Detroit Lions lose kicker Austin Seibert to injured reserve; Ryan Santoso elevated from practice squad

PITTSBURGH – In a year where very little went off for the Detroit Lions, kicker Austin Seibert has proven to be one of the more pleasant surprises of the year. Now he’s hurt too.

Seibert returned from the week off and nursed a right hip injury that kept him out of training all week. He was excluded from the game against the Steelers on Friday and added to the injured reserve a day later. He’ll miss at least three games, which means he won’t be able to get back on the field until after Thanksgiving.

The injury is the latest twist in Detroit’s offer to replace Matt Prater, who was allowed to go free-hand. The club cycled through guys like Matt Wright, Randy Bullock, and Zane Gonzalez in the off-season before finally calling for Seibert off Cleveland waivers before the opener. Seibert missed his first attempt of the season, a 51-yarder, but has only misfired once since then. He is 10 for 12 total, with a length of 52 yards.

He might not be Matt Prater, but that’s pretty reliable.

Now he’s out at least three games as Detroit emerges from the bye in search of their first win of the season.

Ryan Santoso was lifted off the training roster for Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh, one of the toughest places in the league. But Santoso has NFL experience, including with Detroit this season. When Seibert missed the Ravens game due to COVID, Santoso made a 35-yarder that left Detroit a 17-16 lead at 1:08.

Santoso started the season with the jets and has made all three attempts in total.