Lions Place SS Amari Spievey On IR, Activate CB Drayton Florence

The Detroit Lions placed safety Amari Spievey on season-ending injured reserve today with lingering effects from an October brain injury and activated cornerback Drayton Florence from short-term IR. Florence will play in Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers and could see significant time against quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a deep group of receivers. He played in nickel packages in the season opener, a week after signing, and started at left cornerback in a Week 2 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the only two games he played before breaking his right forearm. “He’s an exceptional veteran player,” defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said Friday. “He’s like a lot of the older guys I’ve had. He learned to study the game a long time ago and he’s on it. I really like the way he’s moved in practice and he’s going to get a big load. How much, I can’t tell you right now. But we expect him to play and play well.” Spievey had missed the Lions last three games and hadn’t been cleared to return yet from an Oct. 22 concussion. He also had a concussion in a wild-card loss to the Saints in January, and had two before coming to the NFL, one in high school and one as an adolescent in a bike-riding accident. Source: Detroit Free Press Attached Thumbnails