Three Green Bay Packers players straight up missed practice yesterday, October 8th, and it’s looking grim for their offensive line ahead of that huge rivalry game against the Bears.
The O-Line Is Banged Up, Big Time
Aaron Banks, one of their guards, was out for the *second straight day*. Dude’s only been available for one game all season, Week 2 against the Jets, and even then he dipped out in the first half. If he misses the next one, that’s his fourth game out. That’s a brutal start to the season, no kidding. And it’s not just Banks. Guard Jacob Monk missed practice too because of a quadricep injury that already kept him out of the Buccaneers game. So you’ve got two guards sidelined, and that’s a massive hole to fill.
Now, here’s the kicker: Rookie guard Jager Burton *returned* to practice after missing October 7th with back spasms. You’d think that’s good news, right? But during the media portion of practice, this guy was getting reps at *center* during blocking drills. A rookie, fresh off back spasms, suddenly playing center? That tells you everything about the bind they’re in up front.
More Injury Headaches and Some Returns
It’s not just the offensive line catching the injury bug. Running back Chris Brooks also missed his second consecutive practice. He got dinged up with an ankle injury in the first half of their October 4th game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coach Matt LaFleur was playing it cool, saying, “We’re going to give him another day and see where he’s at tomorrow and make a decision after that.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement of his availability, huh?
But hey, some good news, right? Defensive tackle Anthony Campbell was back in full pads and participating. He’d been out for the last two games after an ankle injury from that Jets game. So at least the defensive line is getting a piece back. And get this, second-year receiver Savion Williams is officially back on the field after his 21-day practice window opened on October 7th. The dude missed the first *four* games because of an ankle injury he picked up in the preseason, starting the year on injured reserve. Now he’s got 21 days to show what he’s got before they make a call. That’s a high-stakes audition!
So, yeah, it’s a real mixed bag in Green Bay right now. Key guys are dropping, especially on the offensive line, and they’re scrambling to adjust with rookies playing new positions. They’re ramping up for the Chicago Bears rivalry game at Lambeau Field this Sunday, October 11th, at noon. With so many questions marks, especially up front, how are they gonna protect their QB and open up lanes for the run game against their biggest rival? This week’s game is going to tell us a *lot* about what this team is made of early in the season. You gotta watch this one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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