The biggest injury issue looming for the Green Bay Packers involves superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons and how much he might play in his first game with the franchise after minimal work during the preseason and a nagging back problem.
But perhaps a more critical question for the Packers is how the defense will navigate the absence of starter Nate Hobbs should he prove unable to play against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field on Sunday, September 7. Green Bay elevated a player from the practice squad Saturday as a precaution, which doesn’t necessarily mean Hobbs is out but also isn’t the best indicator for his immediate health.
“The Packers have elevated cornerback Micah Robinson for game day,” Jason B. Hirschhorn reported via X. “Nate Hobbs is officially questionable to play.”
Hobbs is battling a knee issue that kept him out of practice Wednesday and rendered him a limited participant on Thursday and Friday, per the team’s official injury report.
“Nate’s a dog. He’s a great competitor, and that’s why we got him,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said Friday. “He’s really worked hard at doing all the little things to put him in this position to potentially play on Sunday.”
Packers Were Thin at Cornerback Before Nate Hobbs’ Injury
GettyGreen Bay Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs.
Green Bay is already weak at the cornerback position, and losing one of their starters on the outside in Hobbs would make Sunday against a potent Lions offense that much more difficult for everyone involved.
The Packers added Hobbs this offseason on a four-year deal worth $48 million total. The 26-year-old was a fifth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders out of Illinois in the 2021 NFL draft and played his first four seasons with that franchise before becoming a free agent in March.
Pro Football Focus ranked Hobbs 73rd out of 116 cornerbacks who saw enough snaps to qualify at the position last season. His counterpart on the other side of the defense is Keisean Nixon, whom PFF ranked 62nd overall.
Green Bay has quality safeties, one of whom — second-year player Javon Bullard — is the likely nickel cornerback when the team puts five defensive backs on the field, which is a commentary on how thin the secondary was even before Hobbs’ injury.
Bo Melton and Carrington Valentine are the Packers’ second-string cornerbacks, while Robinson — a seventh-round rookie out of Tulane — joins the active roster as a depth option.
Micah Parsons Can Help Cover Up Injuries, Deficiencies in Packers Secondary
GettyGreen Bay Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons.
Green Bay has one of the better safety rooms in the league, so that should help cover up the step back at cornerback the secondary will take if Hobbs sits.
And if Parsons can play a meaningful role, that will also greatly aid the defensive backfield any time he can get pressure and force Jared Goff to throw the football sooner than he wants/make a mistake.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter updated the expectations for Parsons on Saturday.
“Micah Parsons, who is listed as questionable for Sunday due to a back injury, is expected to make his Packers’ debut vs. the Lions, but he also is not expected to be in on every down, per sources,” Schefter said. “The Packers still are figuring out how much to play him; it will be some, but not the full amount.”
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