Jean Francois back; Spriggs on IR
GREEN BAY – Ricky
Jean Francois understood why the Green Bay Packers cut him last week when an emergency arose on the offensive line and a roster spot was needed to add depth there.
The ninth-year defensive lineman wasn’t even mad about it.
What irritated him, however, was that he had stuck around town for a while and when he finally decided to hop on a plane and leave, his phone rang and it was the Packers asking him to come back.
“Yesterday, I was going to Dallas and when I was in Minneapolis all I saw was my phone lighting up and I was like, ‘What’s up? What happened?’” Jean Francois said. “They were like, ‘We need you back in the building.’
“And I’m like, ‘What building?’ It was like ‘here.’ I was like, ‘Oh.’”
The Packers booked a flight for Jean Francois to fly back from Minneapolis and signed him to a new deal Thursday. He rejoined the team in the morning, took part in practice and was back at his locker when he talked with reporters in late afternoon.
Jean Francois had worked out for the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday and was told to get his passport because the Saints are scheduled to play the Miami Dolphins in London on Oct. 1.
Had the Packers waited any longer, there’s a good possibility they would have lost Jean Francois to the Saints. In the end, the veteran felt he was back in the right place.
“I’m happy to be back,” Jean Francois said. “I really am happy just to go out there, being in practice, talking to the guys, joking around. It was good, but being in this position I’m in now, it’s a blessing.”
Expendable a week ago, Jean Francois became a necessity when defensive tackle Mike Daniels aggravated a hip injury in Atlanta. Daniels hasn’t practiced at all this week and isn’t likely to play Sunday against Cincinnati. It’s unclear how long he might be out.
Spriggs on IR: To make room for Jean Francois on the 53-man roster, the Packers placed tackle Jason Spriggs on injured reserve. The backup tackle has been out since suffering a hamstring injury against Seattle in Week 1.
Spriggs must sit a minimum of eight weeks. He’s eligible to return after that, but the Packers can only bring back two players on injured reserve this year, so there’s no guarantee he’ll be activated.
“It was explained,” Spriggs said. “I talked to (general manager) Ted (
Thompson). We had a conversation and it went well. I understand. Nothing super negative. It will give me time to get healthy.”
Spriggs, who probably would have started against Atlanta had he been healthy, said his recovery time is not cast in stone. He suffered a significant strain of the muscle after his leg got caught in an awkward position while blocking on a placekick.
“Hamstrings are something even if I feel better it might not be structurally better,” Spriggs said. “I could have been ready in three weeks, I could have been ready in six weeks, you just don’t know.”
Spriggs said the time off will help him focus on building up his body and studying the offense from a different perspective. The second-year pro struggled in training camp and allowed Kyle
Murphy to steal the backup right tackle position from him.
Murphy wound up starting at left tackle against the Falcons even though he had not played the position since college.
Tackle outlook: Left tackle David Bakhtiari missed a second straight day of practice Thursday and the possibility of him returning to the lineup this weekend didn’t look particularly good. Right tackle Bryan Bulaga, however, took part in the full-pads practice — albeit as a limited participant — and would seem to be on track to return from a nearly four-week absence due to a right ankle sprain.
Even so, the Packers won’t be sure of anything until Sunday.
Bakhtiari said things were progressing well from the hamstring injury he suffered in Week 1, but he was leaving it up to the medical staff to guide him.
Before the Atlanta game, Bakhtiari worked out in front of the staff and both sides agreed it wouldn’t be smart for him to play.
“I feel good, confident in my leg,” he said. “Just kind of going through standard protocol. I think we’re on the same page back there. I’m just giving it my best shot with them and letting them kind of take its course wherever they see fit.”
Bakhtiari said that if he couldn’t play Sunday, he was confident Murphy would do the job.
“He showed a lot of poise,” Bakhtiari said of Murphy’s performance against the Falcons. “That’s huge and I don’t think that’s something that you can see without looking at it in a more experienced viewpoint.
“On the field and off the field, poise is huge. I think that’s critical in your growth.”
Injury update: For the second straight day, receiver Randall Cobb (shoulder), linebacker Jake Ryan (concussion/ hamstring), safety Kentrell Brice (groin) and cornerback Davon House (thigh) did not practice.
Coach Mike McCarthy still was hoping some of the players would be able to work Saturday, but he gave no individual updates.
Receiver Jordy Nelson (thigh) practiced in full for a second straight day.