The Green Bay Packers may have caught a break with the injury that took wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks out of Week 6’s win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Wicks suffered a shoulder injury during the first quarter of Sunday’s 34-13 home win. The injury happened at the end of Wick’s 9-yard reception on third-and-3 and sidelined him for the remainder of the game, raising questions about the severity of his injury.
According to Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com, though, Wicks told him in the postgame that he “only sprained” his shoulder and that it should not be a long-term injury.
“Just pain. Couldn’t really move it,” Wicks said of his injury, via Wood’s X account. Regarding his Week 7 status, he added: “I’m day-to-day. I’m going to be good.”
Wicks has 11 receptions for 133 yards and three touchdowns through the first six games of the 2024 season and came into Week 6’s matchup with a team-high 29 targets in the passing game. While the Packers have a deep receiving corps that can pick up the slack if Wicks misses time, they have looked like a better offense with him on the field.
The Packers (4-2) will have time to further assess Wick’s condition before they host the Houston Texans (5-1) in Week 7’s game at 1 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, October 20.
Packers Had Brief Injury Scare With Jayden Reed
The Packers also experienced a brief injury scare with star wide receiver Jayden Reed during Week 6’s win over the Cardinals. Reed came up limping at the end of a punt in the second quarter and checked into the blue medical tent on the Packers’ sideline for further evaluation, initially receiving a “questionable to return” status from the team.
Reed, however, returned to the game with 1:50 left in the first half and made one more reception for the team on their way to victory. He finished with a team-high six catches for 28 yards and a score on six targets and gained eight yards on his lone punt return.
While the injuries to Reed and Wicks likely had some impact on the Packers’ personnel decisions, they struck a fine balance against the Cardinals. Quarterback Jordan Love threw for 258 yards and four touchdowns and completed at least one pass to nine different pass-catchers, including wideouts Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.
Romeo Doubs Catches 2 TDs in Return From Suspension
The Packers also had wide receiver Romeo Doubs return to action on Sunday against the Cardinals and catch three passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns, delivering the type of bounce-back performance he needed after serving a one-game suspension.
Doubs’ status has caused some drama over the past 10 days, beginning when he missed October 3’s second practice of Week 5 with head coach Matt LaFleur called a “personal” reason. When Doubs did not return for the subsequent practice, concerns grew — and they grew even more once Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber reported the reason for Doubs’ absences was he had grown unhappy with his role in the Packers’ passing offense.
Consequently, the Packers suspended Doubs for Week 5’s game against the Los Angeles Rams for conduct detrimental to the team, but they also expressed optimism that he would rejoin the team in Week 6 and that both sides could move forward together.
When asked about the report on October 11, Doubs denied that frustrations with his role had anything to do with his absence. He did not explain what caused him to miss time, though, other than saying he “had some things going on” and that he did not “feel comfortable getting too deep into that” while making references to mental health.
Doubs also refused to give his thoughts on his role with the offense, answering “No comment” when asked. The Packers will have to hope their troubles are behind them.
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Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks Sends Message After Injury vs. Cardinals