MIAMI -- T.J. Lang is expected to return from a brain injury Sunday against Miami. Golden Tate will be out there too, because he's always out there. In four-plus seasons with Detroit, he's never missed a game.

Those guys are really important to this offense.

But will they be back next year?

We tackle those topics and a few others in this week's mailbag. As always, my deepest appreciation to everyone who took the time to send in questions. I'd love to answer all of them, but I also have a life, believe it or not. And I know many of you don't.

We'll be back, same time(ish), same place next week. You can send in questions via Twitter here, or email here. (If you do email, it's helpful to include the word "mailbag" somewhere in the subject line.) And with that, let's get this party started.

Q: Were u surprised that TJ Lang came back after the last concussion? -- @Rwingswin

A: No. T.J. Lang is such a football lifer, I figured he'd be back as soon as the doctors allowed it. And talking to him the other day really re-enforced that notion. Yeah, he knows the risks. But he doesn't care. For him, the benefits -- the fame, the fortune, the camaraderie with teammates -- makes playing worth it, even if it could turn his brain to mush.

"There's risk to playing football any day, no matter how healthy you are," Lang said. "Anything can happen -- a rookie, a 10-year vet, anybody -- so there's definitely a risk. I think all the players are very well aware of that, and last year when I was coming off my concussion, they said you basically got to weigh the risks versus the benefits. Last year, I felt the benefits were much higher, and I still feel the same. So, that hasn't changed. Try not to overthink it too much. Can't go out there and play scared. Can't try to avoid certain things.

"The biggest thing was I just feel like I have a lot of teammates in this locker room that are counting on me to be out there, and play, and play at a high level. And that's something that's always driven me, and will continue to drive me. I don't know if it's the brightest way to look at it -- comparing your health -- but at the same time, it's really all I know."

On the one hand, I respect his decision. After all, it's his brain, his family, his life. If he feels like this is the right decision for him and his family, that's all that matters. Having said that, I couldn't help walking away from his locker with an uneasy feeling about his decision.

He said "most" doctors have said it's safe for him to return. Which is another way of saying some doctors have told him it's not safe. And based on what we know about concussions, it's not. Brain trauma can lead to all sorts of problems, and the sort of repeated brain trauma he's sustained, especially so. We're talking depression, and unpredictable mood swings, and memory loss, and, yes, CTE.

I talked to one former Lions player a couple months ago. He shared a story about going to the grocery story, forgetting what he needed and calling up his wife -- and when she answered, he couldn't remember her name. The player said that has stuck with him, because he's not sure whether that's just a matter of getting old, or whether he has something more sinister going on, like CTE.

And this player isn't much older than Lang.

The truth is, with six known concussions, damage has already been done to Lang's brain. Perhaps that is part of his calculus -- I've heard it before from players, saying they might as well keep playing because they've already come this far. And, hey, that is squarely their decisions to make, Lang included. There are so many upsides to it, not the least of which is setting up your family for life. There are teammates to consider as well, and Lang mentioned them a few times in explaining his decision. Not walking out on them midseason seemed important to him, and I respect that.

But it also seemed to me like even when he was talking to neurologists, he was looking for reasons to validate a return to the field rather than actually weighing whether he should. I hope that's not the case.

So, no, it doesn't surprise me T.J. Lang is back. But at this point, it would surprise me if he's back next season. His body is breaking down. He's missed games the last two years because of back, foot and now two more brain injuries, in addition to the four others he's suffered as a pro. And with a cap hit of $11.7 million next season, I just don't see a path for him onto this roster.

Q: Should the Detroit Lions trade for Eric Ebron? -- @fake_cooter

A:

Q: Golden Tate is playing great football. Will he get the contract extension from the Lions that he deserves? -- Jam Hatter

A: That could go either way, but if I were a betting man -- and I'm not, mom, I swear -- my money would be squarely on no.

The receiver market is exploding, including in the slot. And Golden Tate, whose contract expires after this season, continues to be one of the most consistent and productive slot men in the game. He's led all receivers in yards after the catch in each of his four seasons in Detroit. This season, he trails only Cooper Kupp-- and he trails him by only 9 yards, even though he's also played in one fewer game. Hey, that's pretty good!

Tate has at least 90 catches each of the last four seasons. The only other guy to do that: Antonio Brown. Again, pretty good company. And this year, he's on pace for 106.

I could go on and on with the stats, but you get the point. Production-wise, Golden Tate has been one of the best receivers in the game for a half-decade. And given the way the market is going, that man is about to get paid.

Tate will be 31 by the time he plays a down on a new contract, and that will prevent him from getting top dollar. But we've seen teams fork over stacks of cash to aging stars every year in free agency, and I just think somebody is going to offer him more money than Detroit will be willing to pay a 31-year-old receiver. Especially with two really good wideouts still at the position in Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay.

Q: Do you have an over/under on Stafford/Kershaw references during the broadcast? -- @MichaelFick1

A: Hey, did you guys know that Matthew Stafford and Clayton Kershaw went to the same high school? Crazy, huh! I can't believe nobody is talking about this.

Side note: A couple of us were chatting with Stafford as we were walking through the halls of Allen Park this week, and asked how hard he could throw a baseball. He said he was in the low-90s at 15 years old. Stafford works hard and everything, but damn was that a reminder of just how gifted that right arm is.

Q: I was told all the Lions needed was a running game and they would be winners, why are they still losers? -- @SladeBivins

A: They have the worst run defense in the league. They had the worst red-zone offense in the league until their last game. That's a combination that will lose you a lot of games. And the Lions are still just one game out of first place.

Obviously, they sucked to start the season. But they're not out of it yet. They've won two of their last three, and nearly took the third as well. And a big reason for their competitiveness is the rebuilt run game. Get a stop in the running game, maybe even two, and this team has a shot. Seriously. This offense is that good. And, yes, the running game is a big reason for it.

Q: Do you think Stafford would really get any more respect if he won a playoff game? When will the Lions make Kerryon Johnson RB1? -- @TheByrdMan

A: On Stafford, of course. Look at his numbers over the years. They're really good by NFL standards, and the best in the history of this team. He stays out of trouble, always says the right things and never -- ever -- misses a game. Hell, I've been covering the team every day since 2013 and I don't ever remember him missing so much as a practice because of injury. This guy is everything people want in a QB1, and I'm convinced he'd become a legend in this town if he proved to be the guy who took the Lions to a Super Bowl.

Of course, he hasn't come close to that either. He hasn't so much as won a playoff game. And until he does, he'll always have his haters. Team success is tied to a quarterback's legacy, fair or not, and there's been none of that in Stafford's decade at the helm.

As for Johnson, about two games ago? He's already supplanted LeGarrette Blount as the starter, and has led the Lions in carries in both of those games. Just don't expect him to become the full-time guy or anything. Given the way the Patriots have spread carries across their backs, even when they had good backs, there's a pretty good bet Detroit is going to take the same approach. Matt Patricia is mindful of getting his players at their best for the stretch run, and hammering a back into the ground isn't exactly the best way to do that -- and with a rookie back who has never played more than 12 games in a season, especially so.

Q: As a beat reporter, are you (and all beat writers for that matter) trained to not be homers (as opposed to team broadcasters) or is it up to you how to handle that -- @ngelfond

A: There is a lot of misunderstanding out there about this. That's OK, my mother still has a misunderstanding about it, and this is my eighth season.

It goes like this. Most of us are not fans of the teams we cover, especially in the pro game. It's hard to explain why that happens, even for writers who grew up as fans of the teams they now cover. I think it has something to do with seeing the sausage get made, you know?

For example, I love Middle Eastern food. And Italian food. And Chinese food. And Mexican food. And seafood. And, well, let's try to stay on point here. I could eat Middle Eastern food every single day of my life. But if I worked in a Middle Eastern restaurant, and I was frying up that falafel and cooking the schwarma and making the hummus, hey, I probably wouldn't exactly be a fan of eating it every day, right? I guess maybe it's something like that.

At the end of the day, a winning team is way more fun to cover than a losing team. The fellas are in a better mood, which means they're more likely to share interesting stories about themselves. And it's way more fun to cover meaningful football in December and January than a 5-11 team, you know?

So to that end, I would always prefer they win than lose. And I always root for good things to happen to good people, and there are a lot of good people in that locker room. Seriously, it's a good one. But whether the team wins or loses on Sunday affects me 0 percent one way or the other.

And truth be told, you don't want us to be fans. In my experience, the worst writers are the ones who are emotional about the teams they cover.