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Packers-Vikings Thursday Injury Report: One Big Change, One Big Question Mark

Here’s the latest injury news from Thursday as the Green Bay Packers get ready for Sunday’s showdown at the Minnesota Vikings.
Bill Huber|
Green Bay Packers guard Aaron Banks blocks against the Vikings last season.
Green Bay Packers guard Aaron Banks blocks against the Vikings last season. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers left guard Aaron Banks was limited participation at practice for a second consecutive day on Thursday. While he got through practice again, he’s not exactly a sure thing to be on the field for Sunday’s opener at the Vikings.

“I don’t know. It’ll probably be a game-time decision,” he said after Thursday’s practice.

Green Bay’s injury report had only one change from Wednesday, and it was a big one. Left tackle Jordan Morgan, who is dealing with a knee injury, went from limited participation to full.

“I think there’s always concern when there’s a guy on the injury report,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. “But as far as his availability, we’re trying to build him up to get him in a spot where we feel like he’s ready to go.”

As was the case on Wednesday, defensive tackle Warren Brinson (calf) and linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper (Achilles) were the only players who did not practice.

Brinson was injured before the second preseason game at Denver. Given the lengthy layoff, he almost certainly will be out of the lineup for Sunday’s opener. That means Anthony Campbell, who incredibly made the 53-man roster after playing a grand total of 56 snaps on two seasons at the University of Miami, probably will be active.

Hopper’s injury is to his Achilles but it’s not a worst-case injury. He was with the rehab group at practice and walked through the locker room afterward.

Three-fifths of the starting offensive line was limited participation. Now it’s only two. Along with Banks, right tackle Zack Bako-Bewele is coming back from a knee injury.

Banks said he’d have to talk to the training staff before knowing whether he’d practice on Friday, the last practice of the week before the team hops on a plane to Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon.

“All reps are valuable, right?” he said. “So, you know, we’ll see. We’ll talk. I’ll talk to them and we’ll put a plan together and see what makes the most sense and what they think.”

Banks said he’s dealing with knee tendinitis. Some days are worse than others.

After missing the end of the offseason program and the start of training camp, he thought he’d be in a better place than he is entering the season.

“I don’t think anybody’s more frustrated than I am. But like that does it no justice, no good, right? To be frustrated and angry all the time doesn’t do any good. So, throughout this whole process, I’ve been doing everything I can to get as many reps as I can and get as healthy as I can, and then just trying to help the guys.

“That’s just my main thing. Instead of what was me just trying to like help guys get better, tell them what I say, tell them what I think. You know, when they come and ask me questions. So going with the stride. You know what I mean? Like taking it stride for stride and just for myself, trying to get better and get reps and get healthy, and then for the group, doing everything I can to make sure this group is as good as we can be.”

Not on the injury report because he’s on the practice squad is running back Pierre Strong, who is dealing with a hamstring injury and presumably won’t be able to help an in-flux backfield.

Defensive tackles Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave, who are listed as starters, were limited again but both will play.

For the Vikings, the only change was safety Jakobe Thomas going from not practicing on Wednesday to being limited on Thursday.

Packers Thursday Injury Report

Did not participate: DT Warren Brinson (calf), LB Ty’Ron Hopper (Achilles).

Limited participation: RT Zach Bako-Bewele (knee), LG Aaron Banks (knee), DT Javon Hargrave (knee), edge Barryn Sorrell (foot), DT Devonte Wyatt (ankle).

Full participation: LT Jordan Morgan (knee).

Vikings Thursday Injury Report

Did not participate:

Limited participation: S Jacob Thomas (ankle), S Jakobe Thomas (illness), T Caleb Tiernan (ankle).

Full participation: None.

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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.