GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers already know they misplaced one starter for the remainder of the season and are anxious about the opportunity of dropping one other.
That was simply a part of the fallout from Sunday’s 15-9 loss on the Detroit Lions through which 9 gamers had been injured or wanted medical therapy.
Probably the most extreme was to exterior linebacker Rashan Gary, who suffered a torn ACL in his proper knee. Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed on Monday that Gary’s season is over.
LaFleur additionally stated there’s concern that cornerback Eric Stokes‘ accidents had been extreme sufficient to be season-ending. Stokes had a boot on his proper foot and was on crutches after he suffered ankle and knee accidents.
Gary has been the Packers’ simplest pass-rusher and maybe their finest defensive participant this season with six sacks and 31 pressures. In accordance with ESPN Stats & Data analysis, he ranked third within the NFL in pressures via Sunday’s video games.
“It is a great loss — not solely simply from clearly a manufacturing standpoint, simply, man, he’s a man that simply competes on the highest degree,” LaFleur stated. “He is without doubt one of the grittiest guys that is on this staff. And simply the trouble that he brings each day is certainly going to be missed. The opposite guys round on that protection and on our staff are going to have to select it up as a result of it is exhausting to switch a man like that.”
Gary, a first-round draft choose in 2019, was a main candidate for a contract extension. The Packers exercised the fifth-year choice on his rookie deal, and that’s assured for $10.89 million. Now, it is unclear whether or not he even will probably be prepared for the beginning of subsequent season.
Receiver Romeo Doubs and working again Aaron Jones each suffered ankle accidents towards the Lions. LaFleur wouldn’t rule out the likelihood that Jones may play Sunday towards the Dallas Cowboys. Doubs’ damage, whereas not season-ending, may maintain him out for a number of weeks.
Two different gamers, receiver Christian Watson and linebacker Krys Barnes, had been taken off the sector to be evaluated for concussions and didn’t end the sport. Barnes was positioned within the concussion protocol, however LaFleur stated Monday that Watson didn’t endure a concussion although he was held out for the rest of the sport.
“That was all precautionary, and I believe that is simply form of the instances that we dwell in proper now and with what transpired vs. Buffalo,” LaFleur stated. “But it surely was 100% dominated that it was not a concussion. Matter of truth, he was dying to return within the sport, and we thought it was finest to close him down due to what transpired in Buffalo.”
Whereas all that was occurring, left deal with David Bakhtiari‘s recurring knee points stored him out for a lot of the second half; he returned for the Packers’ last collection. Proper guard Jon Runyan (knee) and tight finish Robert Tonyan (cramps) additionally got here out of the sport briefly however returned.
The Packers (3-6) have misplaced 5 straight video games and host the Cowboys (6-2) on Sunday.
