Sione Vaki was active for Sunday’s game against the Patriots in Munich, a small but meaningful update for the Lions after he had been listed as questionable with an ankle injury. He got through the day and was available when Week 10 kicked off in Germany.
That matters because Vaki has been part of the rotation behind Jahmyr Gibbs, and his status was not a formality. He was playing through the ankle issue for a second straight contest, and the week’s availability report made clear the Lions were managing him carefully rather than ruling him out.
Vaki’s role has been limited, but it has been real. He handled an above average 34 percent snap share in last Sunday’s game at Miami, and he has served as Gibbs’ top backup. On the season, that usage has produced 37 touches for 199 yards from scrimmage and no touchdowns in eight appearances. For a player in that spot, being active is the first test; getting work is the next one.
There is still a catch. Being on the game-day list does not tell anyone how much Vaki will actually do once the game starts, and the Lions have shown they are willing to protect him if the ankle keeps limiting him. That leaves his workload as the part to watch, not just his availability. He is in uniform, but the real answer will come from how often the Lions turn to him behind Gibbs.
Vaki’s status also sat alongside other Lions updates around the same matchup, with Amon-Ra St. Brown active after limited practice work and Jared Goff limited earlier in the week because of a chest injury. But for Vaki, the headline is simple: he made it through the week, he was active in Munich, and the Lions kept his backup role intact heading into Sunday.
