Early Injuries Are Revealing Something About the Packers

There is a general rule for what you want to accomplish during training camp and preseason: get some good on-field work in, settle positional battles, and build chemistry on both sides of the ball.

However, perhaps the most important thing, especially for starters and roster locks, is to stay healthy.

Nobody wants a camp or preseason injury to linger into the regular season and take snaps away from significant contributors. Unfortunately for several Green Bay Packers players, that has not been the case this year. We hope it’s not a harbinger of things to come, with a month still to go until the start of the regular season.

Inherently, football players are going to get dinged up and miss time, especially during training camp. However, injuries are starting to pile up at multiple positions for the Packers, which will test their depth for the rest of camp and into the start of the regular season.

Running backs MarShawn Lloyd and Emanuel Wilson have missed multiple practices with groin and knee injuries, respectively. Both players returned to the practice field in a limited capacity on Monday by participating in individual drills. Still, the Packers would surely like them both back at full strength well before the start of the season.

Lloyd is undoubtedly the most talented running back on the roster, aside from Josh Jacobs, but he has had a hard time staying healthy. He needs all the reps he can get to prepare for what, for all intents and purposes, will be his first real season in the NFL.

Wilson was the team’s second-leading rusher in 2024, and if Lloyd struggles to stay healthy again this year, the Packers will need Wilson at full strength to lighten the load on Jacobs.

Fourth running back Chris Brooks is a talented player, but he’s filling more of a fullback role on this team. They shouldn't view him as someone to carry the ball effectively regularly. The Packers need Jacobs healthy for the stretch run and playoffs, so easing his burden early in the year will be crucial.

Similar to the running backs, the wide receiver position has been hit hard by injuries. Of course, Christian Watson has been out all of camp while recovering from his late-season ACL tear, but third-year receiver Jayden Reed was seen in a walking boot during Saturday’s preseason game with what the team is calling a sprained foot.

While considered day-to-day, coach Matt LaFleur seemed to provide a little less optimism. “Hopefully we’ll get him back before the regular season,” he said, adding that there’s reason to be concerned.

The Packers have Reed penciled in as their starting slot receiver, and he’s a big part of the passing game. They need Reed to be healthy to fully maximize their offensive potential.

Even more cause for concern is that it’s not just Reed and Watson missing time at wideout. The Packers were without four of their top six receivers against the New York Jets. Third-year receiver Dontayvion Wicks has missed a large portion of training camp because of a calf injury, and rookie Savion Williams is dealing with a shoulder injury and also didn’t suit up for the game.

While there’s hope Reed can play Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, Wicks’ status has been uncertain since injuring his calf early in camp. The Packers are likely being extra cautious with a young player whose superpower is his quick feet and ability to gain separation. Any aggravation could extend his absence. And while Wicks is likely the fourth option in the room, he’s still a good player and someone who they will need to win games in 2025.

Elgton Jenkins has missed time all offseason with a back injury. That should scare every Packers fan after the dreadful showing from some of Green Bay’s backup offensive linemen during Saturday’s preseason game.

Jacob Monk allowed a sack and was called for three holding penalties against the Jets. Sean Rhyan has also played center and would likely be the backup in a real game, with Jordan Morgan taking over his guard spot. However, Rhyan has struggled there. Messing with the quarterback-center exchange is not something you want to deal with early in the season. The thought of someone outside of Jenkins playing center this season fills me with dread.

Flipping to the defensive side, the secondary is missing its two best players for at least the rest of camp. Free-agent acquisition Nate Hobbs revealed last week he had “minor” knee surgery to clean up a partially torn meniscus. While he said he “fully intends” to be ready to play Week 1, Matt LaFleur once again seemed to temper expectations.

“I’m not going to put a timetable on it,” LaFleur said, “but unfortunately, he had to have something cleaned up. We’re hoping to get him back here sooner than later.”

With a four-week recovery window, that would give Hobbs about a week to practice before the Lions game — assuming there are no setbacks.

Xavier McKinney is also projected to miss the rest of camp with a calf injury. However, if there’s anyone on this team who doesn’t really need training camp or preseason snaps, it’s McKinney. However, calf injuries are notorious for flaring up and sometimes leading to more serious injuries, such as an Achilles tear.

When asked about it, McKinney downplayed the concern: “It was just something lingering a little bit over time, and that’s really all it was.”

Still, it’s enough to keep him out for multiple weeks of practice. The thought of lining up against the high-powered Lions offense in Week 1 without the two best members of the secondary is not a good feeling.

Some might look at all these injuries and chalk it up to football players simply getting banged up. Others might take a glass-half-empty and assume the Packers will have a slow start to the new season. At this juncture of camp, I lean more toward the not worrying category — hoping that time off is exactly what these starters need to get ready for Detroit, and crossing my fingers that nobody else gets added to the list.