The Facts: Speaking today for the first time since he underwent surgery to repair a ligament in his left foot, Abdullah said it was difficult to watch the Lions' running game struggle in his absence and he still believes that he will be a "premier" running back in the NFL.

Diehards Line: Abdullah played well enough in the first six quarters of the season that he looked like he might solve the Lions' longstanding problems at running back. Then he went down with the season-ending foot injury. Abdullah ran for 101 yards on 18 carries before he injured his foot in a Week 2 loss to the Titans. Last year, he played the final two games of the season through a torn labrum in his shoulder and finished with a team-high 597 yards rushing. General manager Bob Quinn said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL radio last week that the Lions intend to "try to get better at the running back position" this off-season, but Abdullah said he hopes that the team gives him another chance to be its lead back. The Lions finished 30th in the NFL in rushing this year (81.9 yards per gamer). Backup running back Theo Riddick also finished the season on injured reserve -- Riddick had a cast on his injured left wrist today but declined to discuss specifics about the injury -- and rookie seventh-round pick Dwayne Washington lost his starting job to Zach Zenner late in the season. Abdullah said he hopes to be full-go by the time organized team activities start in April, and he said he'll be a different person whenever he gets back on the field.