It was a pretty hectic day at 1265 considering is was a scaled down, sparsely attended jog through practice to install the game plan for Sunday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in the Packers first game at Lambeau Field in almost a calendar month.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur got it going with his media session before practice, a somber Q/A because of the team’s crippling injury situation. It’s part of life in the NFL, he said, no one is offering pity at their lot and it led the coach to scale back the workout.
A whopping 17 players showed up on the week’s first injury report. 10 players didn’t participate, even in the jog through. Aaron Rodgers, David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, De’Vondre Campbell, Romeo Doubs, Sammy Watkins, Eric Stokes, Shemar Jean-Charles and Rashan Gary all sat it out. Gary of course, will sit out the rest of the season as General Manager Brian Gutekunst officially moved him to the Injured Reserve list today.
Limited participants included Mason Crosby, Rasul Douglas, Aaron Jones, Allen Lazard, Preston Smith and Jon Runyan.
Christian Watson was on the report as a full participant, even though he was listed as still being in the concussion protocol. There was a bit of confusion over that designation as the Packers insisted Watson did not experience a concussion for the second straight week against the Lions. He was hit in the chest, lost his wind and was examined on the sideline. After determining exactly what happened, the Packers still decided to sit Watson for the rest of the game because of the concussion he suffered the week prior in Buffalo on his first and only catch of the game. Because he didn’t finish the game, the league required the Packers to still list Watson in the concussion protocol but he’s expected to be cleared and available against Dallas.
With an open spot on the roster because of Gary’s move to IR, the Packers have claimed former Las Vegas Raider safety and 2019 first round draft choice Jonathan Abram. The former Mississippi State Bulldog was the latest in a series of former high picks the Raiders have unloaded. He’ll be reunited with a couple of other former Raider secondary players in Green Bay in Keisean Nixon and Dallin Leavitt. Nixon is expected to assume the slot position with Eric Stokes on the shelf for a while. After Stokes went down in Detroit, Rasul Douglas was moved back to the corner position where he flourished last year with Nixon took Douglas’ role. Secondary coach Jerry Gray said after practice they’ll get a couple days working in those spots and be good to go Sunday. The signing of Abram may also indicate an unhappiness with the play of Darnell Savage who has struggled much of this season with tackling and being in position for big plays.
The Packers also made a practice squad change at wide receiver, releasing Kawaan Baker and signing Jeff Cotton, a first year receiver who was with Jacksonville a year ago, spending the season on the practice squad and being activated for one game. He was an undrafted receiver out of Idaho a year ago.
Rodgers held court in front of his locker for nearly a half hour with most of the focus on Mike McCarthy’s return this weekend. When asked what comes to mind when he thinks of his former coach? Rodgers offered this.
The successful ride continued for another six years but never reaching the same heights. Playoff and championship game disappointment was part the 13 year journey. Rodgers wasn’t surprised McCarthy got emotional about returning to a city where he won 125 regular season games and a franchise record 10 in the playoffs. He always enjoyed Mike’s softer side. Among his favorite private conversations was one that took place on Christmas Day of 2013. After missing a half dozen games with an injury, Rodgers said he went to McCarthy’s house and had a heart to heart about wanting to start against the Chicago Bears in the regular season finale, a game the Packers needed to secure the North Division title. The coach agreed, and Rodgers delivered the unforgettable 4th down touchdown pass to Randall Cobb to clinch the division and send them into the playoffs. Their relationship deteriorated in 2018 of course and after what Rodgers said was a bad loss to a bad Arizona team at Lambeau, dropping the Packers to 4-7-1, on December 2 of that year, McCarthy was fired, a really strange way to mark his own 35th birthday.
Time has helped heal the relationship and Rodgers is looking forward to seeing the coach he spent more time with than any other in his career.
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