The Green Bay Packers are going to be without at least one of their inside linebackers for the next few weeks after a slew of injuries in Week 1.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Packers inside linebacker Krys Barnes is “believed to have suffered” a high-ankle sprain and a calf injury in the team’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. The 24-year-old had to be carted off the field in the fourth quarter after going down with his injury and immediately had an aircast put on his right leg, indicating there was a high level of concern.
#Packers LB Krys Barnes, who was carted off Sunday with his right leg in an aircast, is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain and calf injury, per source. He’ll miss some time, but the initial hope is he could be back in a few weeks.
“#Packers LB Krys Barnes, who was carted off Sunday with his right leg in an aircast, is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain and calf injury, per source,” Pelissero tweeted shortly after noon on September 12. “He’ll miss some time, but the initial hope is that he could be back in a few weeks.”
The Packers are also still in wait-and-see mode with first-round rookie linebacker Quay Walker’s shoulder injury. He was also knocked out of the game in the second half against the Vikings and, despite being listed as questionable to return, did not play another snap in the 23-7 loss. Barnes replaced him in the second spot alongside All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell, but the Packers eventually had to insert Isaiah McDuffie — their only other roster inside linebacker — once Barnes went down with an injury.
“I think we avoided a significant injury [with Barnes]” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters on Monday. “That was some good news today. We’ll give Quay the week, but we’re hopeful he’ll be back and ready to roll.”
The Packers also had starting left guard Jon Runyan Jr. (concussion) and cornerback Keisean Nixon (shoulder) leave Sunday’s opener due to injuries.
Walker Missing Time Would Tough Break for Packers
The Packers entered the 2022 season in the rare position — for them, anyways — of having a deep and strong inside linebacking corps. They had signed Campbell to a five-year, $50 million contract extension after his breakout season in 2021 and then used their top pick in the 2022 NFL draft (No. 22 overall) to select Walker out of Georgia. They also had Barnes, a Day 1 starter in 2020, to round out a solid three-man rotation with plenty of special teams value.
Unfortunately, if Walker also ends up missing time, the Packers won’t be in the best position to absorb the hit. Campbell made 11 tackles with one tackle for a loss in Week 1 against the Vikings and looks just as capable of being the main man in the middle, but the depth behind him consists of McDuffie and … that’s it.
No offense to McDuffie, who was a sixth-round pick for the Packers in 2021, but he has played almost exclusively special teams for the team and currently lacks the experience to be considered a trustworthy option for their defense. He played a string of defensive snaps for the first time in his NFL career on Sunday in Minnesota and did nothing remarkable, recording his only tackle against Alexander Mattison after a 6-yard gain.
The Packers might have no choice but to throw McDuffie into the fire in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears depending on what comes back on Walker’s injury, but it certainly isn’t an ideal situation for a defense looking to bounce back after a sour season opener.
Packers Will Need LB Reinforcements Before Week 2
Even if the Packers get the best news on Walker’s shoulder and he is able to play unhindered next week against the Bears, they will need to do something about losing their No. 3 linebacker for the next couple of games. Barnes might’ve been considered a backup on defense, but he played a central role on special teams (15 snaps in Week 1) and will need to be replaced in some capacity for the time he spends sidelined.
A good first step for the Packers would be promoting Ray Wilborn from their practice squad to their active roster. Wilborn played 84 defensive snaps in the preseason and earned a place on their practice squad for a second straight season after holding a role with their reserves in 2021. He doesn’t figure to be a game-changing piece for them, but he would at least provide them with some depth that has spent more than a year learning and practicing Joe Barry’s defense.
The Packers might also consider bringing back 2019 seventh-rounder Ty Summers. They released him a few days before making their initial 53-man roster cuts on August 30, but they did so because they believed he would have multiple teams interested in him and wanted to give him a chance to secure a new role before the wave of cuts hit. The Jacksonville Jaguars did end up claiming Summers off the waivers, but he was waived and re-signed to their practice squad, meaning the Packers could poach him for their active roster if they wanted him back for Week 2.
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Packers Lose LB for Multiple Weeks Amid Slew of Injuries: Report