Packers-Cowboys Injury Report: Almost One-Third of Packers on List

The Green Bay Packers, who have enjoyed relatively good health for most of the season, listed 17 players on Wednesday’s injury report.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ injury report is long – very long – ahead of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

The last time the Packers played a game at Lambeau Field was Oct. 16 against the New York Jets. For that game, only seven players were on the Wednesday injury report. On Wednesday, the Packers listed 17 players on their initial injury report of the week. That’s 32.1 percent of the roster. Ten players did not participate and six were limited.

Left tackle David Bakhtiari, left guard Elgton Jenkins, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, receiver Sammy Watkins, receiver Romeo Doubs, outside linebacker Rashan Gary (placed on injured reserve later in the day following his torn ACL), inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and cornerback Eric Stokes were starters who did not practice.

Rodgers injured the thumb on his throwing hand against the Giants on Oct. 9. For the first three weeks after the injury, Rodgers didn’t practice on Wednesday but did on Thursday and Friday. Last week, he did practice on Wednesday. He’s back to the original plan.

“I’ll be out there tomorrow,” Rodgers said. “I threw last week and didn’t feel like it was positive for me going into Sunday.”

Stokes hobbled into the locker room on crutches. The team is waiting for swelling to go down before it determines his recovery plan. With Stokes almost certainly out this week, the team figures to roll with Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas at cornerback and Keisean Nixon in the slot.

“I’m comfortable wherever they put him, outside, inside, safety. Punter, if they want me to,” Nixon said.

Given the offensive funk, the Packers could use a breakout game from Watkins. However, he’s caught only 2-of-6 targets for 12 yards the last two weeks and has been a nonfactor all season other than his 93-yard game vs. Chicago in Week 2 that preceded a stint on injured reserve.

“He is a warrior,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think he's battling through some bumps and bruises, and I think that tends to hinder your ability to go out there and be the type of receiver that we all know he is. Not to say that it's been bad. He hasn't got a lot of opportunity, either. He's a guy that we definitely have a lot of confidence in. When we were producing much better on offense, he was a big reason for that. He had the setback and that's how it goes sometimes, so we’ve got to try to reacclimate him back to our offense because we need him to be a big part of it.”

Of the 17, only Christian Watson was full participation. Officially, he’s on the injury report as “concussion protocol.” In reality, he doesn’t have a concussion but the Packers are following league rules after Watson took a hard shot during the second half at Detroit and didn’t return.

“That was on us,” LaFleur said. “We held him, and that was strictly I think kind of where we’re at with the times. But he didn’t even get hit in the head. He got hit in the shoulder and that’s why he was adamant he was fine. And when you’ve got a chance to sit down and slow it down, you’re like, ‘Oh yeah.’ We could see that.”

The Cowboys listed 11 players on their injury report coming out of their bye. However, only one player, linebacker Anthony Barr, didn’t practice.

Packers-Cowboys Injury Report

Packers

DNP: LT David Bakhtiari (knee), LB Krys Barnes (concussion), LB De’Vondre Campbell (knee), WR Romeo Doubs (ankle), OLB Rashan Gary (knee), CB Shemar Jean-Charles (ankle), LG Elgton Jenkins (knee), QB Aaron Rodgers (thumb), CB Eric Stokes (ankle/knee), WR Sammy Watkins (knee).

Limited: K Mason Crosby (back), CB Rasul Douglas (calf), RB Aaron Jones (ankle), WR Allen Lazard (shoulder), RG Jon Runyan (knee) OLB Preston Smith (neck).

Full: WR Christian Watson (concussion protocol).

Cowboys

DNP: LB Anthony Barr (hamstring).

Limited: WR Noah Brown (foot), RB Ezekiel Elliott (knee), S Donovan Wilson (tooth).

Full: DE Dorance Armstrong (shoulder), WR Michael Gallup (chest), S Malik Hooker (hamstring), LB Micah Parsons (shoulder), TE Dalton Schultz (knee), WR KaVontae Turpin (chest), DE Sam Williams (knee).