ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions will be without defensive end Jared DeVries this year.
DeVries left the practice field on a cart Monday with a ruptured Achilles' tendon that will require season-ending surgery.
He started 29 games the past three seasons for the Lions and has played in 120 games for them since they drafted him out of Iowa in 1999.
DeVries starred for the late Ed Thomas at Aplington-Parkersburg High School in Iowa. Thomas was gunned down by a former player in June.
The Lions said they held receiver Calvin Johnson out of practice for precautionary reasons. Johnson had a cast on his right hand to protect a jammed thumb. Coach Jim Schwartz said X-rays showed Johnson did not have a significant injury, but he wouldn't say if Johnson would miss Saturday's preseason opener at home against Atlanta.
Rookie safety Louis Delmas, a second-round pick, returned to the field after missing several practices with a sore knee.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press