By all available accounts, Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell has avoided the worst in the aftermath of the significant neck injury that resulted in him being immobilized while loaded onto a stretcher and transported to a local hospital during a game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 1.
The good news came from Campbell himself, with the 2025 All-Pro releasing a statement Nov. 4 saying he has “full movement” in his lower body and is making progress in an effort to regain movement in his upper body. He also thanked his medical care team at Henry Ford Hospital along with the Lions‘ medical staff.
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“I’m incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such a short period of time,” Jack Campbell said in the statement.
Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters that everybody’s positive thoughts, well wishes and prayers were working. But the Campbells (no relation) aren’t alone in the positive outlook.
Medical experts surveyed by USA TODAY Sports concur that the available information about Campbell’s recovery can only be qualified as good news – while offering a window into why might the linebacker have regained movement in his lower body before his upper body.
Dr. Darryl Lau, a neurosurgeon at NYU Langone’s Spine Center where he’s the director of spinal neurosurgery research, said that the spinal cord appears to be intact based on public updates. While Lau hasn’t seen Campbell’s medical information, he said Campbell having movement in his arms and legs is another optimistic factor.
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“And it’s only within days, so those are all positive things,” Lau told USA TODAY Sports, adding that Campbell being a young, professional athlete gives him better odds of recovering than an average person.
The injury occurred because of the hyperextension of Campbell’s head and neck area as he collided with the left hip of Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson. That hyperextension can “ding” the spinal cord, according to Dr. Betsy Grunch, a neurosurgeon based in Georgia with more than 1.3 million followers for her Instagram account “@ladyspinedoc.”
Grunch said a hit like that could damage the central part of the spinal cord and cause swelling that asymmetrically affects the arms more than the legs, as Campbell’s statement described. Both doctors said the result is a rare injury called “central cord syndrome.”
“Typically, (patients) can even have full function in the legs and even greater motor loss in the arms,” Grunch told USA TODAY Sports.
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Central cord syndrome “looks like a pretty severe spinal cord injury” and certainly can be serious, Lau said. In some cases, Grunch said, it can be extremely painful, with the arms and hands becoming sensitive to touch. A patient’s grip is severely diminished. It’s common in people with spinal injuries who have fallen forward and land on their forehead and extend backward, similar to the action exhibited by Campbell’s head and neck at impact.
“I think it’s great news (if it’s central cord syndrome) because it’s an incomplete spinal-cord injury,” Grunch said, “and if he’s already recovering as quickly as reported, then it’s quite possible he can make a full recovery.”
The center part of the spinal cord contains the nerve fibers that execute arm function, Lau said. The leg function fibers are more on the outside of the spine, Grunch explained, “which is weird, but it is a pretty classic presentation of that type of a spinal cord injury,” she said.
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Another explanation, Lau said, is that Campbell experienced spinal shock – a sudden trauma that is suppressed in the spinal cord. The inflammation resolves itself and the paralysis goes away. Patients typically recover in a day or two, Lau said.
“It’s almost like a stinger,” Lau said.
“Or,” Lau added, “he has central cord syndrome.”
Lau said it is important to distinguish between a spinal fracture – “because we could fix those problems” – and a nerve injury. The prognosis of being able to return to play or even regular activities is quite different in either scenario.
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Crowning, spear tackles are dangerous because the head is pointed straight into the impact and all of the force goes straight down the spine, whereas in the back position the spine can help a person lean backward or forward, Grunch said. Lau also noted that there doesn’t have to be a high-energy collision to result in a serious spinal injury.
“If the body is in a very awkward position and is very vulnerable, even low-impact forces can cause pretty significant injury,” said Lau, who added that because Campbell’s facemask was looking up and not down at the ground, he likely avoided a worse outcome.
Returning to the field will be a massive undertaking nonetheless.
Without looking at the MRI and other imaging, Lau said, predicting a recovery timeline is difficult.
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“Moving his legs completely strong is very different than being able to run or walk,” he said, adding: “You can even do leg workouts but his balance might be completely off. So recovery’s going to be long for him.”
One key unanswered question at the moment is whether Campbell had any surgery performed to aid in his recovery.
“The fact of a full recovery (potential) really is very inspiring, because on the field it looked very worrisome,” Grunch said. “Return to play? To be determined.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rare diagnosis could explain Lions LB Jack Campbell’s neck injury update, spine experts say
