Anzalone was activated from injured reserve over the weekend. He landed on IR after suffering a fractured forearm in Week 11. Per Rapoport, the Lions will monitor his snaps tonight and he will play with a special pad designed to protect his arm. Getting Anzalone back is a step in the right direction for a Detroit defense that has been plagued by injuries this season.

Anzalone suffered a broken forearm in November and was placed on injured reserve. He is one of over a dozen Lions to land on IR this year, with the bulk of them coming from the defensive side of the ball. Anzalone was limited in Wednesday’s walkthrough. Head coach Dan Campbell noted that Thursday’s practice will be telling for his Week 18 availability.

He’ll miss at least the next four weeks, but the Lions have already said that he will miss 6-8 weeks with a broken forearm. He should be able to return before the end of the season or possibly the start of the playoffs. Anzalone has a career-best 72.2 PFF coverage grade this year.

Anzalone hurt his arm while tackling Travis Etienne late in a blowout win over the Jags. He immediately grabbed his arm in pain and didn’t spend long on the sideline before being ruled out. This unfortunately appears to be a severe injury for the veteran inside linebacker.