Getty Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on September 20, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Packers don’t seem too concerned about the injury that sidelined wide receiver Davante Adams during Sunday’s win over the Detroit Lions.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur revealed Monday afternoon that Adams had actually pushed to come back into Sunday’s game after a hamstring injury knocked him out in the third quarter, but a growing lead over the Lions kept him on the sideline down the stretch.
“I know he wanted to go back in the game,” LaFleur told reporters Monday. “I just told him, ‘Hey, let’s just see how these next few series go and see if we need you.’ Obviously, he’s a huge part of what we do offensively and a key part of this football team. If we don’t need him, we didn’t want to put him back in a position to do further harm to his own body.”
Adams caught just three passes for 36 yards before coming out of the game, but his importance to the Packers as their No. 1 receiving target cannot be understated. He hauled in a career-high 14 receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns in their season-opening win over the Minnesota Vikings and came into Week 2’s home game with 454 yards on 31 catches over his past three performances, counting the Packers’ two playoff games.
Adams is also the only receiver on the Packers’ roster who has played at least three full seasons in the NFL with third-years Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard standing as the next-most experienced behind him. The fourth and final true wideout on their active roster, Malik Taylor, has still not yet made his first career reception.
The next update for Adams’ injury should come Wednesday when the Packers release their first injury report for Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday Night Football.
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Will Packers Sign Another WR to Active Roster?
The Packers offense rolled through the first two weeks of the 2020 season, putting up a combined 85 points and 1,010 yards against the Vikings and Lions and finding a variety of ways to move the ball against opposing defenses. And yet, the depth of their receiving corps continues to shrink with the latest injury to Adams.
While Adams could return to the fold in Week 3 without missing a beat, the Packers will have to spend at least two more games without Equanimeous St. Brown after a knee injury landed him on injured reserve on Saturday. He will be eligible to return to the Packers’ active roster near the end of their Week 5 bye, but there are no guarantees he will be ready to play in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Packers, however, might not consider having just four wideouts much of a personnel problem. Not only has the three-man rotation of Adams, MVS and Lazard been plenty efficient in their first two wins, but the regular use of tight ends and running backs in the passing game has also kept the Packers from stalling out on a number of drives. Don’t forget, Aaron Jones finished as their leading receiver (four catches, 68 yards) in Week 2 and was targetted with more passes (eight) than any other Packers.
The practice squad can also be a resource for the Packers if they find themselves wanting more depth at the position. They have already twice taken advantage of a new NFL rule that allows teams to elevate two players from their practice squad for game day, and Darrius Shepherd, Reggie Begelton and Robert Foster are all waiting in the wings.
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