Packers place C Corey Linsley on injured reserve

The Packers will be without their veteran center for at least the next three games.

The Green Bay Packers will be without their veteran center for at least the next three games.

The team placed Corey Linsley on injured reserve on Saturday, meaning he’ll miss Sunday’s visit from the Philadelphia Eagles and at least two other games before he’s eligible to return.

Linsley injured his knee during the Packers’ win over the Chicago Bears and didn’t practice all week.

Various reports put his return timeline between three and six weeks.

Under new injured reserve rules, Linsley only needs to miss three games before he can return, giving him a shot to play again during the regular season.

The Packers play the Eagles, Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers over the next three games.

During each of the last two games, coach Matt LaFleur decided to replace Linsley by moving left guard Elgton Jenkins to center, a position he played extensively during college. Rookie Jon Runyan Jr. played left guard.

The Packers didn’t immediately replace Linsley on the 53-man roster, although offensive lineman Ben Braden was elevated from the practice squad as a COVID-19 replacement (A.J. Dillon) and tight end Dominique Dafney was elevated from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 13.

Linsley, 29, started the first 11 games of the 2020 season. He is the No. 1 rated center at Pro Football Focus by overall grade.

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