Getty Amari Rodgers #8 of the Green Bay Packers works out during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field on June 08, 2021 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Packers aren’t out of the woods yet with the COVID-19 outbreak that has chipped away at their roster over the past week.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst added offensive guard Ben Braden, outside linebacker Tipa Galeai, wide receiver Amari Rodgers and Ty Summers to the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, December 27, leaving them with a number of holes on their 53-man roster as they begin preparation for their Week 17 rematch with the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field.
The Packers also added defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh to their practice-squad COVID-19 reserve list, which is essentially the same thing but only for practice-squad guys.
The Packers have added at least one player a week to their COVID-19 reserve list since the start of December, but things began to get significantly worse last weekend when four players were given COVID-19 designations in a matter of two days. Three of them were placed on the list just hours before their kickoff against the Cleveland Browns on Christmas Day.
After the latest additions, the Packers now have a total of 10 players stuck in the league’s COVID-19 protocol. The active roster’s reserve list also includes wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (added on December 21), outside linebacker Chauncey Rivers (December 24) and cornerbacks Kevin King and Shemar Jean-Charles (both December 25), while outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton (December 25) is the second occupant on the practice squad’s reserve list.
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LaFleur Indicates Packers Will Add to Roster
Fortunately for the Packers, the only player on their COVID-19 reserve list who starts on either offense or defense is Valdes-Scantling. Rodgers could also qualify as a starter given that he has been the team’s primary punt returner all season and recently added kickoff returns to his responsibilities, but the Packers have also been trying different things on that front and might not have the toughest time finding a new returner.
The downside, though, is that the Packers are losing depth in key positions. Without King and Jean-Charles, Isaac Yiadom is the primary backup for Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes and Chandon Sullivan. The situation is even worse on the offensive line, where Braden’s subtraction leaves the team with center Jake Hanson as the only healthy substitute for all five starting positions. That’s just untenable without some form of free-agent or practice-squad addition to the unit.
“That’s something that Gutey and myself were talking about earlier (Monday),” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said in Monday’s press conference. “We’ve got a plan for that. We’re going to bring in some guys and have some workouts. And for the areas of concern, we will bring in some guys. I don’t think you’re ever truly OK unless you have everybody available. That’s when you feel good, but this thing, you never know. Anytime I get a text from (head athletic trainer Bryan) Flea (Engel), I’m kind of holding my breath now as like, ‘Alright, who’s next?’ That’s why we’ve got to make sure guys are trying to take every precaution we can to make sure we stay healthy, safe and are available.”