Packers-Vikings Thu. Injury Report: Setback for King
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Two Green Bay Packers players seeking lucrative second contracts could be out of action again for Sunday’s game against Minnesota.
Running back Aaron Jones didn’t practice for a second consecutive day because of an injured calf. With Jamaal Williams being a quality backup and with a Thursday showdown looming at San Francisco, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jones miss a second consecutive game.
“We want to be very, very careful with him and not put him in a position where he misses a significant amount of time,” LaFleur said before Wednesday’s practice.
Meanwhile, cornerback Kevin King could miss a third consecutive game with an injured quad.
King’s contract season started off on a solid note. In his first four games, he allowed only eight catches and one touchdown and an average of 27 receiving yards per game, according to Pro Football Focus.
However, he exited the Week 4 game against Atlanta and was out after the bye for the Week 6 game at Tampa Bay. Last week, King practiced on Wednesday and Thursday, apparently putting him on course to play against Houston. However, he didn’t practice on Friday. Afterward, LaFleur wouldn’t say whether King suffered a setback, but that he went from questionable vs. Tampa Bay to doubtful vs. Houston was an indicator.
“There was [a setback], unfortunately, because he is such a good football player,” LaFleur confirmed before Thursday’s practice. “I love his approach. I know he’s doing everything in his power to get back as quickly as possible. Sometimes those things happen and it’s unfortunate, but that’s what happened.”
While King played in 15 games with 14 starts last season, when he recorded five of his six career interceptions, injuries have been a problem throughout his career. The team’s top pick in 2017, King played in 36 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie and 29 percent in 2018. He’s at 52 percent headed into Sunday.
Kicker Mason Crosby missed a second consecutive day of practice, as well. As is the case with Jones and King, he’d be a key loss if not available for the Vikings. Including playoffs, Crosby has played in 114 games at Lambeau Field so knows the stadium’s quirks. Sunday’s forecast calls for winds gusting up to 40 mph, so that knowledge would be incredibly helpful.
Special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga spoke hopefully that Crosby will be available but won’t know for certain until closer to kickoff.
"I'm confident that Mason will be able to go," he said.
Green Bay has 19 players on the injury report. One of them, tight end Robert Tonyan, went from limited participation to full.
Packers Injury Report
Full: CB Jaire Alexander (hand/knee), TE Robert Tonyan (ankle/knee).
Limited: LT David Bakhtiari (chest), LB Krys Barnes (shoulder/biceps), LS Hunter Bradley (groin), RB Tyler Ervin (wrist), OLB Rashan Gary (ankle), S Raven Greene (oblique), DT Tyler Lancaster (shoulder), TE John Lovett (knee), LB Kamal Martin (knee), S Darnell Savage (quad), OLB Preston Smith (shoulder), OLB Za’Darius Smith (ankle), WR Equanimeous St. Brown (knee),
Did not participate: K Mason Crosby (calf/back), RB Aaron Jones (calf), CB Kevin King (quad), TE Marcedes Lewis (knee).
Vikings Injury Report
Full: WR Dan Chisena (hip), S Anthony Harris (wrist), G Dru Samia (wrist), WR Adam Thielen (shoulder).
Limited: CB Kris Boyd (hamstring/back), RB Dalvin Cook (groin).
Did not participate: CB Holton Hill (foot), CB Mike Hughes (neck).
