Romeo Okwara confirms Achilles surgery this week: “I’ll be back better than ever”

Detroit Lions defenseman Romeo Okwara became the second Lions defenseman to sustain a season-ending Achilles tendon injury. Joining cornerback Jeff Okudah, Okwara lost in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears and was excluded from the game shortly thereafter.

Okwara was in the middle of a potential breakout season. After a 10-sack season last year, Okwara had already shown signs that he had taken his game to the next level. Although he had only one sack in three games, he had generated 16 presses and his PFF score of 74.1 was the highest of his career.

Head coach Dan Campbell lamented the loss on Monday.

“I hate it for Romes, man,” Campbell said. “I’ll tell you what, man, the way he works and everything he put in there is a top pro.” I hate him for him and I hate him for our team.

We haven’t had any direct news from Okwara since the injury, but on Tuesday he posted an update on Instagram, noting that he will undergo surgery later this week. Here is the full caption of his post:

“Having surgery in a few days … I hate that my season was cut short and I can’t be there with my teammates, but I’ll be back better than ever … A big thank you to everyone who have reached out …

Of course, the road to recovery is never easy for an Achilles, and it may even be a year or two before you see Okwara return to normal (if ever). Still, it’s good to see a positive attitude from the 26-year-old.

• The Lions’ final installment of “Women in Football” followed Ellen Trudell, who often spearheads some of the franchise’s charitable work as head of corporate communications.

• Speaking of charitable efforts, great job, Jared Goff: