Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Lambeau Field on September 20, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Packers are likely going to be missing another one of their top players during Sunday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters following Friday’s final Week 3 practice that Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins would be listed as “doubtful” to play in their road game against the 49ers. Jenkins has been sidelined for the entire week with an ankle injury he sustained late in Week 2’s win over the Detriot Lions, putting him at risk of missing the first NFL game of his young career.
“There’s definitely an outside chance (he will play), but we’ll list him as doubtful,” LaFleur said Friday. “And if he can come around in the next 48 hours before we kick off, then we’ll let him go.”
The only other Packers player listed with an injury designation for Week 3 was tight end Dominique Dafney, who is questionable with a hip injury he picked up during the week. Safety Vernon Scott (hamstring) and tight end Josiah Deguara (concussion) were both cleared to play after missing last week’s game.
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Kelly Primed to Make First Start for Packers
The Packers could be forced to play without their two best offensive linemen if Jenkins is unable to suit up against the 49ers on Sunday night, but that doesn’t mean they will have to get desperate when it comes to retooling their lineup. The answer to their tackle problem seems obvious: Give veteran Dennis Kelly his first start in the green and gold.
Kelly started all 16 games at right tackle last season for the Tennessee Titans, playing on more than 1,000 offensive snaps and allowing no sacks in the process. The Packers originally brought him in to provide their tackle spots with veteran experience as they wait for David Bakhtiari to recover from an ACL tear, but an injury to Jenkins finally gives them a reason to see how he handles starter responsibilities in their offense.
The question now is whether the Packers will slide Kelly directly into Jenkins’ spot on the left side or put him where he is more comfortable on the right, moving Billy Turner to the left side instead. The latter seems to be the safer of the two options given their comfortability with Turner, but the Packers could try things the other way around if they like Kelly’s matchup on the left better. The priority, after all, will be keeping the 49ers’ edge rushers — namely, Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead — restrained.
“It’s a collective effort across not only the offensive line, but everybody’s got to be on point,” LaFleur said. “Especially in the passing game where you’re talking about disruptive edge rushers, everybody else has a responsibility to be where they need to be within the timing of the play. The quarterback has a responsibility in terms of making sure he’s working through his progressions and the rhythm and timing (of what) the play is meant to be, so it puts a little extra on everybody.”
Will Packers Bronson Kaufusi Get Elevated?
Unlike with Jenkins, the Packers won’t have to significantly alter their lineup if Dafney isn’t able to play against the 49ers. Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis and a healthy Deguara give them all the personnel they need to run their tight-end packages even though the unit is a little smaller without the 6-foot-2, 243-pound Dafney. Nevertheless, there could still be a roster move worth exploring for them heading into Sunday night.
Bronson Kaufusi, the only tight end on their practice squad and one of Aaron Rodgers’ training-camp favorites, could be a logical choice for a game-day elevation if Dafney is held out in Week 3. He is a bit of an enigma as a former defensive end who converted to tight end only about 13 months ago, but size certainly isn’t a problem for him at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds. At the very least, he provides depth for a position that has one banged-up player and another coming off an injury.
The Packers have only elevated one player — wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown — from their practice squad through the first two weeks of the 2021 season, and he didn’t see much action. St. Brown played on just six total offensive snaps and caught his lone passing target for no gain.