Getty Jamaal Williams #30 of the Green Bay Packers runs with the ball during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field on October 05, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Weapons are beginning to fall away for the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers placed another two players — running back Jamaal Williams and rookie linebacker Kamal Martin — on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday afternoon and will not have either of them available for Thursday Night Football at the San Francisco 49ers this week.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, both Williams and Martin were designated as “high-risk close contact” to second-round rookie AJ Dillon, who was placed on the reserve list Monday after testing positive for the coronavirus. Dillon’s test was taken during Sunday’s pregame against Minnesota, but the Packers didn’t receive the results of his test until Monday after the young running back played 17 snaps against the Vikings.
Williams has been the Packers’ primary rusher for the past two games with star Aaron Jones ailing from a calf strain, but the absence of both him and Dillon for the upcoming week leaves Green Bay’s backfield depleted — especially with Jones expected to miss a third consecutive game, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Packers’ lone healthy running backs for Week 9 are Dexter Williams and Tyler Ervin, who have a combined 17 career carries.
Martin, on the other hand, had just returned from injured reserve in Week 7 after missing the first five games of his rookie season. He has primarily filled a secondary role behind fellow rookie Krys Barnes since returning to action and tallied three tackles in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings. The Packers could possibly activate veteran Christian Kirksey from injured reserve this week to address the loss of depth, but the alternative would mean leaning more on Ty Summers and newly added James Burgess.
The Packers’ COVID-19 roster moves leave three spots available on their 53-man roster.
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