The Green Bay Packers went into Wednesday with 13 players showing up on the first injury report for their Week 6 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, and five of them were held out entirely.
That’s not the kind of list any team wants to be staring at before Sunday Night Football, especially with Green Bay already down four season-ending injuries and Micah Parsons still a few weeks away. There’s no realistic chance he suits up on Sunday, Oct. 18, against his former team.
Among the players who did not participate were Nate Hobbs, Bo Melton, Devonte Wyatt, Aaron Banks and Emanuel Wilson. Hargrave is already out for the season after tearing his Achilles, so his status isn’t changing anytime soon.
The biggest concern in that group is what it means for the secondary. Losing Nixon and St-Juste would be brutal against a Cowboys receiving core that includes CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Seeing both listed as DNP right out of the gate is far from ideal, though there’s still time over the next few days for that to change.
Green Bay’s defense has been losing players left and right, so Ford’s calf injury carries more weight now than it might have a few weeks ago. Moore, meanwhile, was replaced on special teams by Matthew Golden last week, but the hope is that his ankle begins trending in the right direction.
The Packers also had seven players listed as limited, with the two worth watching being Riley and Williams. Both have been designated to return from Injured Reserve and are in their 21-day practice window.
On the brighter side, Lukas Van Ness was a full participant.
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One name that has surfaced in that conversation is Arizona pass-rusher Josh Sweat, a steady producer whose game would fit the kind of pressure Green Bay is missing. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are in a position where a veteran edge defender could draw interest if they decide timing and roster management make more sense than holding on for the long term, which is why this storyline is getting real attention. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes Paup such a painful what-if for Packers fans is how quickly his best years unfolded after he moved on. Green Bay got the early prime of a pass rusher who could change games, but his departure opened the door to a larger conversation about how the team handled elite talent in that era. Even now, Paup remains one of those former Packers whose career is remembered not just for what he did in Green Bay, but for what came next. [Read more 🡒]
