs, his insane attitude, he screams Detroit.” Isn’t it? That’s how I feel when I watch D-Mo run the rock. So these two dynamic guys can really hurt. And I’m glad you got me back out there, Power. Once the run game starts and we can do different specific things, it can be dynamic.”
Contact Dave Birkett. dbirkett@freepress.com.follow him@Dave Burkett.
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