Getty Rodney McLeod #23 of the Philadelphia Eagles commits a facemask penalty against Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers in the second quarter at Lambeau Field on September 26, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Davante Adams was practicing his jump shot during Thursday’s practice for the Green Bay Packers. Or, well, just his shot. There was no jumping involved.
As the Packers star wide receiver tossed around a football on the sidelines, he walked gingerly as he continues to miss time with a turf toe injury he suffered Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He missed last Sunday’s 34-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys, and the outlook for him playing Monday night against the Detroit Lions at home seems gloomy.
Adams did not participate in Thursday’s practice — officially listed in the team’s 20-player injury report that also included a limited Aaron Rodgers — and did not seem optimistic about playing in the NFC North showdown at Lambeau Field as both he and the team remain cautious with an injury that could ruin his season if aggravated.
“It doesn’t feel how I want it to feel at the moment,” Adams said via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky when speaking with reporters Thursday in the locker room. He also provided a detailed explanation about the injury, which he said involves “ligament damage” and still has “some healing to go” before he can return to action.
Davante Adams on his turf toe: “It means that you strained or tore something. So there’s ligament damage, and we just gotta let that heal up. I’ve made a lot of strides and I’m definitely able to move around a lot better than what I was, but we still got some healing to go.”
Adams was — and still is — the team’s leading receiver both in terms of talent and numbers despite playing just three complete games and a portion of a fourth before exiting with an injured toe. He leads in the team in catches (25), targets (36) and receiving yards (378) despite not having a touchdown catch yet in 2019. He also has a team-high five big plays, many of which came during his season-best performance Week 4 against the Eagles.
Before getting knocked out, Adams was having a career night with 10 catches for 180 yards in efforts to keep the Packers’ record spotless. He has two 100-yard receiving games in four tries this season, gaining seven first downs in each one.
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Further Explanation for Davante Adams’ Turf Toe
Adams talked a little bit more Thursday about the moment against the Eagles when he sustained his turf toe injury, describing how it felt and what went through his mind as he was on the sideline late in the game. The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman detailed his full comments:
“I mean, I had no idea what it was. I just knew I was in pain and obviously unable to push off of it and do anything at the moment, which was almost scary at the time because you don’t really know what the deal is. I’m so used to getting to the sideline and being able to just push through a little bit, throw some tape on something. Even every time I’ve hurt my ankle I continued to play that game, so for me to have to actually tell myself I couldn’t finish that game, it sucked. And I didn’t wanna believe it. I kept trying to see if I could do something as we went along. The drive before our last, I knew it was too fresh then. I was hoping maybe the adrenaline would kick in, I could work through some, but it was tough.”
Packers wide receiver Davante Adams on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019.
Dr. David J. Chao, a former NFL head team doctor, weighed in on the injury Wednesday on 105.7FM The FAN and said he expects the Packers star will miss multiple games. Considering the injury’s nature and how easy playing could aggravate the issue, the Packers will no doubt take their time working Adams back into the lineup.
Who Fills Davante Adams’ Fantasy Football Void?
Adams isn’t just the Packers’ top receiving option. He is among the best wideouts in the NFL after catching 111 passes for 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns during his career 2018 season. But like when both former top options Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb departed from the team, someone will need to be on the other end of Rodgers’ passes.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the team’s other starting wideout, has been the definitive No. 2 receiver for the Packers with his 17 catches for 235 yards. But banking on his production is not such a sure thing, especially with Valdes-Scantling appearing on Thursday’s injury report with a hamstring/calf injury that limited him in practice.
Long list of guys on the Packers injury report: t.co/oa4Su5Cg6R
Valdes-Scantling caught just one pass during the Week 5 win over the Cowboys, while wide receivers as a unit hauled in only four of Rodgers’ 22 completions. A team-high seven catches went to Aaron Jones, who rushed for four touchdowns and drew his first-career NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.
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