Packers Injury Report: Love Gets Back Two Receivers

Importantly at practice on Wednesday, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love took some center snaps. More importantly, he got back two of his big weapons.

The Packers practice on Wednesday at Clarke Hinkle Field | Bill Huber/Packers On SI

GREEN BAY – Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur doesn’t have to provide an injury report for one week, the Wednesday before the season-opening game against the Detroit Lions.

So, as his team returned to the practice field on Wednesday, he had little to say about the team’s injured players.

Would quarterback Jordan Love, who is coming off surgery on his left thumb, do more than he did last week?

“Yes.”

Would he take every snap and handoff?

“Yes.”

Would receivers Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf) be back after sitting out the entire preseason?

“I hope so.”

How about cornerback Nate Hobbs, who missed most of training camp with a knee injury that kept him out of the preseason?

“I hope so. Probably not today, but I hope so for Week 1.”

So, here’s what was seen during the media viewing window.

With only Love and Malik Willis on the field until Clayton Tune arrives, Love took all of his reps during individual and group drills. While Love did take some direct snaps rather than simply catching shotgun snaps, he still was relying on only his right hand for handoffs.

Reed and Wicks went through individual and group drills, too, and looked sharp after their lengthy absences.

While Hobbs didn’t practice, that he didn’t land on injured reserve was noteworthy. Same goes for two rookies, defensive end Barryn Sorrell (knee) and receiver Savion Williams (hamstring). Williams was running with a trainer.

Left guard Aaron Banks, who had been out for more than a week with a back injury, and center Elgton Jenkins, who didn’t play against Seattle due to a back injury sustained a couple days earlier during the joint practice, were running with the No. 1 line.

Banks missed the start and the end of camp due to his back. LaFleur downplayed the injury as much as he could.

“I think backs are always one of those things that are always a problem if they flare up on you,” he said. “So, you just never quite know. But I feel pretty good with where we are with those guys right now. Both those guys looked great yesterday and I haven’t talked to them yet today but I’m hoping they’re doing well today as well.”

After a bit of a layoff following Saturday’s game, the team had a quick practice on Tuesday and a “more moderate” practice on Wednesday before a heavy practice on Thursday. After that, it’s the league-mandated break before the team gears up for the Lions next week.

“Especially our situation with Jordan, trying to get him a bunch of snaps, I think these two practices are absolutely critical,” LaFleur said. “I feel like our guys, especially a lot of our vets that played limited snaps in the game, gave them a few days to kind of get their legs back underneath them, so they should be fresh.

“So, we’ll have a good one today, and then tomorrow is going to be similar to how we did it a year ago. It’s just not going to be at night-time. We’ll have more of a scrimmage-type deal.”

Packers Injury Report

An official injury report won’t have to be produced until the Wednesday before Week 1.

New injuries: None.

Old injuries: CB Nate Hobbs (knee), S Zayne Anderson (knee), WR Savion Williams (hamstring), DE Barryn Sorrell (knee).

Returning from injuries: WR Jayden Reed (foot), WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf), G Aaron Banks (back), C Elgton Jenkins (back).

Of note, safety Omar Brown, who spent about a week in an Indianapolis hospital after suffering a lung injury in the second preseason game, was on the practice field. The Packers placed him on injured reserve on Tuesday so he will not play for the team this season.