Talk about some wild swings on the injury front! Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Jager Burton, who’s been battling back spasms, made a killer move, jumping from a total non-participant in Wednesday’s practice to getting limited reps on Thursday. It was the only status change for the Packers all day, which says a lot about how crucial his return is, especially since he himself said he’s never had back issues before and was able to do individual drills without a hitch.
O-Line Shuffle and Running Back Reality Check
While Burton’s progress is a sigh of relief, the Packers’ offensive line isn’t exactly out of the woods. Left guard Aaron Banks is still a non-participant with knee and toe issues, and offensive lineman Jacob Monk is also sidelined by a quadricep injury. Head coach Matt LaFleur did give us some good news on right tackle Anthony Belton, who was a limited participant with a knee issue. LaFleur isn’t worried, and the plan is for Belton to be starting as a bookend on Sunday. But the real gut punch might be at running back. Chris Brooks, who’s been the team’s top back in snap counts, is still out with an ankle injury he picked up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. LaFleur said they’re giving him another day to rest, but if Brooks is truly out against the Chicago Bears, Green Bay will be down to just two running backs on the 53-man roster. That’s a huge problem, meaning we’re probably looking at Pierre Strong Jr. getting called up from the practice squad. Ouch. On the defensive front, Anthony Campbell (ankle), edge rusher Lukas Van Ness (shoulder), and Devonte Wyatt (ankle) were all limited in practice.
Parsons’ Progress and a Banged-Up Bears Squad
Alright, let’s talk about the big one: All-Pro edge defender Micah Parsons. The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman noted he was actually running on the side at practice today, even rocking some kind of wrap or brace on his left knee! Now, don’t get too hyped, his 21-day practice window hasn’t even opened yet, and he’s still officially on the physically unable to perform list. But LaFleur did confirm Parsons made some progress last week, even if he wasn’t ready for full practice. Seeing a guy like that getting any kind of work in is massive for the defense’s long-term outlook.
As for the upcoming Week 5 matchup against the Bears, Chicago’s got their own injury woes. Their report saw some big jumps: offensive linemen Jonah Jackson (ankle), Joe Thuney (pectoral), and Darnell Wright (ankle), along with running back D’Andre Swift (hip/knee), all went from being non-participants to limited. That’s a lot of key guys getting some reps back. However, linebacker Keyshaun Elliott actually took a step backward, going from limited to a non-participant with a quadricep injury. Quarterback Caleb Williams (hamstring) and running back Kyle Monangai (thumb/toe) are still non-participants. The Bears’ running back room and offensive line are looking pretty banged up right now, which could be a major factor when they face off against Green Bay this Sunday. It’s gonna be wild to see how both teams navigate these injury charts heading into the game.
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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