Getty Kevin King #20 of the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Arlington, Texas.
The Green Bay Packers won’t have either of last year’s starting cornerbacks available when they travel to take on the Chicago Bears in Week 6.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Friday that King would be ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Bears after missing the entire week of practice with a shoulder injury. It will be the third time in the first six games of the 2021 season that King has been sidelined due to an injury, missing Weeks 3 and 4 with a concussion.
King cleared concussion protocol heading into Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals and ended up playing his best game of the season, allowing just 17 receiving yards against his coverage before getting knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter. LaFleur later praised his toughness for playing “with basically one arm” for part of their victory.
“I never want to question a guy’s toughness because he’s as tough as they come,” LaFleur said of King’s injury on October 14. “You can see that when he throws his face in there. I mean, he was hitting people on Sunday. You factor everything into it. Certainly, the whole pain-tolerance deal when you’re dealing with any injury comes into play, but it’s the function, it’s the ability to be able to use it. You could see after he did hurt his shoulder, he was just unable to use his arm out there. And certainly, we don’t want to put a player out there in a position where they can’t function … at a high level.”
The latest Packers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Packers newsletter here!
How King’s Absence Impacts Packers Secondary
With top cornerback Jaire Alexander still on injured reserve, the Packers are down to a thin group at the position for their trip to Chicago. First-round rookie Eric Stokes figures to continue on as the No. 1 guy on the perimeter, but it could be backup Isaac Yiadom — who has played just 50 snaps this year — starting on the opposite side of him against the Bears now that King is certain not to play.
Otherwise, the only two other cornerbacks on the active roster are rookie Shemar Jean-Charles and newcomer Rasual Douglas to consider for roles against the Bears. Douglas was signed off of the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad on October 6, but he was ruled inactive against the Bengals to give him time to get acquainted with the defense. Still, he has recorded 34 pass deflections and five interceptions over 60 career games and could be a valuable addition for their depth-deprived rotation.
The Packers also have veteran Quinton Dunbar and Kabion Ento to consider for elevation from the practice squad. Ento has impressed through portions of the past two training camps but has yet to take a live snap in the NFL. That would seem to make Dunbar the better option if they want more proven depth on the roster, but he was also just signed this week and, like Douglas, could need time getting up to speed.
Myers Cleared, Jenkins Remains Questionable
Fortunately for the Packers, King was the only player ruled out immediately for Week 6 with an injury. Chances are good they will also be without veteran offensive tackle Dennis Kelly (back), who is listed as “doubtful” against the Bears, but it won’t be difficult to replace his contributions given he has played just 18 special teams snaps this year.
The biggest piece of injury news worth monitoring for the weekend will be stud offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins. While an ankle injury has kept him from playing in three consecutive games, he practiced all three days this week and would appear to have his best shot yet at returning to the lineup in Week 6. He is listed as “questionable.”
Additionally, rookie center Josh Myers was cleared of the finger injury that held him out last week and is expected to return to his starting role against the Bears.