The Detroit Lions plan to place special-teams ace Montell Owens on injured reserve with a designation to return, a person informed of the move said today. Owens suffered a non-contact knee injury in the Lions’ third preseason game against the New England Patriots. He did not travel with the team for Thursday’s exhibition finale against the Buffalo Bills, and had crutches in the locker room this week though he walked around without using them. By NFL rules, the Lions cannot place Owens on short-term IR until 4 p.m. Tuesday, which means he remains on the 53-man roster for now. Once a player is placed on short-term IR, he can’t return for at least six weeks, and teams can designate one player per season to return from injured reserve. Source: Detroit Free Press
