Another “major” injury issue has reared its head for the Green Bay Packers ahead of Sunday’s road game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that starting placekicker Brandon McManus sustained a right quadriceps injury in Wednesday’s practice and didn’t mince words when discussing the impact his injury could have on the team for Sunday’s game.
“That’s a major concern right now, so we’ll see how he’s doing today and tomorrow,” LaFleur said before Thursday’s practice. “We’ll have a plan ready to go.”
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, McManus was present for Thursday’s practice, but he was not wearing his helmet and did not kick during the session, though he did work with holder Daniel Whealen. While the injury report does not come out until later in the day, it seems likely that the Packers will list him as a non-participant for the afternoon.
If McManus is not cleared for Sunday’s game, the Packers will expectedly turn to rookie kicker Mark McNamee for fill-in duties, as he is currently signed to their practice squad.
“It’s never the situation you want to be in in regards to like, first time going out there, but I think Mark’s shown some good progress,” LaFleur said of their No. 2 kicker.
The Packers (2-1-1) will kick off against the Bengals (2-3) at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Packers Also Downgraded Rasheed Walker on Thursday
While the new concerns with McManus are troubling, it was not the only bad news for the Packers on the injury front during Thursday’s second-to-last practice of the week.
The Packers also downgraded left tackle Rasheed Walker from a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice to a non-participant for Thursday’s practice with the quadriceps injury that has been ailing him since before the bye week. While Walker played through the injury in Week 4, his non-participation on Thursday raises concerns for Week 6.
The Packers also did not have defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (knee) or rookie right tackle Anthony Belton (ankle) for a second straight practice. They are, however, the only other active-roster members aside from Walker and McManus who did not practice for the team on Thursday.
The Packers could need to reshuffle their offensive line if neither Walker nor Belton can play against the Bengals on Sunday. Darian Kinnard is their only healthy backup tackle, but they could also consider moving either Elgton Jenkins or Jordan Morgan outside.
Could Packers Sign Another Emergency Placekicker?
McManus has time to pass all the necessary health checks for the Packers and receive the green light for Sunday’s game against the Bengals. If they are forced to re-route to McNamee as their replacement kicker, though, could they also sign another backup?
The Packers have little reason to break the bank looking for another kicker after signing McManus to a three-year, $24 million extension in the offseason, but they could scoop up a veteran free agent who is waiting on his next chance as a practice-squad addition. Rodrigo Blankenship and Zane Gonzalez are both available and capable.
The Packers could also snipe a backup kicker off another team’s practice squad, if they are willing to clear a spot for him on their 53-man roster. Jake Moody is on the Chicago Bears’ practice squad, while Younghoo Koo is with the New York Giants’ reserves.
The Packers will likely want to see how McManus gets through Friday’s practice before making any additional roster moves. But if they rule him out heading into the weekend, though, they would have a strong case to make another signing in some capacity.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post ‘Major Concern’ Emerges for Packers Starter Before Bengals Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.