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How will Packers replace WR Randall Cobb in the slot?

Packers WR Randall Cobb has a significant injury, leaving open opportunities in the slot moving forward.

The Green Bay Packers will have to find ways of replacing the contributions of veteran slot receiver Randall Cobb, who is dealing with a significant core injury and will be out indefinitely.

Coach Matt LaFleur mentioned Allen Lazard, Equanimeous St. Brown, Davante Adams and Amari Rodgers as potential options to replace Cobb in the slot.

According to Pro Football Focus, Cobb caught 21 passes and averaged 1.58 yards per route run when lined up in the slot this season. He also led the Packers with four receiving touchdowns from the slot. While the numbers don’t pop off the page, Cobb came up big in several big spots over the first 12 games of the season, and losing a veteran target does nothing to help take away all the help usually thrown at Adams each week.

Others will have to make the most of the opportunity.

Lazard is a big, physical target who has 12 catches and two touchdowns when lined up in the slot this season. He has struggled catching the ball in traffic as of late, but more opportunities to play inside could help unlock the type of efficiency as a receiver he produced during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

St. Brown has been used in a limited fashion this season, especially in the slot, but his role is expanding. He’s looking more and more comfortable and confident in his fourth season, and his size and athleticism could be assets from the slot. Don’t be surprised if he suddenly becomes a more valuable player in the passing game.

Adams is always the key player in the slot. He leads the team with 51 targets, 37 catches and 414 receiving yards from the slot this season. The Packers do a terrific job of lining him up all over the field to keep coverage schemes guessing and produce the best matchups in the passing game. Expect more of No. 17 playing inside as the Packers find ways of creating more easy catches for the All-Pro.

Rodgers, the rookie, has only played a handful of snaps from the slot this season despite being advertised as something of a Cobb clone. He needs to take a big step forward coming out of the bye, both in the slot and as a returner. He’ll get chances, potentially even as a gadget player with Cobb out.

The one forgotten-about receiver in this equation is Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who has the elite speed needed to threaten as a perimeter target or in the slot. In fact, he’s produced 11 catches for 218 yards and two scores when lined up in the slot this season. His 79-yard touchdown against the Vikings last month came when he was lined up as the No. 3 receiver in the slot. Vertical speed from the inside can be a tough thing to cover as a defense.

Running back Aaron Jones and tight end Josiah Deguara are other options. They’ve both caught touchdown passes while lining up in the slot this season.

Losing Cobb is a blow to the Packers offense, especially considering this connection and level of trust with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but LaFleur’s team has several quality options to help fill in the gaps.

Packers WR Randall Cobb out indefinitely with ‘significant’ core injury

Packers WR Randall Cobb has a “pretty significant” core injury and will be out for the foreseeable future.

The Green Bay Packers won’t have veteran receiver Randall Cobb for the foreseeable future.

Coach Matt LaFleur revealed that Cobb will be out indefinitely with a “significant” core injury.

“Cobb is going to be out for a while. He had a pretty significant injury,” LaFleur said Thursday. “That’s unfortunate because he’s done such an amazing job when given the opportunity.”

Cobb suffered the injury against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12. He was originally ruled out of the game with a groin injury, but his labeling was changed to core when he missed practice Wednesday.

Given the groin to core connection, Cobb most likely has a sports hernia and will require surgery.

If Cobb does need surgery, he could be out 6-8 weeks, putting him in danger of missing the rest of the season. For reference, Allen Lazard had core surgery last season and missed seven weeks.

Through the first 12 games, Cobb caught 28 passes for 345 yards and five touchdowns. He has four catches for 95 yards and a score before suffering the injury against the Rams.

LaFleur said the Packers would use Lazard, Equanimeous St. Brown and Davante Adams more in the slot, and rookie Amari Rodgers could get more chances to get on the field.

LaFleur said Rodgers, the team’s third-round pick, is a “young player” who is “still growing” and “going to get better.”

“We have high expectations for him. I do think he’ll get more opportunity,” LaFleur said.

Cobb, now 31, is signed through the 2022 season, but he is unlikely to be back in Green Bay at his current cap number ($9.6 million) next year.

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5 quick facts to know about recent history of Packers-Bears rivalry

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will meet for the 204th time on Sunday night.

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will meet for the 204th time when Matt Nagy’s team arrives at Lambeau Field to face the NFC North leaders on Sunday night. The rivalry is the most played in NFL history. The Packers are 102-95-6 overall against the Bears.

This has been a one-sided rivalry of late. In fact, the Packers have won 20 of the last 23 games against the Bears, including the postseason. And Green Bay is 22-5 against its top rival with Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback.

Here are a few more quick facts on the rivalry from the Packers Dope Sheet:

Packers WR Randall Cobb misses practice with core injury

Packers WR Randall Cobb missed practice to start the week with what is now described as a core injury.

The injury currently affecting Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb could be a concerning one, both in terms of his availability for Sunday and his status for the rest of the regular season.

Cobb left the Packers’ Week 12 win over the Los Angeles Rams at halftime with what was originally labeled a groin injury. Even after the bye week, he missed Wednesday’s practice with what is now being called a core injury.

The groin/core injury diagnosis points to the distinct possibility of a sports hernia, which could put the rest of Cobb’s 2021 season in jeopardy.

The Packers play the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The team has not placed Cobb on injured reserve, keeping open the possibility that the injury is minor.

But the veteran receiver missing a significant chunk of time is also possible. For instance, Packers receiver Allen Lazard had surgery to repair a core muscle injury last season and missed six games over seven weeks. It’s unclear at this point if Cobb’s injury will require surgical intervention.

If Cobb has to miss 6-8 weeks, it’s possible he could be back at some point during the postseason, although the timeline gets tight.

Cobb, who returned to Green Bay in a trade with the Houston Texans during training camp, has 28 catches for 375 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games this season. His five touchdown catches have him tied with Davante Adams for the team lead.

Cobb has operated mostly out of the slot during his return to the Packers. He’s been a trusted target of Aaron Rodgers, and his first half against the Rams (four catches, 95 yards, touchdown) was among the most productive of his career.

If Cobb is out for a significant amount of time, the Packers may need to rely on Equanimeous St. Brown to play more as the No. 4 receiver behind Adams, Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

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Aaron Rodgers: Bye week was ‘really, really helpful’ for injured toe

The Packers QB said he’s getting a lot of healing done on injured toe with rest over the last two weeks.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers still isn’t practicing, but the week off was still beneficial for the healing of his fractured left pinky toe.

Rodgers said he won’t have a good feel for the toe’s recovery timeline and if he can get over the injury by the end of the regular season until he gets through another few days of healing and then recovers from Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

“This was really, really positive, the time to heal and not do anything now for going on 10 days has been really, really helpful,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “We’re hoping we can get on the other side of this. We don’t know until Sunday after the game and Monday how it will react to all the healing that’s taken place and the pounding that will happen on Sunday, so we’ll see how it recovers on Sunday and Monday.”

Rodgers initially hurt his toe during his 10-day quarantine period after testing positive for COVID-19. He’s now about a month removed from suffering the injury and has enjoyed “some really good weeks of healing.”

By combining the bye week with another week of rest during prep for the Bears, Rodgers is confident he’s trending in the right direction with five games to go.

“I feel good that these two weeks are going to give me a real good chance of getting a lot of the healing done,” Rodgers said. “We’re so far out now from the initial injury that I’d like to think that any damage I might do on Sunday will pale in comparison to the healing that’s been done the last few weeks.”

Rodgers didn’t practice on Wednesday but participated in a walkthrough. He said it isn’t “optimal” to sit out during the week and “would love” to be on the field practicing, but he’s “making it work,” which can be seen in the numbers.

Since returning from the COVID-19 reserve list, Rodgers has completed 64.3 percent of his passes, averaged 8.6 yards per attempt and thrown six touchdown passes to just one interception. His passer rating over the three games was 105.1, and the Packers averaged 28.0 points per game. Green Bay beat the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams but lost a shootout to the Vikings in Minneapolis.

Rodgers said he’s experiencing “very little pain on gameday” thanks to various treatments.

During the bye week, Rodgers flew to Los Angeles to get a second opinion on the toe injury but elected not to have surgery. He’s hopeful rest will allow the injury to heal over time.

The Packers return to practice on Thursday. Rodgers said he’ll likely do nothing more than call in plays during the on-field work.

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8 edge defenders the Packers could target in the first round of 2022 NFL draft

The Packers may need to restock the edge rusher position after the 2021 season. Here are eight potential options for Brian Gutekunst in the first round in 2022.

With a cloud of uncertainty hovering over the future of both Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith following the 2021 season, the Green Bay Packers will likely be looking to address the edge rusher position early in the 2022 NFL draft.

In fact, general manager Brian Gutekunst may need to use a top pick next year to get Rashan Gary a new running mate for the long term.

Let’s take a look at eight players that Gutekunst could target in the first round of the draft in 2022.

Note: Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, George Karlafits, David Ojabo and Travon Walker are not listed due to the fact that they’ll likely be off the board when the Packers are on the clock late in the first round.

Breaking down Packers’ first injury report of Week 14

Evaluating the Packers’ opening injury report of Week 14, which featured 6 players, including WR Randall Cobb.

The Green Bay Packers released the team’s first injury report of Week 14 on Wednesday. Matt LaFleur’s team held a regular practice, meaning participation didn’t need to be estimated. The Packers play the Chicago Bears on Sunday night and will release a final injury report on Friday.

Six players landed on the team’s opening report, including three non-participants.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the Packers’ injury report to start the week:

Limited: WR Davante Adams (hamstring), CB Kevin King (hip/knee), WR Malik Taylor (abdomen)

Adams has been limited each of the last three games with different injuries. He’s dealt with a shoulder injury, ankle injury and now a hamstring issue. Like the others, this one doesn’t appear to be serious, but it’s certainly worth monitoring coming out of the bye. King, who missed Week 12, is still battling back from a pair of lower-body injuries, but his return to practice is a good sign to start the week. The same goes for Taylor, who has missed two straight games.

Did not participate: QB Aaron Rodgers (toe), OT David Bakhtiari (knee), WR Randall Cobb (core)

Rodgers is resting to allow maximum for his fractured left pinky toe. It’s possible he’ll miss another full week of practice, but everyone expects him to start and play Sunday. Bakhtiari is still working back from a knee scope and likely won’t return to play this week. Cobb’s injury looks concerning. He was originally ruled out at halftime in Week 12 with a groin injury, but it’s now labeled a core issue. The Packers haven’t placed him on injured reserve, so maybe it’s not overly serious. Missing practice on Wednesday puts him in real danger of not playing Sunday, obviously. And the roster move sending him to injured reserve could still come later in the week.

Removed: OLB Rashan Gary, RB Aaron Jones, WR Allen Lazard

All three players practiced fully to open the week after playing against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12. The Packers have to feel very fortunate that both Gary and Jones were able to shake off injuries so quickly.

Not listed: CB Jaire Alexander

The All-Pro cornerback returned to practice on Wednesday, but he remains on injured reserve. The Packers designated him for return, opening his 21-day window to be activated. While in the practice window, Alexander will not show up on the injury report. He is returning from a significant shoulder injury.

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Jaire Alexander’s return provokes potentially difficult future questions for Packers

How will the Packers deploy their cornerback group once All-Pro Jaire Alexander eventually returns?

Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander returned to practice on Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean he will or even could play this week against the Chicago Bears.

The Packers need to be smart with their top corner, who hasn’t played since suffering a shoulder injury in Week 4. Alexander avoided season-ending surgery to repair his AC joint, instead opting for rest and immobilization. Shoulders are highly vulnerable, especially for someone with Alexander’s frame and physical play style. Reaggravating the injury could end Alexander’s 2021 season for good.

Multiple other factors could allow Alexander to take ample time before making a full return.

During Alexander’s absence, the Packers have seen growth from first-round pick Eric Stokes. The rookie has gained valuable experience at outside corner, playing over 98 percent of the defensive snaps since Week 3. In the same game in which Alexander was injured, Stokes stepped up and made the game-sealing interception off Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

According to Pro Football Focus, Stokes has allowed a reception percentage of 51.5 despite being the most targeted rookie corner this season. He is also tied for the lead among rookie corners with seven pass breakups.

Opposite Stokes, corner Rasul Douglas has been one of the Packers’ best playmakers. Douglas was named Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Los Angeles Rams. He returned an interception for a touchdown and also made six tackles to go along with four pass defenses. Douglas also made the game-winning interception to defeat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8.

Once Alexander does return to the lineup, Green Bay will have to find a healthy balance for their corner group. There is the possibility of playing Alexander inside with Stokes and Douglas not losing their spots. However, moving Alexander to nickel would require him to be a key contributor on run defense, which could put more strain on his shoulder. Perhaps this job is better suited for Douglas, who has proven to be a reliable tackler but has predominately played outside his entire career.

Green Bay has some tough decisions to make when it comes to Alexander’s health and eventual return. It could send a reliable player to the bench, but the good news is they will return one of their best defensive players. The team has 21 days to elevate Alexander to the active roster or shut him down for the rest of the season.

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Packers CB Jaire Alexander to return to practice on Wednesday

The first big step in Jaire Alexander’s return from a shoulder injury is arriving on Wednesday.

The first big step in Jaire Alexander’s return from a shoulder injury is arriving.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Alexander would return to practice and participate in individual drills on Wednesday, opening up his 21-day window to officially return to the active roster from injured reserve.

“Ja should be out there, getting some practice, mostly individual,” LaFleur said.

Alexander injured his shoulder in Week 4 while trying to make a tackle on Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris. He’s missed the last eight games on injured reserve.

Alexander and the Packers decided not to have season-ending surgery on the shoulder in an attempt to allow healing and provide a chance to return this year.

Even if Alexander needs all three weeks of the window before returning, he would still be ready to play regular-season games before the start of the postseason. The Packers play five more regular-season games, including two in January.

Alexander was a second-team All-Pro at cornerback last season.

LaFleur did not provide an update on David Bakhtiari or Za’Darius Smith, who are not expected to be available at practice on Wednesday.

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Packers to face Bears rookie QB Justin Fields on Sunday night

Bears rookie QB Justin Fields has been medically cleared and will start against the Packers on Sunday.

Rookie quarterback Justin Fields will get a second shot at facing the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night at Lambeau Field.

Bears coach Matt Nagy told reporters on Wednesday that Fields has been medically cleared and will start this week against the Packers.

Fields, the 11th overall pick in the 2021 draft, injured his ribs on Nov. 21 against the Baltimore Ravens and missed the last two games.

The Packers beat Fields and the Bears at Soldier Field on Oct. 17. The rookie quarterback completed 16 of 27 passes for 174 yards, one touchdown and one interception and also ran four times for 34 yards during the 24-14 defeat.

The Bears have lost six of the last seven games, including five straight games started by Fields. They went 1-1 in the last two games started by veteran Andy Dalton.

In 10 games this season, Fields has thrown four touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He’s completed 58.1 percent of his passes and averaged 6.9 yards per attempt, good for a passer rating of 69.0.

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