Packers-Vikings Practice Updates: A Big Surprise

On Wednesday, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said running back Josh Jacobs is “truly day to day” with the knee injury that kept him out of most of Sunday’s win at the Giants.

Thursday was the day.

Jacobs went through the pre-practice warm-up inside the Don Hutson Center but wasn’t on the field for a ball-security period. However, as the running backs joined the quarterbacks to run routes and catch passes, Jacobs jogged out of the Hutson Center, went through his special handshakes with quarterbacks Jordan Love, Malik Willis and Clayton Tune, and went through drills as if nothing had happened.

There’s plenty of time between now and Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, and how he feels coming off the practice field on Thursday and how he feels when he arrives at the stadium on Friday will be critical, but the arrow is obviously trending up that Jacobs will be on the field for Game 1 of a pivotal three-game streak of NFC North battles.

Jacobs carried seven times for 40 yards against the Giants, seemingly on his way to the breakout game he had been hunting for weeks. However, he suffered the knee injury at the end of the 15-yard run on a backward pass on the third play from scrimmage. He briefly left the game but returned during the series and got five more touches.

His final play was when he went down far easier than usual on a second-and-goal run from the 1.

The original plan was for Jacobs to test the knee on Friday. Instead, he practiced on Thursday.

Five players did not practice on Wednesday, with Jacobs joined by defensive tackle Karl Brooks (ankle), cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee), linebacker Quay Walker (shoulder) and receiver Savion Williams (foot). Jacobs and Williams practiced on Thursday; the others did not.

“He’s feeling better,” LaFleur said of Walker, the team’s leading tackler and a defensive captain, “and we’ll see how he feels today before we make a decision where he’s at. Certainly, he’s a guy that’s very, very important to not only our defense but our entire football team.”

Just like Wednesday, receiver Matthew Golden, who is dealing with a nagging shoulder injury, ran routes during the portion of practice open to reporters but did not catch passes.

LaFleur said he hoped the limitations on Golden and Williams would be “short term,” but their lack of practice reps is a “challenge” for the rookie playmakers, who might have a larger role in the offense if they were healthy.

“But we’re not the only team dealing with it,” LaFleur added, “so you just got to make the best of whatever the situation and try to give them as much as you can in regards to if they’re not out there getting the full-speed reps, and you got to kind of double-down on the walkthrough or whatever it may be.”

Five of the team’s six receivers are on the injury report. Romeo Doubs was limited on Wednesday when, like Golden, he ran routes but didn’t catch passes due to an injured wrist. He did catch passes at the start of Thursday’s practice.

Kicker Brandon McManus, who was inactive against the Giants after his injured right quad flared up last week, was full participation on Wednesday.

“He had a really good day,” LaFleur said. He will kick again on Friday, which is his normal routine.

Meanwhile, running back MarShawn Lloyd and receiver Jayden Reed, who remain on injured reserve, caught passes from a JUGS machine while the rest of the players warmed up, then went through rehab work on the field with trainers.

The Packers had 17 players listed on their initial injury report. That’s a lot of banged-up bodies ahead of facing the Vikings on Sunday and the Lions on Thursday. While there will be some load management at practice, “absolutely” nothing else will change this week, LaFleur said.

“We’re focused on one thing and one thing only and that’s today and the Minnesota Vikings,” he said. “We’ll worry about all that other stuff when the time comes.”

The teams will release their updated injury reports after Thursday’s practices. For now, here are the reports from Wednesday.

Packers Injury Report

Did not participate: DT Karl Brooks (ankle), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), RB Josh Jacobs, LB Quay Walker (shoulder), WR Savion Williams (foot).

Limited: S Javon Bullard (ankle), LB Edgerrin Cooper (foot), WR Romeo Doubs (wrist), WR Matthew Golden (shoulder), CB Keisean Nixon (illness), DE Micah Parsons (pectoral), RT Zach Tom (back), DE Lukas Van Ness (foot), WR Christian Watson (knee), WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf).

Full: QB Jordan Love (left shoulder), K Brandon McManus (right quad).

Vikings Report

Did not participate: RG Will Fries (knee), OLB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder).

Full: LT Christian Darrisaw (knee), RB Aaron Jones (shoulder), C Ryan Kelly (concussion).

Note: Kelly returned to practice from injured reserve and is within the 21-day practice window.