Graham will give it a go; Daniels out
GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers went to Seattle on Thursday night with a lighter roster load, leaving starters Randall Cobb, Kevin King, Kentrell Brice and Nick Perry behind due to various injuries.
As the game wore on at CenturyLink Field, fellow starters Jimmy Graham and Mike Daniels suffered game-ending injuries. Then, backups such safety Raven Greene and cornerback Bashaud Breeland who were pushed into key roles were lost to injury as well.
The “mini-bye” was much needed for a Packers team that now prepares to head to Minnesota with their season on the line in terms of recuperation, but Packers head coach Mike McCarthy allowed that some roster maneuvering will likely happen within the next two days to help.
One bright spot McCarthy could highlight was that Graham, who broke a thumb, isn’t ready to declare himself out for the Vikings.
“I know he intends to try to go,” McCarthy said.
“There’s going to be a transition through the practice week and see different splints and things like that. So that’s why you have to work through it. So, I mean, every injury’s different.”
It is unclear when exactly the tight end suffered the injury, but at the 2minute, 35-second mark of the second quarter Graham blocked Seahawks safety Bradley McDougald out of the play toward the Packers sideline. He then grabbed his left thumb while on the sideline before taking off his left glove and heading to the locker room.
Lance Kendricks replaced Graham at the 2-minute warning for the final three Packers plays of that drive, which ended in a 24-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Jones.
On the flip side, McCarthy wouldn’t describe Daniels’ foot injury but allowed that the defensive tackle would be out for the foreseeable future. McCarthy said the club has had discussions about adding a defensive lineman during the week.
Former Packers defensive lineman Christian Ringo was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Monday. Ringo was a sixth-round pick in 2015 and was released in September 2017 after appearing in eight games for the Packers in 2016. He played in six games for the Detroit Lions in 2017.
Cobb spoke Monday, and the veteran wide receiver expressed a bit of frustration over the lingering hamstring injury that has cost him five games. He first injured it in practice in the run-up to the game against Buffalo on Sept. 30. He missed three games and returned after the bye to catch four passes for 40 yards at the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 28 and five passes for 24 yards at New England on Nov. 4.
The issue flared up again in practice after that, and Cobb has missed the last two games.
The 28-year-old is in his eighth season and has played at least 13 games every year except for 2013, when he broke a leg in the fifth game. He returned for the season finale and the playoffs that season.
“I’ve never had hamstring issues like this,” Cobb said. “I’ve done everything that I’ve been asked to do. I brought in (a physical therapist) that I work with in the offseason. I’m doing everything I can to get back on the field. But at the end of the day, I’ve got to be able to go out and play and be confident and be able to be myself. If I’m not myself then I’m hurting this team.”
King also has been dealing with soft tissue injuries throughout this season. The second-year cornerback was noncommittal about his ability to be ready for Sunday as he also works through his own hamstring problem.
As players continue to rehab through a bevy of injuries, McCarthy said the middle of the week will offer more clarity on who may be able to go Sunday night in Minnesota.
“Brian (Gutekunst, the general manager) and I met (Monday) on just some different combinations, things for me to look at,” McCarthy said. “And really until we get down on the field Wednesday we’ll see how a number of these guys are going to move and get through the rehab part of it.”