One of the standouts in Week 1 for the Green Bay Packers was linebacker Quay Walker. He turned in an excellent performance against the Chicago Bears, getting the job done in every facet of the game.
He recorded the second-highest single-game run-defense grade of his young career, showing the strides he made in that area of his game. As always, Walker was also excellent in pass coverage, receiving an elite 91.7 coverage grade.
His biggest highlight was a 37-yard interception return for a touchdown. That helped the Packers ice the game away in the fourth quarter, giving them a 38-14 lead. Unfortunately, at the end of the play, Walker was crushed by Bears offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
As a result of the hit, Walker suffered a head injury that was eventually deemed a concussion. He missed the remainder of the game and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that he was in concussion protocol this week.
That put his status for Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons in danger. However, an encouraging update was provided. After being a non-participant in Wednesday’s practice, Walker was upgraded to limited on Thursday.
That is certainly a step in the right direction, as Walker is likely progressing through the league’s protocols. LaFleur couldn’t comment on anything beyond saying Walker was still in the league’s protocols, but being on the field in any capacity is good news.
Friday will present Walker with another chance to clear more hurdles and improve his chances of suiting up on Sunday afternoon. If he is unable to get cleared in time, the Packers would turn to Isaiah McDuffie to take his place in the starting lineup alongside De’Vondre Campbell.
Not having Walker in the lineup would be a huge loss for the Packers. He would be a huge help in slowing down the Falcons’ elite run game led by Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. His coverage on tight end Kyle Pitts would also be missed greatly.
More must-reads: