Could Ameer Abdullah return from IR this season? Lions coach Jim Caldwell told reporters today that he’s not ruling it out (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein). 
There are two important caveats to keep in mind with Caldwell’s comments. One is that linebacker Jon Bostic returned to the practice field this week and was seen running on Wednesday. The Lions can only bring one player back from IR and Bostic certainly seems primed to be that guy. Secondly, Caldwell is notoriously coy when it comes to his interactions with the media. Publicly, he says he’s not shutting the door on Abdullah coming back, but that should perhaps be taken with a grain of driveway salt.
In the first month of the season, Abdullah was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his left foot. Typically, that injury is a season-ender. Heading into the season, the Lions were hopeful that Abdullah would anchor their backfield, but he was ultimately shut down after two appearances.
Since then, the Lions have shuffled through a number of different looks in the backfield as Theo Riddick and Dwayne Washington have also dealt with injuries. Assuming everyone is healthy for Sunday, the Lions will be starting Riddick with Washington, mid-season pickup Justin Forsett, and the agile Zach Zenner in support.