Packers Injury Report Aug. 29: Jenkins Returns

Going through his first team drills, Robert Tonyan had a good day as he returns from a torn ACL.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Apparently Elgton Jenkins’ absence from the practice field on Sunday turned out to be much ado about nothing.

“I knew that was going be the first [question],” LaFleur said with a laugh before Monday’s practice.

Rather than progressing into team drills for Sunday’s practice, Jenkins pedaled an exercise back toward the back of the Don Hutson Center. His retweet of a Steve Harvey tweet that stated, “Go where [you’re] appreciated” seemed to be an odd coincidence, especially with Jenkins entering his final season under contract.

Why Jenkins didn’t practice on Sunday is a mystery, though it had nothing to do with the left knee injury sustained in November at Minnesota.

“He’ll be back out there today,” LaFleur said. “He’s doing good.”

Like Jenkins, tight end Robert Tonyan is coming off a torn ACL. Tonyan did go through team drills on Sunday.

“It was great to see Bobby back out there. He was running around and looked good,” LaFleur said.

While LaFleur is being extremely cautious about Jenkins, Tonyan and David Bakhtiari following Bakhtiari’s odyssey last year, it would seem to be a major step toward Tonyan being available for the season-opening game at the Minnesota Vikings.

“I think it’s a little early to say that right now,” LaFleur added. “That was his first action in team periods. We’ll just see how he responds. I know it sounds like a broken record up here but take it one day at a time.”

While he has been kicking, Mason Crosby remains on the physically unable to perform list. To be eligible for the season-opening game at the Minnesota Vikings, Crosby will have to be activated from PUP by Tuesday’s 3 p.m. deadline.

“I know he kicked yesterday, so we’ll just see how he responds,” LaFleur said.

The Packers must get down to the 53-man limit by 3 p.m. Tuesday. On Wednesday, they can form their 16-man practice squad. That’s a roster of 69 players. The Packers are at 78, meaning Monday’s practice will be the final one for at least nine players.

“Every guy that gets released, I think it’s only fair to them that I get a chance to speak with them,” LaFleur said. “That’s how we operate, whether it’s this time of the year or really any time of the year. You definitely want to thank them for all the hard work and the effort that they’ve put in. It’s an emotional time for these guys. It was emotional with Ty [Summers] yesterday. You’ve got a lot of respect for what they’ve done and the effort they put in and the teammates they are. It’s a tough situation to be in, but it’s kind of the nature of the beast.”

Starting receiver Allen Lazard was among five players who did not practice on Monday who did practice on Sunday.

Packers Monday Injury Report

Returned to practice: OL Elgton Jenkins (not disclosed).

New injuries: WR Ishmael Hyman, WR Allen Lazard, S Shawn Davis, WR Travis Fulgham, TE Marcedes Lewis (rest).

Old injuries: S Innis Gaines (hamstring), TE Alize Mack, TE Nate Becker, DT Akial Byers (ankle).