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The Green Bay Packers might have lost another wide receiver to a significant injury after veteran slot receiver Randall Cobb was carted off the field in the second half of the team’s 27-10 loss to the New York Jets in Week 6.
Cobb went down with an ankle injury midway through the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Jets and was in tears as the cart hauled him away to the locker room, where he stayed for the remainder of the Packers’ loss at home. The 32-year-old has been a glue guy for quarterback Aaron Rodgers this season, particularly on third downs, and entered the week as Green Bay’s leading receiver in terms of yardage (249).
“Absolutely, yeah,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters in the postgame when asked if he was concerned Cobb’s injury was severe. “I haven’t received any word on what the diagnosis is, but yeah, he’s such a great leader for us and has made some key plays, specifically on a lot of third downs, helping us move the chains. It certainly hurts our offense when he’s not out there. I hope he’s alright, but I don’t know.”
If Cobb’s injury results in him missing time, the Packers’ battered receiving corps would be looking at another significant loss. They already lost veteran Sammy Watkins to a stint on injured reserve back in Week 3 due to a hamstring injury. LaFleur also said prior to the Jets game that they were considering shutting down second-round rookie Christian Watson for some time due to the recurring hamstring injuries that have cost him two of the first six games of his career.
The Packers have just four healthy receivers on their active roster heading into Week 7 with Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs and Amari Rodgers expected to be the starters if none of the injured three return for the next game. Seventh-round rookie Samori Toure is also on the active roster, but he has been a healthy scratch in each of the first six games, while Juwann Winfree and Travis Fulgham occupying the practice squad.
Packers Also Lose Jake Hanson to Biceps Injury
Cobb wasn’t the only Packers player who was forced out of the game with an injury on Sunday against the Jets. Right guard Jake Hanson also sustained a biceps injury on the final drive of the first half, having come into the game for struggling starter Royce Newman only to go down with his injury after just one series.
“That’s something we thought would help us, give us a little spark right there on the right side, and it’s unfortunate he gets injured and comes right back out,” LaFleur said of replacing Newman with Hanson in the second quarter. “But yeah, I think everything’s on the table moving forward in terms of trying to get out best people out there to give us the best opportunity to move the football.”
The Packers can survive fine enough without Hanson if his biceps injury causes him to miss an extended period of time, but the bigger issue is sorting out the proper alignment of their offensive line. Newman has struggled at right guard throughout the season, prompting some to wonder if Yosh Nijman — who has been splitting reps at left tackle with David Bakhtiari for the past several games — could move to right tackle and allow Elgton Jenkins to slid back into his natural spot at guard.
LaFleur has previously said moving Nijman to right guard was an option they were considering, but he only added that “everything was on the table” when asked further about it in Week 6’s postgame against the Jets.
Rapoport Confirms Cobb Did Not Break Ankle
While the Packers are rightly concerned about Cobb’s ankle, there was some good news in the immediate aftermath of their loss. Aaron Rodgers told reporters in the postgame that he was initially worried Cobb had broken his ankle on the play that took him out of the game, but he no longer believed that was the case based on what he’d been told. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport later confirmed it was not a broken ankle for Cobb.
“Dr. Aaron Rodgers is correct,” Rapoport tweeted. “#Packers WR Randall Cobb did not break his ankle, as X-Rays were negative, source said. He suffered a potential high-ankle sprain, but will have an MRI to determine the severity.”
While a high-ankle sprain is still problematic for Cobb, it is far better than a broken ankle that could have ended his season after just six games. The Packers will likely share more information on Cobb in the coming days, but it is possible his injury could result in him spending some time on injured reserve. He would be the second wide receiver to land on the Packers’ IR list this season; although, Sammy Watkins (hamstring) is eligible to be return to the active roster starting next week.
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