The Green Bay Packers officially ruled out four players Friday: running back Josh Jacobs (finger), edge defender Micah Parsons (knee/illness-PUP), center Sean Rhyan (ankle) and tight end Josh Whyle. Of those three players, only Jacobs played against the New England Patriots last week and he didn’t finish the game. Yesterday, head coach Matt LaFleur said Jacobs has not yet had surgery on his fractured ring finger, but that it will happen in the near future.
The Packers used questionable status, which they rarely use, on linebacker Zaire Franklin, who has been out for several weeks with a fractured tibia. He did not participate in training this week.
Questionable players scheduled to participate in Sunday’s action are: running back Chris Brooks (ankle-IR), safety Javon Bullard (ankle/knee), offensive lineman Travis Glover (knee), safety Xavier McKinney (foot), receiver Skyy Moore (ankle-IR), edge defender Lukas Van Ness (back) and guard Kevin Zeitler (ankle/triceps).
In total, 9 of the team’s 53 active players have received game status for this week’s action against the Minnesota Vikings, leaving only 44 fully healthy players on the team. Considering teams need 48 players to suit up on game days, that’s a bit of a problem.
I guess ? Questionable players are more likely than not to play Sunday, simply because the Packers are going to need bodies — and their injured reserve designations are quickly evaporating. Green Bay has already used four of the eight returning designations assigned to it this season – with practice windows now open for Brooks and Moore. And that’s with Jacob Monk, Jonathan Ford and Warren Brinson having the potential to return this season – with some potential moves, like Jacobs going on IR, to come.
The Packers have already been able to weather the absence of Rhyan, Whyle and Franklin on the roster in recent weeks, and Jacobs will likely be replaced by MarShawn Lloyd – who missed last week’s action – on the game day roster.
As long as the questionable players are willing to go, Green Bay shouldn’t need to shake things up too much. If they’re not, though, their backups are thin at the moment, and we’ll likely get an idea of who won’t be able to play thanks to Saturday’s practice squad elevations.
Gn sports
