Packers Thursday Practice Update: Big Quarterback News, Big Debut

Jordan Love has cleared the concussion protocol and Trevon Diggs made his practice debut. Here’s all the news from Thursday, straight from the Don Hutson Center.

Clayton Tune, shown at Packers practice on Thursday, will start against the Vikings. | Bill Huber/Packers On SI

GREEN BAY, Wis. – One of the most bizarre weeks in Green Bay Packers history continued on Thursday.

At quarterback, Clayton Tune will start on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. While starter Jordan Love has cleared the concussion protocol, coach Matt LaFleur – with a straight face – said Love could be the backup.

Meanwhile, at cornerback, former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs passed his physical and made his practice debut one day after being claimed off waivers from the Cowboys.

Starting at quarterback, Love was full participation at Wednesday’s practice. After suffering a concussion at Chicago in Week 16 and being inactive against Baltimore in Week 17, he got over the final hurdle of the protocol on Thursday.

That means he can play against the Vikings. However, with nothing at stake with Green Bay locked into the seventh seed, Tune will make his second NFL start and his first since a fifth-round rookie at Arizona in 2023, when the Cardinals lost 27-0 against Cleveland.

“I think he’s the guy that’s shown some pretty good promise in terms of what we’ve seen,” LaFleur said. “So, what an opportunity for him. I think he started one other game in his career, I want to say, so it’s going to be a great opportunity. It’s going to be great for everybody to see what we can go out there and do.”

Name That Tune for Packers

Starting Tune makes sense. There’s no reason to risk Love – concussion or no concussion – against a potent Vikings defense. And there’s no reason to risk Malik Willis, who suffered a shoulder injury against Chicago and was superb against Baltimore until aggravating the shoulder.

Who will be the backup, though? It comes down to those same basic facts, though the only other option is Desmond Ridder, who was just signed to the practice squad.

So, that’s why LaFleur said Love could wind up having to play.

“Well, in the event, if he’s the backup on gameday and if something bad happened, then you’ve got not many other options,” he said. “But the intent I would say is not to play him.”

Three players were not on the field for the start of Thursday’s practice. Receiver Dontayvion Wicks suffered a concussion last week, receiver Savion Williams is dealing with a nagging foot injury and is the latest player to battle illness and guard Donovan Jennings (unknown). Given the nature of the game, Jennings in a perfect world might be in line for his first NFL start.

Right tackle Zach Tom, who missed the last two games with a knee injury, practiced again. So did linebacker Nick Niemann, who was designated for return from injured reserve on Wednesday.

Trevon Diggs Makes Practice Debut

As for Diggs, who is wearing jersey No. 28, he “potentially” could play against the Vikings, according to LaFleur.

“All hands on deck” to get him ready, whether it’s for this game or next week’s playoff game at Chicago or Philadelphia, LaFleur said. 

“You spend a lot of time with him in terms of trying to get him up so they understand what their responsibility is. So we’ll spend a lot of time with him. I do think that’s a position where you can get acclimated pretty quickly and adjust pretty quickly. Hopefully, we can get that done.”

When playing with Micah Parsons in Dallas, Diggs had some crazy production, including a league-leading 11 interceptions to earn first-team All-Pro in 2021, but he’s played in only 21 of a possible 50 games the past three seasons and performed poorly this season.

Green Bay inherited the rest of the contract, though that’s neither here nor there at the moment. The Packers hope he can make a difference for a cornerback corps that has no proven depth due to injuries and has almost no big-play production.

“Well, I think he’s a guy that certainly has a ton of experience and has played at a really high level,” LaFleur said. “I have not studied him outside of the game that we played against him going into the season, and I know he’s been kind of in and out of the lineup a little bit, but a guy that has incredible talent.

“He’s got a great ability to take the ball away and do something with it. So we’re excited to get him in here. I have not met him in person yet. We texted last night. He’s still going through our process, but hopefully we’ll see him out here in practice.”

Diggs is one of 15 transactions made this week, which include promoting cornerbacks Shemar Bartholomew and Jaylin Simpson to the practice squad and placing cornerbacks Nate Hobbs and Kamal Hadden on injured reserve.

“It’s been a week with a lot of moving parts,” LaFleur said. “I’ve never been a part of something like this, in regards to just the injuries that occurred in the last game, and sometimes, that’s the price of doing business. And you’ve just got to make the best of it and try to get these guys acclimated as quickly as possible and just made the best of it.”

For the Vikings, quarterback J.J. McCarthy was limited participation on Wednesday after sitting out against Detroit on Christmas with an injured left hand. Running back Aaron Jones (hip), tight end J. Hockenson (shoulder) and receiver/returner Myles Price (ankle) did not practice.

The teams will release new injury reports on Thursday afternoon. For now, here are the reports from Wednesday.

Packers Injury Report

Did not participate: WR Dontayvion Wicks (concussion).

Limited: LG Aaron Banks (illness/ankle), LB Edgerrin Cooper (shoulder), RB Josh Jacobs (knee/ankle), LB Nick Niemann (pectoral), WR Jayden Reed (illness), RT Zach Tom (back/knee), DE Lukas Van Ness (illness/foot), G John Williams (back), WR Savion Williams (foot/illness), QB Malik Willis (right shoulder/hamstring).

Full participation: QB Jordan Love (left shoulder/concussion).

Note: Niemann and Williams have been designated for return from injured reserve and are in their 21-day practice windows.

Vikings Injury Report

Did not participate: TE T.J. Hockenson (shoulder), RB Aaron Jones (hop), WR Myles Price (ankle).

Limited: LB Blake Cashman (elbow), RB Jordan Mason (ankle), QB J.J. McCarthy (right hand), RT Brian O’Neill (heel), DL Levi Drake Rodriguez (rib), S Harrison Smith (rest).

Full: TE Gavin Bartholomew (back).

Note: Bartholomew has been designated for return from injured reserve and is in his 21-day practice window.

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