Getty Krys Barnes #51 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates after recovering a fumble against the Detroit Lions during the second half at Lambeau Field on September 20, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Krys Barnes will not be returning to Sunday Night Football for the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers have ruled out their starting inside linebacker for the remainder of Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers after Barnes was taken into the medical tent and evaluated for a concussion early in the second quarter. Barnes had collided with 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and was left down on the field until trainers could attend to him, eventually making it to the sideline under his own power.
The Packers also had an injury scare with cornerback Chandon Sullivan on the same drive. Sullivan took a brutal shot to the head while trying to bring down 49ers tight end George Kittle, running full speed into him as teammate Ty Summers administered a stopping hit of his own. Sullivan seemed to take the worst of the blow, but he did return to the game before the end of the first half.
The Packers turned to both Oren Burks and Summers to account for Barnes’ absence for the remainder of the first half. They also frequently leaned on the veteran experience of De’Vondre Campbell and ran with two inside ‘backers against the 49ers’ attack.
The Packers went on to win 30-28 without Barnes, using a 51-yard field goal from Mason Crosby to lift themselves over the 49ers and move to 2-1 on the year.
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Several Other Packers Dinged Up in Second Half
While Barnes was the first significant injury the Packers sustained against the 49ers, there were several other contributors sidelined before the night ended in victory. Defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling also both dropped out with injures during the second half, preemptively ending what had been each player’s best game of the season through three weeks.
Lancaster logged two tackles and generated a crucial pressure on Jimmy Garoppolo that allowed Jonathan Garvin and rookie T.J. Slaton to sack him for a loss of seven, but he was taken to the sideline in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion and did not return.
As for Valdes-Scantling, the fourth-year wideout came up limping after Aaron Rodgers overthrew a deep shot to him down the right sideline in the fourth quarter and ended up staying out for the rest of the game with a hamstring injury. He had caught three of his four targets on the night for 59 yards and his first touchdown of the season.
There was also the unpenalized helmet-to-helmet hit on Davante Adams that occurred one play before MVS was injured; although, Adams bounced back quickly and did not appear to be suffering from the brutal blow upon returning. In fact, Adams caught a pair of clutch passes on the Packers’ game-winning drive that gave him a total of 12 receptions and pushed him well over 100 receiving yards.