Getty Davante Adams #17 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 17, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois.
The Green Bay Packers’ decision to travel to Arizona without Davante Adams might appear to confirm that the All-Pro wide receiver will not play against the Cardinals for Thursday Night Football, but hope isn’t dead just yet.
Adams was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, October 25, after testing positive for the coronavirus, putting the Packers at risk of playing an undefeated NFC powerhouse without their leading receiver. Consequently, Allen Lazard was also added to the COVID list the next day after being flagged as a “high-risk close contact.”
Since Lazard is unvaccinated, NFL protocol dictates that he must spend five days in quarantine and will have no chance of playing in Week 8; however, given Adams has previously confirmed he is vaccinated, there is still a long-shot opportunity for him to rejoin the team this week in Arizona if he can meet the necessary return requirements.
Adams would need to test negative on both Wednesday and Thursday to be eligible to play against the Cardinals. If he does meet the requirement of two negative tests 24 hours apart, he could then arrange his own travel to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and be activated off the COVID list in time for kickoff at 7:20 p.m. CT.
Packers’ WR Davante Adams is unlikely to play Thursday night considering he still would need two negative COVID tests 24 hours apart. Packers’ WR Allen Lazard is out because he’s unvaccinated and couldn’t be cleared in time for Thursday night in time.
It is unlikely — and certainly, the Packers will be preparing as if Adams will not be part of the plan against the Cardinals — but even a slim chance of having one of the league’s premier receivers available has to be considered a good thing for Green Bay.
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Winfree Likely to be Elevated vs. Cardinals
While Adams’ status is not yet officially clear, the Packers do appear to be moving forward with one of their backup plans against the Cardinals. According to the NFL’s transaction wire for Wednesday, October 27, they protected third-year wideout Juwann Winfree on their practice squad, suggesting they will likely elevate him to the game-day roster ahead of their Thursday Night Football matchup.
The Packers are allowed to protect four practice-squad players each week and have regularly done so with some of their key insurance pieces, including third-string quarterback Kurt Benkert, backup kicker J.J. Molson and backup long snapper Steven Wirtel. They also protected Equanimeous St. Brown a few times during October, elevating him twice before ultimately signing him to the active roster.
At the very least, Winfree’s first-ever protection telegraphs the Packers’ intentions to include him in the game plan this year. Elevating him would be the most practical approach given Adams, Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling could all return to the fold before Week 9’s game, but it is also possible they could sign him outright to the 53-man roster and give him a more permanent role for their team.
Valdes-Scantling’s Status Remains a Mystery
Another thing that could boost the Packers’ receiving options for Thursday Night Football is the potential return of their deep-threat wide receiver. Valdes-Scantling has been on injured reserve with a hamstring injury since October 2, but he has been eligible for activation off the list since Week 7. Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed also confirmed that Valdes-Scantling did travel with the team to Arizona, which gives the team until 4 p.m. ET on game day to decide whether to activate him.
Valdes-Scantling had caught just six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in his three games before landing on IR, but there were some early misses that could have padded his numbers a bit if Aaron Rodgers had thrown better passes for him. He also finished last season with a career-high 690 receiving yards while averaging an NFL-best 20.7 yards per reception, making him a reliable weapon for their offensive arsenal.
Now, nothing says the world will end if the Packers face the Cardinals with just Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Equanimeous St. Brown, Malik Taylor and Juwann Winfree available, but there’s no denying Valdes-Scantling’s return would make things easier.