Packers-Lions Final Injury Report: Only One Player Questionable

The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions are in good health for Sunday’s Week 18 showdown at Lambeau Field.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Jan 7, 2023 4:22 PM EST
Original:
Jan 6, 2023

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Versatile tight end Josiah Deguara is questionable for the Green Bay Packers’ win-and-in Week 18 game on Sunday night against the Detroit Lions.

Deguara, who practiced as limited participation on Friday, was the only player listed by coach Matt LaFleur on the final injury report of the week.

“I’d say there’s definitely some concern in terms of just his ability to go out there and run,” LaFleur said before practice. “So, we’ll see how he’s feeling today and he’s a guy that we’ll certainly give up until game time to see where he’s at.”

While LaFleur sounded at least a little pessimistic, that Deguara practiced would seem to be encouraging.

Deguara who has played 244 snaps this season, or 23.6 percent, is a big part of Green Bay’s offense even while catching just 13 passes this season and only two in the eight games since the midseason loss at Detroit. The Packers have one of the best perimeter run games in the NFL, and Deguara is a big part of that success. There aren’t many explosive runs that don’t feature Deguara leading the running back around the corner, whether he’s at tight end or serving as the fullback.

“He’s done an outstanding job,” LaFleur said. “He’s a big part of our offense and I know he doesn’t always [play a lot]. It can be game by game in terms of how much he plays. But he definitely has a role that plays an important part, not only for offense, but on (special) teams, as well. He does a great job with that and really owns it and takes a lot of pride in it. He’s a gritty competitor. I just love how he goes out there and battles every day and what he does for this team and is a selfless guy. And, yeah, he’s a big part of what we do.”

Deguara averages 15.3 snaps on offense but that’s been bumped up to 21 per game the last three weeks.

“Josiah does a lot of good stuff for us in the run game,” running back AJ Dillon said. “He really deserves all the credit. He opens up a lot of holes for us.”

Everybody on the roster practiced on Friday. That includes quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who sat out Wednesday, and Deguara, who was absent on Thursday.

A player on the practice squad suffered a broken femur at Thursday’s practice.

For the fourth consecutive week, Frank Ragnow, the Lions’ Pro Bowl center, is questionable. He didn’t practice on Wednesday and Thursday and was limited on Friday due to a foot injury. There’s no reason to believe he won’t play, though, as that was his routine the last four weeks. He had played in every snap the previous 14 games until getting to take a seat for the final few against Chicago last week.

Two starters in the secondary, cornerback Jeff Okudah and safety De'Shon Elliott, are questionable, as well. Okudah was added to the injury report on Friday as limited participation. Elliott missed the last two games but appears set to return.