Packers Friday Update From Practice: A ‘Significant’ Injury, Latest on O-Line

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Warren Brinson, who looked like a rising second-year player during training camp this summer, will “miss a significant amount of time” due to an injury sustained at Wednesday’s practice, coach Matt LaFleur said on Friday.

Brinson suffered a calf injury during warmups before the second preseason game at Denver. He missed the final two games of the preseason and the first three games of the regular season with that injury but returned to practice this week.

But not for long. On Wednesday, Brinson slipped during individual drills. After practice, he was listed as limited participation with calf and groin injuries.

“Unfortunately, I think he’s going to miss a significant amount of time,” LaFleur said before practice. “All he did was slip and injuries occur, and a lot of times it’s noncontact.”

The Packers haven’t had Brinson all season so, from that perspective, it’s not a major loss. However, after a promising finish to his rookie season, Brinson looked like one of the team’s more improved players at the start of training camp.

Fortunately for the Packers, they are deep up front. They kept seven on the roster at the end of training camp with Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, Karl Brooks, Chris McClellan, Jonathan Ford, Anthony Campbell and Brinson.

However, Campbell has not been practicing due to an ankle injury and probably won’t be available for Sunday’s game at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Given the weather in Tampa – more on that later – depth will be important.

“Yeah, that was one of our deeper rooms thankfully – you guys could all see it throughout the offseason and into the preseason,” LaFleur said. “You just have less bodies in the room, and it puts a little bit more of a load on everybody else.”

Same as yesterday, Warren Brinson, Anthony Campbell, Jacob Monk and Aaron Banks are the four Packers not practicing. pic.twitter.com/uA1cvdw7WR
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 2, 2026

What’s Up With the Offensive Line?

Along with Campbell and Brinson, the other players who did not practice were the projected Week 1 starters at guard, Aaron Banks (knee/toe) and Jacob Monk (quad). Campbell, Banks and Monk worked with the rehab group inside the Don Hutson Center while their teammates got ready to go out for practice.

With the signings this week of Laken Tomlinson and Kevin Zeitler to the 53-man roster and Mekhi Becton to the practice squad, the Packers will have a new starting line.

At some point.

Will that be this week?

“Well, we have a plan in place right now, and if everything goes the way we plan it to go, then we’ll be set,” LaFleur said. “But got one more practice. Let’s get through that and then finalize our decisions.”

The problem is neither of the three additions participated in a training camp. While Tomlinson spent the past three weeks on Dallas’ practice squad and seemingly has a good chance to be the starting left guard in place of Banks, Zeitler and Becton were out of football altogether. Is it really feasible for Zeitler to start at right guard, mentally and physically, after three days of practice?

“He’s working back into it,” LaFleur said. “I think he’s feeling a little bit more comfortable each and every day. The guy, what is this, Year 15 for him? He’s got a lot of practice reps under his belt.”

Could Zeitler start and play the lion’s share of the snaps, or maybe even the entire game? Will he be capable of splitting the snaps with, for example, Donovan Jennings? Or will the 36-year-old use this as a build-up week so he’s ready for next week against Chicago?

Added together, has LaFleur ever had a week filled with as much uncertainty as this one?

“Yeah, I mean, maybe not one quite like this, where you get basically three new bodies in a week,” he said. “But it’s been really good, it’s been really positive. Those guys, you can feel their impact, veteran players like we’ve talked about that have played at a high level.”

Baby, It’s (Not) Cold Outside

Meanwhile, in a word, Sunday’s forecast in Tampa is supposed to be sweltering. The forecasted high is 91 with 71 percent humidity. According to AccuWeather, the “real feel” temperature will be 103. The only salvation is it will be mostly cloudy.

“Oh, there’s plenty you can do, but it’s more the hydration, the nutrition, and we’ve been on the guys about it all week,” LaFleur said. “If you think you’re going to hydrate on Saturday, that’s too late. We’ve been pushing it all week long. I think those guys have done a good job with it, but as far as adjusting to the heat, that’s something that you’ve just got to get your mind right and know you’ve got to power through.”

Friday’s practice is the last one of the week. The teams will release their final injury reports later in the day. For now, here are the injury reports from Thursday.

Packers-Buccaneers Injury Reports

Packers Thursday Injury Report

Did not participate: LG Aaron Banks (knee/toe), DT Warren Brinson (calf), DT Anthony Campbell (ankle), RG Jacob Monk (quad).

Limited participation: DT Karl Brooks (illness), G/C Jager Burton (groin), LB Edgerrin Cooper (shoulder/concussion), edge Lukas Van Ness (shoulder).

Buccaneers Thursday Injury Report

Did not participate: OLB Rueben Bain (groin/shoulder), LB SirVocea Dennis (calf/personal), TE Ko Kieft (elbow), QB Baker Mayfield (right thumb), CB Jacob Parrish (personal).

Limited: OLB Yaya Diaby (calf/shoulder), RB Bucky Irving (glute), CB Benjamin Morrison (quad), DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (ankle/foot), DT A’Shawn Robinson (rest), DB Keionte Scott (toe).

Full: DT DeMonte Capehart (thumb), WR Chris Godwin (ankle), LB Josiah Trotter (shoulder).

Three games down, long careers to go.

Here's a Packers rookie progress report. ⬇️https://t.co/U66oIAJhV8
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 2, 2026

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