COBB INJURY A BIG BLOW
Packers receiver out for ‘a while’
“HE’S DONE SUCH AN AMAZING JOB. WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY . . . WE’RE TALKING ABOUT JUST HIS TARGETS ON THIRD DOWN ALONE — HE WAS 8-FOR-10 WHEN HE GOT TARGETED IN CONVERTING FIRST DOWNS.”
MATT LAFLEUR, Packers coach
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers will not have receiver Randall Cobb during a key December stretch because of a groin injury he suffered against the Rams on Nov. 28.
Cobb had surgery last week, a source told ESPN. The hope is that he can return in time for the playoffs.
Coach Matt LaFleur said Thursday that Cobb suffered “a pretty significant injury” and would be out for “a while.”
The Packers listed the injury as a core muscle. It’s the same injury that kept Allen Lazard and several other former Packers receivers and cornerbacks out for a significant time over the years.
Lazard missed six games with the injury last year.
Cobb won’t play Sunday against the Bears, forcing LaFleur to do some shuffling to replace him in the slot.
“It’s really going to be everybody,” LaFleur said. “And that can change on a weekly basis. But we’ll use Allen in there a little bit. We’ll use ‘EQ’ [Equanimeous St. Brown], [he’s] been playing really well as of late, and not only on offense, but on special teams, as well.
“And then we’ll continue to move Davante [Adams] around and put him in there a little bit.”
Cobb ranks third on the team in receptions with 28 catches for 375 yards and five touchdowns. He has played in 47% of the offensive snaps in 12 games and serves as the team’s backup punt returner behind rookie Amari Rodgers.
Cobb’s best game of the year was against the Rams when he caught four passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. It was on the touchdown catch that he suffered the injury and left the game.
“That’s unfortunate because I thought he’s done such an amazing job,” LaFleur said. “When given the opportunity, I think a lot of this — we’re talking about just his targets on third down alone — he was 8-for-10 when he got targeted in converting first downs.”
LaFleur said that Rodgers will be in the mix to replace Cobb, but since he is a rookie and has not been part of the offense much this season, he won’t be the exclusive slot receiver. Rodgers was drafted in the third round to compete for the slot position, but after general manager Brian Gutekunst gave in to quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ demand to trade for Cobb, Rodgers became mostly a specialteams player.
Gutekunst gave up a sixthround pick for Cobb and is paying him $5.25 million this year. Cobb, 31, has missed 18 games over the last six years, including 14 since 2018.
“As far as Amari is concerned, I think he is still a young player, and he’s still growing and he’s going to get better,” LaFleur said. “We’ve got a lot of high expectations for him to continue to grow and develop. And I do think he’ll get more opportunity.”