Green Bay got a much-needed dose of good news Monday morning, with Matt LaFleur smoothing out the picture on several injured Packers ahead of the team’s final stretch of training camp.
LaFleur spoke before the Packers’ penultimate open practice, and the clearest update came on rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse. Cisse left Friday’s preseason game in Denver after getting hurt while covering a kickoff, but the head coach said the injury won’t cost him any time.
“He should be fine. He should be good to go.”
Cisse had already called it “nothing serious” after the game, and the team now appears ready to have him back in the mix right away. He has been working with the starting defense throughout camp, so that’s a welcome development for a unit that wants as many healthy bodies as possible heading into the final week.
Josh Jacobs is moving in a more measured lane, but the Packers are clearly keeping him on track. The running back has been sidelined for almost two weeks with a groin injury before returning late last week, and LaFleur said the plan on Monday was a limited workload.
“He’ll be limited in all team periods but he’ll be out there practicing.”
Asked directly whether Jacobs would get team work, LaFleur didn’t dance around it: “Oh yeah.”
Aaron Banks is also trending the right way. The expected starting left guard has been dealing with knee tendinitis all summer and has been in and out of practice, with Jager Burton stepping in when needed. LaFleur sounded confident that Banks will be back on the field Monday and still believes he has a real shot to open the season in the starting lineup.
“He should be out there (on Monday).”
When pressed on Week 1, LaFleur added: “I think so, I believe so. I think he’s made good progress and ultimately he’s got to continue to put those days back to back to back. He’s definitely getting better, he’s trending in the right direction.”
Not every update was as encouraging. Defensive lineman Warren Brinson was a late scratch from Friday’s game after feeling a calf tweak in warmups, and LaFleur said the setback will keep him out for a while.
“It happened in warmups, he felt a little tweak in his calf and so he’ll miss a little bit of time.”
That absence comes at an awkward moment, with final cuts coming Sunday and the Packers’ depth defensive linemen making some noise.
The other lingering situation is at long snapper, where Matt Orzech remains on the PUP list and has yet to return. Cal Adomitis has handled the job in the meantime, and with Trey Smack perfect on place-kicks through the first two preseason games, the Packers may have to start the season with Adomitis in that role if Orzech isn’t ready before final cuts.
The Packers now move into a packed week: an open practice Monday at 10:30 AM Central, then joint sessions with the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday and Thursday before Friday’s preseason finale. Wednesday’s practice will be open to the public and will be the last public practice of training camp.
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Matt LaFleur has made it clear the job description includes willingness in the run game, too, and that changes the calculus for everyone involved. In Green Bays defense, cornerbacks have to tackle with conviction and contribute to the physical side of the scheme, which means the evaluation is about fit as much as talent. The last round of preseason snaps should tell the Packers plenty about who is ready to handle those responsibilities when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]