Man, what a gut punch. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur opened his press conference Sunday talking about the win over the Chicago Bears being “bittersweet” because things were not looking good for defensive lineman Javon Hargrave. Seriously, the dude went down late in garbage time and had to be carted off the field. When LaFleur was pressed for more details, the news was exactly what you didn’t want to hear: “early indications look like Achilles.” Just brutal.
The Devastating Blow That Changes Everything (Well, Not Everything, But A Lot)
If that diagnosis is correct, Hargrave would be the fourth season-ending injury for Green Bay already this year. Think about that for a second. FOUR. They already lost receiver Jayden Reed to a neck injury, right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele with a Patellar tendon issue, and even linebacker Edgerrin Cooper also went down with an Achilles. You just hate to see it. Injuries are a part of the game, yeah, but this feels like an avalanche. Losing a key guy like Hargrave, especially when he goes down late in a game that’s already basically over, that’s just soul-crushing for the team.
Defensive Line Depth Hanging By A Thread
Now, the Packers technically have five other defensive linemen on the roster besides Hargrave. But here’s where it gets even trickier: Anthony Campbell was already held out of action in Week 5 and came into Sunday with a questionable status because of his own injury. So, while Karl Brooks, Devonte Wyatt, Jonathan Ford (all starting 3-4 defensive ends or nose tackle), and Chris McClellan (a third-round rookie) are currently healthy in the unit, that depth disappears fast. If Hargrave gets deactivated, he’ll be the ninth Packers player to hit injured reserve, on top of three others already on the physically unable to perform list. That is a ton of guys on the sidelines, folks. The silver lining, if you can call it that? Defensive linemen Warren Brinson (IR) and Jordon Riley (PUP) are expected back eventually to contribute. But “eventually” doesn’t help much right now.
The Practice Squad Carousel and What’s Next
Currently, Green Bay’s sixth option at defensive tackle is David Blay Jr., a practice squad guy signed in Week 4. And get this: the Packers have been absolutely raided on their practice squad this year. Nazir Stackhouse got claimed at the cutdown deadline, and Jaden Crumedy got plucked by the Houston Texans mid-season. They tried to replace Crumedy by signing Eric Johnson II, but then cut him after about two weeks, only to sign Blay two days later. It’s a revolving door, and that’s not ideal for continuity. The Packers usually keep five defensive tackles on their 48-man game-day roster, so Campbell’s health is now front and center this week. If he can’t suit up, Blay might have to get activated for real game action. You gotta wonder how long they can keep patching up this defensive line. Campbell’s status is huge. What happens if Blay gets called up for duty this week? That’s the immediate question looming over the team.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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