Lions could look to Bo Scarbrough, Wes Hills if Ty Johnson not cleared

Allen Park — The injury bug has infested the Detroit Lions' backfield in recent weeks, claiming starter Kerryon Johnson, his immediate replacement Tra Carson, and most recently, rookie Ty Johnson, who made his first start last Sunday. 

Ty Johnson suffered a concussion against the Bears and his status remains uncertain after sitting out Wednesday's practice. With the depth chart depleted down to J.D. McKissic and Paul Perkins, the Lions could be in need of reinforcements prior to Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys. 

There are plenty of options, including a street free agent such as Jay Ajayi, who worked out for the Lions this month. But the more likely choice would be a practice squad promotion, where the team has two choices waiting in the wings: Wes Hills and Bo Scarbrough. 

“Both of those guys are bigger backs, so they bring good size, good power," offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. "They have good speed. We’ve seen Wes a little bit more than we’ve seen Bo. We had Bo all of last week, but we’ve liked what we’ve seen so far. We’ll just have to see how that thing shakes out."

Scarbrough certainly comes with more name recognition. The former Alabama running back, listed at a stout 235 pounds, averaged 5.7 yards per carry while scoring 20 touchdowns over three seasons for the Crimson Tide. 

A seventh-round draft pick in 2018, he has yet to see a carry in a regular-season game. 

Hills, tipping the scales at a less beefy 218 pounds, made a name for himself on the college all-star game circuit after finishing up at Slippery Rock, where he ran for the school's single-season record (1,714 yards) as a senior in 2018. 

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers