The Green Bay Packers have officially ruled out four players on 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 did not finish the game. Yesterday, head coach Matt LaFleur stated that Jacobs had yet to have surgery on his fractured ring finger, but that it would be coming in the near future.
The Packers used the
doubtful status, which they rarely use, on linebacker Zaire Franklin, who has been out for multiple weeks with a shin fracture. He was a non-participant throughout the week’s practices.
The questionable players going into 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 active roster’s 53 players were given game statuses for this week’s action against the Minnesota Vikings, leaving just 44 fully healthy players on the roster. Considering that teams need 48 players to suit up for game days, that’s a bit problematic.
My guess? The questionable players are more likely than not to play on Sunday, just because the Packers are going to need bodies — and their injured reserve designations are quickly evaporating. Already, Green Bay has used four of their eight allotted return designations this season — with the 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 — along with some potential moves, like Jacobs going on IR, coming down the line.
The Packers already were able to withstand not having 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 ready to go, Green Bay shouldn’t need to shake things up too much. If they aren’t, though, their reinforcements are thin right now, and we’ll probably get a heads-up on who won’t be able to play by way of the team’s Saturday practice squad elevations.
