GREEN BAY – The Packers have lost defensive star Micah Parsons for the season, but for Saturday’s rematch with the Bears, they aren’t ruling out other starters who exited the Denver game with injuries.
That group includes receiver Christian Watson, right tackle Zach Tom and safety Evan Williams. Head Coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday how those players feel at the end of the week will determine their status.
“We’ve got a lot of guys – this injury list is pretty substantial – so we’ve got a lot of things to figure out over these next couple of days,” LaFleur said.
“I know every one of these guys is going to be fighting to make it by gametime.”
Watson’s injury, which occurred when Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II landed on him while intercepting a deep pass, looked potentially serious, and he was taken to a Denver-area hospital for tests.
Everything checked out OK with his chest and shoulder, so there’s no long-term injury, but LaFleur said his availability will hinge on both pain tolerance and functionality with those areas of his body.
Tom and Williams both have knee injuries that are also not considered serious. LaFleur did not divulge who would fill in if either player is unavailable Saturday.
In a pinch, Darian Kinnard took Tom’s spot at right tackle for the second half against the Broncos, and Zayne Anderson took over for Williams at safety, but the Packers have other personnel options as well, such as calling on 2024 first-round draft pick Jordan Morgan on the offensive line, and moving slot corner Javon Bullard to safety on defense.
In addition, running back Josh Jacobs took an early hit in the Denver game on his injured knee and “gutted it out” the rest of the way in producing 92 yards from scrimmage (73 rushing, 19 receiving), including a pair of touchdowns on a 40-yard run and 14-yard catch.
Jacobs had missed two practices last week in order to rest up his knee to be able to play. The Packers were conducting a walk-through workout Tuesday, and LaFleur said if it had been a full-fledged practice, Jacobs would not have participated.
Despite all the injury uncertainty, and the necessary defensive adjustments without Parsons, the team is approaching the Bears game with as positive a mindset as possible.
First place in the NFC North is on the line, as it was two weeks ago at Lambeau Field when the Packers won a down-to-the-wire contest. On a short week in particular there’s no time for disappointment or distraction that could hinder preparation for such an important game.
“The show goes on and you find that out very quickly,” LaFleur said. “You’ve got to find a way and you’ve got to have a good plan. We’ve got to just kind of bond collectively together and fight through it.
“We feel like we’re very capable, but we’ve just got to all work together and roll up our sleeves and take this challenge on, and what an opportunity for other guys to get an opp to go out there and perform. So there’s a lot of excitement around that as well.”
