Stephen Tulloch's season is over

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions will be without starting middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch for the rest of the season because of a celebration gone awry.

The Lions are placing Tulloch on injured reserve after he hurt his left ACL during a 19-7 win Sunday over the Packers while celebrating a sack of Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers.

"It's a loss there," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "Unfortunately, in our game, it happens all too often."

Caldwell said Tulloch will have surgery on the knee at an undetermined date. Caldwell also said he isn't certain Tulloch injured his knee during the celebration, but Tulloch said he felt his knee give during the celebration when he fell to the ground.

He got back up, tested the knee and tried to continue playing. He couldn't shed a block and was done for the day.

Now, he's done for the year.

"It's unfortunate, man," Tulloch said Sunday. "You're passionate about the game. You want to get up and celebrate, and it happened. People do it a million times. Unfortunately it happened to me, but I've been healthy for nine years in my career, never missed a game, let alone damn near plays.

"Sitting on the sideline is new to me, man. It's sickening. But I'll be all right. I'll get right and be able to help this team."

Tulloch hasn't missed a game since being drafted in the fourth round in 2006 by the Titans out of NC State. He played in 131 straight regular-season games between Tennessee and Detroit, where he has spent the past four seasons.

He has 806 tackles and 13.5 sacks in his career, including 135 tackles last season.

The Lions will potentially move outside linebacker DeAndre Levy to middle linebacker to help replace Tulloch. Detroit moved Levy over from the outside after Tulloch's injury Sunday.