What happened: Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addressed the status of safety Thomas Harper on Friday. Harper landed on injured reserve on Sept. 26 after sustaining an ankle injury in late August.

Why it matters: Detroit sits at 4-2 on a two-game winning streak and holds the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff picture. Harper's recovery trajectory factors heavily into secondary depth for a defense managing multiple injuries across the defensive backfield.

What to watch: Harper must be designated to return to practice before Detroit can activate him to the 53-man roster from injured reserve.