The Green Bay Packers are on the bye this week. While the Packers need to improve in a few key areas coming out of the bye, the most important aspect of the off week is an ability to rest up and heal injuries.
Matt LaFleur’s team limped into the bye. No player is fully healthy two months into a season, but several key players were either injured and out or playing through old injuries during last week’s home loss to the Detroit Lions.
Getting hot will require getting their best from top players. Here are the important Packers who need to get healthy during the bye:
QB Jordan Love (knee/groin)
The bye should give Love a chance to put his Week 1 MCL sprain fully behind him while also giving his strained groin more time to get to 100 percent before the Packers return to practice and begin on-field prep for the Bears next week. Missed practice time has almost certainly affected Love’s game performance. Remember, he’s a second-year starter who has missed a lot of reps due to injuries this season. Getting a consistent run of full practices and two healthy legs could help him rediscover timing with receivers — possibly leading to better ball placement — and give him better mobility in and out of the pocket. Love has scrambled only five times this season. He’ll also be able to play under center more effectively, helping the play-action passing game.
CB Jaire Alexander (knee)
The Packers’ top cornerback missed his second game of the 2024 season with a knee injury ahead of the bye. The team listed him as questionable to play in Week 9, so it’s possible the knee injury isn’t a long-term issue and Alexander will return next week ready to go. The two-time All-Pro battled quad and groin injuries before the new knee issue. The Packers need Alexander healthy, available and playing at a dominant level down the stretch. He’s the team’s best corner by a mile.
C Josh Myers (wrist)
Not having Myers available due to a wrist injury hurt the Packers in the rain against the Lions. Will the injury be a factor coming out of the bye? Any injury to a hand or wrist is a big one for a player who has to handle the ball and use his hands to block 315-pounders every snap. The Packers could survive with Elgton Jenkins at center and Jordan Morgan and Sean Rhyan at guard, but last week’s loss proved how difficult it can be to make a switch at center.
RB Josh Jacobs (ankle)
Jacobs’ ankle got banged up in Jacksonville, and he played through the injury last week. But there’s clearly pain involved, and Jacobs briefly left the field after limping off last Sunday. Running backs take so much punishment over the course of the season, so the bye came at a good time for Jacobs. He’s been a consistent producer all season, and the Packers need him to carry a big load over the final eight games. He should be closer to 100 percent coming out of the bye.
DL Kenny Clark (toe)
While he hasn’t missed any games, Clark has rather quietly been listed on the injury report every week since Week 2 with a toe injury. It’s fair to wonder if the toe issue could be affecting his on-field performance. Injuries to the feet can be a big deal for a 314-pound defensive lineman who relies on explosion and strength off the ball. He also added a shoulder injury last week. Could the week off allow Clark to get over the injuries? Through nine games, Clark has zero sacks, two quarterback hits and two tackles for loss. He needs to be much more productive as a disruptor during the final eight games.
OL Elgton Jenkins (glute/knee)
Like Clark, Jenkins has played through lingering injury for most of the season. The veteran offensive lineman has dealt with knee and glute injuries for the better part of the last six weeks but hasn’t missed play time. While Jenkins has allowed only eight pressures in pass protection, he’s consistently graded poorly at PFF for run blocking.
TE Tucker Kraft (shoulder)
The Packers have kept Kraft in a red non-contact uniform during practices to protect his injured shoulder. He’s also played through a groin injury. The shoulder is probably the more important injury considering Kraft is an important inline and move blocker for the run game. A week off for the shoulder should help the Packers’ ascending young tight end be even better over the final two months.
S Evan Williams (hamstring)
The rookie fourth-rounder has become one of the Packers’ most important defenders, and the defense missed him badly in Jacksonville and last week against the Lions while he was out with a hamstring injury. A week off should be exactly what the doctor ordered, and it won’t be surprising if Williams is ready to return next week against the Bears. With Williams available, the Packers can move Javon Bullard to the slot and Keisean Nixon out side, which appears to be the defense’s preferred lineup. More than anything, the Packers need Williams’ valuable combination of reliability and playmaking ability back at safety.
RB MarShawn Lloyd (ankle)
The Packers believe Lloyd is close to coming off injured reserve and returning to the 53-man roster. In fact, Brian Gutekunst said Lloyd could take Preston Smith’s roster spot going into next week. While the Packers are in good shape at running back, Lloyd could add a little more explosiveness to the offense down the stretch. The rookie has rare quickness at 220 pounds. He could be hard to tackle as a backup option behind Josh Jacobs in December and January.
DL Devonte Wyatt (ankle)
Before his ankle injury, Wyatt produced nine pressures and three sacks in four games. Since returning from his ankle injury, Wyatt has only three hurries across 30 pass-rushing snaps. He was limited at practice before facing the Lions, so it’s possible Wyatt will return next week and be closer to full participation. The Packers need him and Clark to be interior game-wreckers to end the 2024 season.