AP

When Lions tight end Eric Ebron was carted off during a practice this month, the initial reports indicated that he could miss the entire season. Now it looks like he won’t miss any of the season.

Ebron is doing well enough in recovery from his ankle injury that he is expected to play in Week One of the regular season, Adam Caplan of ESPN reports. Ebron could even be healthy enough to play in the final preseason game, although teams rarely use starters in the fourth preseason game.

The availability of Ebron, is very good news for the Lions, as he is slated to be the No. 1 tight end on a team that is thin at the position. Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew is still on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his ACL late last season, and Tim Wright is already out for the season after tearing his ACL in minicamp.

The 10th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Ebron has generally fallen short of expectations, with 72 catches for 785 yards and six touchdowns through two seasons.