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Packers Thursday Update From Practice: Latest on Josh Jacobs, Jordan Love

After a jog-through on Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers had almost a full roster on the practice field for Thursday’s full-pads practice ahead of Sunday’s game at the Lions.
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Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs is shown at practice on Thursday.
Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs is shown at practice on Thursday. | Bill Huber/Packers On SI

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Josh Jacobs and Jordan Love practiced on Thursday, and the expectation is they will be on the field for Sunday’s game at the Detroit Lions.

Love was listed as limited participation on Wednesday’s injury report with a sore back.

“He was pretty beat up” from the Dallas game, coach Matt LaFleur said before Thursday’s practice. “He took some shots. Saw him in there with the chiropractor postgame, so I knew something was up.”

Love on Wednesday said he had “no” concerns about his availability for the game.

“We talk about it all the time: You want to, obviously, limit me taking hits in the pocket,” Love said.

What About Josh Jacobs?

Meanwhile, for the first time since the end of training camp, star running back Josh Jacobs was participating in a real practice. The team held a jog-through practice on Wednesday; Thursday was the real deal in full pads.

“We’ve been getting him ramped up,” LaFleur said. “He’s been in the building (and) we’ve been doing things with him in terms of our strength staff, our athletic training staff. Certainly, you can’t simulate football until you get out there so I think these next two days are going to be great work for him as we ramp him up.”

LaFleur said there will be “a lot of conversation and a little bit of the eyeball test” before determining whether Jacobs will play against the Lions. However, Jacobs is in good shape, he knows the offense and he stayed around the team during his six-week stay on the exempt list.

For those reasons, the expectation is Jacobs will be on the field against the Lions in a battle of two-loss teams that could have significant playoff ramifications.

“Last couple months, it’s been weird, man,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “Honestly, it’s been weird. I’ve still been around the guys. Obviously, I couldn’t practice, still could go to meetings, so I’ve been around. So, it’s been weird, like just watching and knowing that you feel good and your body is probably the best that I’ve been since I’ve been here, it’s just weird. Like that’s the only way I could really explain it.”

The Packers have by far the worst rushing attack in the NFL. Jacobs, obviously, would help fix the problem.

Packers Practice Report

The only player who didn’t practice for the Packers was receiver Bo Melton (back).

Receivers Christian Watson (ankle) and Matthew Golden (shoulder) were limited on Wednesday, but LaFleur had no concerns about their availability for the game.

Cornerback Brandon Cisse, who missed the end of last week’s game against Dallas with a stinger, was limited on Wednesday and practicing again on Thursday.

Defensive tackle Jordon Riley, who was designated for return from injured reserve last week following last year’s torn Achilles, was limited participation on Wednesday and on the field on Thursday. He might be activated this week, which would help Green Bay’s depleted defensive line.

“I think he’s shown a ton of progress,” LaFleur said. “It was good to get him out there last week and get his feet wet a little bit. If he continues to show that progress, then we’ll see where we’re at and he’d be ready to go.”

The Packers will be behind from a preparation standpoint. While LaFleur turned Wednesday into a mental day, the Lions are healthy while coming off their bye.

“I think it’s more about getting our guys’ bodies in the right position,” he said. “I think every team around the league has had an ample number of reps. Certainly reps are at a premium, there’s no substitute for them. But, at the same, you need your guys feeling good when they go out there on the grass.”

Lions Update

Because they’re coming off their bye, the Lions had only three players on Wednesday’s injury report. One of them is star safety Brian Branch, who will be making his season debut following last year’s torn Achilles.

“Well, you get a tremendous football player,” LaFleur said. “I think he’s one of the best safeties in the league. There’s a lot of things he can do that others can’t, and they’re comfortable playing him man to man on wide receivers like we’ve seen in the past, and he adds an element of just physicality, toughness. Just a great player.”

Packers-Lions Injury Reports

The teams will release fresh injury reports after their Thursday practices. For now, here are the reports from Wednesday. The Packers, who played on Sunday night, have 10 players listed. The Lions, who had their bye, have only three.

Packers Wednesday Injury Report

Did not participate: WR Bo Melton (back).

Limited participation: LG Aaron Banks (knee/toe), DT Anthony Campbell (ankle), CB Brandon Cisse (hip), WR Matthew Golden (shoulder), QB Jordan Love (back), DT Jordon Riley (Achilles), CB Benjamin St-Juste (hamstring), WR Christian Watson (ankle), WR Savion Williams (ankle).

Riley has been designated to return from injured reserve and is within his 21-day practice windows.

Lions Wednesday Injury Report

Limited participation: CB Rock Ya-Sin (hamstring).

Full participation: S Brian Branch (Achilles), C Cade Mays (wrist).

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.