Getty Rashan Gary was added to the Week 6 injury report against the Jets with a new toe injury.
The Green Bay Packers have another star player with an injury to monitor heading into their Week 6 home game against the New York Jets this weekend.
The Packers have added star outside linebacker Rashan Gary to their injury report with a new toe injury that limited him in Thursday’s second practice of the week. The 24-year-old is the team’s leader in sacks (five) and total pressures (19) through the first five games of the 2022 season and would be sorely missed if unavailable in Week 6.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur spoke to the media prior to practice on October 13 and, therefore, did not have the opportunity to comment on Gary’s new situation, but he will speak with reporters again on Friday. Even if he has nothing to add specifically, the team will also issue its final injury report for Week 6 on Friday afternoon and could shed some more light on whether Gary’s status is in doubt against the Jets.
The Packers are also without backup outside linebacker Tipa Galeai, who has missed the past two days of practice with a hamstring injury. Galeai has played exclusively special teams through the first five games, but his absence combined with Gary’s new injury could compel the Packers to elevate someone from their practice squad for Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers Returns to Practice With Thumb Taped
One bit of good news for the Packers on Thursday was Aaron Rodgers’ return to practice (as a full participant) after skipping Wednesday’s session to rest his thumb. Rodgers had said earlier this week that the thumb on his throwing hand (right) was “a little banged up” after he took contact on the final play of their Week 5 loss in London, but neither side expressed much concern about his status against the Jets.
“The thumb’s all right,” Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday. “It was nice to get a day off today, do a little rehab. But I’ll try and get back out there and practice tomorrow and see how it feels and be fine by Sunday, I’m sure.”
Here are 63 seconds of Aaron Rodgers (thumb) throwing and jogging and watching the other QB’s.
He said yesterday that the rehab session he did during Wednesday’s practice helped the injury feel a lot better.
Christian Watson Remains Out at Packers Practice
The Packers were also without second-round rookie wide receiver Christian Watson for the second straight day of practice after he sustained a hamstring injury that forced him out of Week 5’s loss to the New York Giants. The short-term outlook makes it seem unlikely that Watson will be ready to play against the Jets in Week 6, but the Packers insist they aren’t worried about Watson’s hamstrings being a long-term issue.
“I don’t think so, but it’s unfortunate because it’s out of his control,” LaFleur told reporters on October 12. “Unfortunately, he got tugged on a route, and that’s why it’s such a big deal. When these guys get tugged, that kind of stuff happens, and it’s unfortunate but it is what it is. I know he’ll work hard to get back as soon as possible.”
Watson hasn’t gotten off to the best start as a rookie in terms of availability. He missed the entire preseason and a good chunk of training-camp practices while working back from a minor knee surgery he underwent earlier in the summer. He was also ruled out of Week 3’s road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a prior hamstring issue. While it is far too soon for the Packers to start panicking about his upside, it does raise some immediate concerns in terms of depth.
If Watson misses Week 6 against the Jets, the Packers would have to make do with Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Romeo Doubs and Amari Rodgers as their primary receivers and keep their fingers crossed that no further injuries impacted their receiving corps. Now, they could also add seventh-round rookie Samori Toure to the mix, but they have shown more interest in elevating Juwann Winfree in previous weeks when depth was a concern. Winfree has played twice, while Toure has been a healthy scratch every game.