The Green Bay Packers couldn’t afford any more injuries to offensive skill-position players, then running back Josh Jacobs went down with a knee issue against the New York Giants over the weekend.
That said, things could have ended up considerably worse for the Packers than they proved to be on Monday, November 16.
“Packers standout RB Josh Jacobs’ knee is structurally sound and no surgery is needed, per me and Tom Pelissero,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on X. “He’s considered day-to-day, but could miss the game against the [Minnesota] Vikings.”
Packers Will Be Thin at Running Back Against Vikings Without Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd
GettyRunning back Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers.
Green Bay will be in some trouble if Jacobs can’t play, considering the offense has already struggled to run the football effectively this season.
The Packers barely crack the top 20 in rushing, ranking 19th in the NFL with 113.5 yards per outing through Week 11. Jacobs hasn’t been efficient, putting up just 3.8 yards per carry, which is the second-worst mark of his seven-year professional career. He has, however, been the Packers’ top rusher by a significant margin with 648 yards and 11 TDs on the ground this season, along with 28 receptions for 237 yards through the air.
If Jacobs can’t go at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Emanuel Wilson is RB2 and will likely start. Chris Brooks, the team’s third-string rusher in his third season out of BYU, will be the backup.
MarShawn Lloyd, a third-round pick in the 2024 draft, has been on the injured reserve list (IR) all season with a hamstring injury, though the Packers recently opened his 21-day practice window and he has a chance to return to the field this week. However, given the length of his injury absence, it is unlikely that Lloyd will get in the game Sunday — assuming he is even on the active roster this weekend.
Packers Have Opened Wide Receiver Jayden Reed’s Practice Window Following Multiple In-Season Surgeries
GettyGreen Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed.
Green Bay also recently opened wide receiver Jayden Reed’s practice window, which is a big deal for an offense that lost Tucker Kraft for the season to an ACL injury on November 2.
Reed is a versatile playmaker who ended each of the past two seasons as the Packers’ leader in receiving yards. He played just two games this year before going down with injury, subsequently undergoing surgery on both his broken collarbone and his foot for a separate issue. Most analysts have projected a Week 13 return for Reed, at the earliest, which means he may not be of help against the Vikings on Sunday.
Green Bay’s offense has struggled mightily in recent weeks, producing just under 16 points per game across the last three outing. The Packers scored just 13 points in a loss to the Carolina Panthers three weeks back and only seven points in a defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago.
Green Bay mustered 27 points against the New York Giants on Sunday in a narrow victory that moved the Packers to 6-3-1 on the year and helped them hold onto second place in the NFC North Division.
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