Rodgers Won’t Play in Preseason Opener

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said it's possible Aaron Rodgers would play in the preseason finale, even behind a makeshift offensive line.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers will not play in the Green Bay Packers’ preseason opener at the San Francisco 49ers on Friday night.

Coach Matt LaFleur’s decision isn’t a surprise. After all, Rodgers didn’t play in the preseason in 2019 (LaFleur’s first season), 2020 (COVID eliminated the preseason) and 2021. LaFleur wouldn’t rule Rodgers out of the preseason altogether, though. He said he’d “probably look at it after New Orleans.” The Saints are coming to Green Bay for joint practices next week before their preseason game at Lambeau Field on Friday, Aug. 19.

That leaves the preseason finale on Thursday, Aug. 25, at the Kansas City Chiefs as a possibility for the four-time MVP. The balance for LaFleur is finding harmony in a receiver corps that’s trying to figure things out without Davante Adams but also keeping him healthy for the games that matter.

LaFleur said the uncertainty on the offensive line is not factoring into his decision. The Packers are without All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari as well as Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins, who capably replaced Bakhtiari last season and might wind up at right tackle when everyone is healthy.

Without those two, they have spent most of training camp with Yosh Nijman at left tackle and either Royce Newman, last year’s starting right guard, or Zach Tom, a rookie fourth-round pick, at right tackle.

“I think absolutely we would,” play Rodgers behind that group, LaFleur said. “We still have confidence in those guys. Those guys are going to have to play. We’d just be very particular about what plays we’re calling. We’re not going to have open edges and seven-step drops that take a long time to develop. We’d just be super-intentional about what we call, which we are in every instance usually, anyway.”

Jordan Love will start against the 49ers. He is coming off a good stretch of practices and made the big play of Family Night with a 54-yard touchdown pass with rookie Devonte Wyatt in his face. Now, he must take his improved play into the games.

“It’s something I’ve got to improve on,” Love said of passing under pressure. “Going back to the Lions game last year at the end, the two-minute drive, I had a throw with a guy in my face that I missed and it could have been a big play. That’s something that I looked at during the offseason and thinking about how I have to get better at being able to stay in the pocket and take those hits and still be able to make those throws.”

Injury update: There were no major changes though Bakhtiari and Jenkins were firing out of their stances during their rehab work.

Packers Monday Injury Report

Returned to practice: WR Randall Cobb (rest).

New Injuries: LB Ty Summers (illness).

Old injuries: S Innis Gaines (hamstring), C Cole Schneider (ankle), WR Osirus Mitchell (quad).

Physically unable to perform list: K Mason Crosby (knee), WR Christian Watson (knee), RB Kylin Hill (knee), LT David Bakhtiari (knee), OL Elgton Jenkins (knee), TE Robert Tonyan (knee).

Green Bay Rosters Projection 2.0

Quarterbacks (2)

Aaron Rodgers vs. Preston Smith at Family Night (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love.

Changes: None.

Toughest cut: None.

Injury concern: None.

Analysis: Only an injury is going to upset this apple cart. Rodgers, the four-time MVP, is going to have his work cut out for him unless the offensive line gets healthy and solidified in time for Week 1. Love’s up-and-down Family Night was sort of like his up-and-down training camp, though he’s also playing behind a young offensive line and a mish-mash of receivers. Danny Etling’s lack of a big-time arm was evident on Family Night; his pass to the sideline to Ishmael Hyman took forever to reach its destination and was almost snared by Donte Vaughn.

Running Backs (3)

Aaron Jones at Family Night (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Patrick Taylor.

Changes: None.

Toughest cut: None.

Injury concern: Kylin Hill (ACL) remains on the physically unable to perform list. That opens the door to him starting the regular season on PUP, though he’s looked explosive in his rehab workouts.

Analysis: In the race to be the No. 3 back behind the elite combo of Jones and Dillon, Taylor entered training camp with a huge lead over undrafted rookies B.J. Baylor and Tyler Goodson. With Taylor sidelined by a groin injury, the rookies have a chance to close the gap. Goodson had a strong practice on Thursday but neither distinguished himself on Family Night.

Receivers (6)

Rookie Romeo Doubs has been one of the big stories of training camp. (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson.

Changes: Samori Toure (out).

Toughest cuts: Toure, a seventh-round pick, has had a quiet training camp but scored two touchdowns on Family Night. He made a great adjustment on an underthrown pass on the first and ran past the defensive backs on the second. Juwann Winfree had a strong offseason and opened training camp running with the No. 1 offense. He seems to have been pushed aside by the coaches, though, with Lazard, Watkins, Cobb and Doubs getting the first-team focus.

Injury concern: Watson (knee).

Analysis: The guess on Watson is based purely on the calendar. There’s more than one month until the regular season begins. Even if he’s not 100 percent ready for Week 1 at the Vikings, keeping him on the active roster would allow him to take his training camp into the early weeks of the regular season. But who knows? While his injured teammates have been going through on-the-field workouts during practice, any work Watson has done has been kept being closed doors.

Tight Ends (4)

Robert Tonyan is returning from a torn ACL. (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: Marcedes Lewis, Tyler Davis, Josiah Deguara, Dominque Dafney.

Changes: Sal Cannella (out), Dafney (in).

Toughest cut: None.

Injury concern: Robert Tonyan (ACL) remains on PUP.

Analysis: Tonyan was injured on Oct. 28. If he’s not ready for Week 1 at the Vikings on Sept. 11, it’s going to be close. Given his importance (and upcoming free agency), a conservative approach makes sense from both perspectives. Lewis continues to block his butt off and Deguara has had a really good camp. If Tonyan can return to form, this would be a high-quality group with a receiver (Tonyan), blocker (Lewis) and fullback-type (Deguara).

Offensive line (9)

Jon Runyan vs. Kenny Clark at Family Night (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: LT Yosh Nijman, LG Jon Runyan Jr, C Josh Myers, RG Royce Newman, RT Zach Tom, G/T Sean Rhyan, T/G Cole Van Lanen, G/C Jake Hanson, Veteran Tackle TBA.

Changes: Hanson (in), LT David Bakhtiari (out), T Rasheed Walker (out).

Toughest cut: None.

Injury concern: Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins are on PUP as they battle back from torn ACL. Bakhtiari’s concern runs much deeper than the start of this season, obviously. Will he play again? If he does, will he return to his All-Pro form?

Analysis: The fate of the season will hinge on a pair of reconstructed anterior cruciate ligaments. Typically, an ACL is a nine- or 10-month injury. Bakhtiari has doubled that timeline and still hasn’t practiced this summer. It’s not his fault, obviously. Would the Packers have reached the Super Bowl in 2020 had Bakhtiari not suffered his knee injury at practice? Would the Packers have reached the Super Bowl in 2021 with Bakhtiari and Jenkins on the field? Regardless, Vikings pass rushers Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter have to be drooling at the possibility of facing Newman or Tom at right tackle. The guess here is the Packers will be ultra-conversative with Bakhtiari given how many detours his comeback took last season. Opening the regular season on PUP means he’d miss at least the first four weeks before he’s allowed to practice. If he’s out to start the season, the Packers have to add a veteran, right?

Defensive Tackles (5)

Dean Lowry has had a strong start to camp. (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Jarran Reed, Devonte Wyatt, TJ Slaton.

Changes: None.

Toughest cut: Jonathan Ford, a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft, has passed Jack Heflin on the depth chart to become the sixth defensive tackle.

Injury concern: None.

Analysis: This is the best unit on the team and potentially one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Two of the best players on the practice field have been Reed, the veteran added in free agency, and Slaton, a fifth-round pick last year. Wyatt, the second of the team’s first-round picks, had an excellent Family Night but might be buried on the depth chart.

Outside Linebackers (6)

Preston Smith at Family Night (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Tipa Galeai, La’Darius Hamilton, Jonathan Garvin, Kingsley Enagbare.

Changes: Tipa Galeai (in), Jonathan Garvin (in), Randy Ramsey (out).

Toughest cut: None.

Injury concern: Ramsey (ankle) opened training camp on PUP, practiced for a few days, then sat out Family Night.

Analysis: We’ll let Hamilton break it down. “We know what’s going on. You’ve got Rashan and Preston. Those are the dogs. And then behind that, you’ve got a bunch of guys in pretty much a similar position. We all understand and know that we’ve got to go just slug it out for a spot.” Galeai is a No. 1 on all four special-teams units, which should help his cause. Enagbare hasn’t done anything to win a roster spot but can they risk a fifth-round pick to waivers?

Inside Linebackers (4)

De'Vondre Campbell anchors the defense following his All-Pro season. (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: De’Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, Krys Barnes, Isaiah McDuffie.

Changes: Ray Wilborn (out).

Toughest cut: Ty Summers has played a lot of snaps on special teams since being drafted in the seventh round in 2019. However, he is not a No. 1 on any of the units through nine practices.

Injury concern: None.

Analysis: The combination of Campbell, an All-Pro last year, and Walker, the first of this year’s first-round picks, could be special. They are off to great starts. Barnes was no slouch in his two years as a starter. Barnes and McDuffie are regulars on all the special teams. McDuffie is playing a lot faster than he did during last year’s training camp and preseason. He looks like a legit player.

Cornerbacks (6)

Jaire Alexander leads the cornerback corps. (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon, Shemar Jean-Charles, Rico Gafford.

Toughest cut: Kiondre Thomas.

Injury concern: Nixon is on the non-football injury list.

Analysis: With Alexander, Stokes and Douglas, the Packers might have the best trio of cornerbacks in the NFL. Douglas came out of nowhere to have an elite season but he is no one-year wonder. The depth is precarious and short on height. Without Nixon, who played in 40 games the past three seasons for the Raiders and broke up one pass, Jean-Charles has done well as the next man up. Gafford is fast and feisty. Nixon and Thomas have special teams experience.

Safeties (5)

Adrian Amos has been one of the team's top players in camp. (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Vernon Scott, Shawn Davis, Dallin Leavitt.

Change: Scott (in), Carpenter (out).

Toughest cuts: Tariq Carpenter, a seventh-round pick with a lot of promise because he’s so big and fast, and Innis Gaines, who spent last year on the practice squad and has been given some snaps in the slot, aren’t a No. 1 on any of the special-teams units.

Injury concern: None.

Analysis: Behind the top-flight starting tandem of Amos and Savage, the Packers didn’t have a single safety who played a snap of NFL defense last season until signing Leavitt just before the start of training camp. Leavitt played 249 snaps and started one game for the Raiders in 2021, when he led the team in tackles on special teams. With experience and the stamp of approval from special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, he’s pretty close to a lock to make the 53. It’s interesting that Leavitt is the only safety who’s a No. 1 on special teams.

Specialists (3)

The Packers need a healthy Mason Crosby. (USA Today Sports Images)

On the 53: K Mason Crosby, P Pat O’Donnell, LS Jack Coco.

Changes: None.

Toughest cut: None.

Injury concern: Crosby is on PUP following offseason knee surgery.

Analysis: The Packers have a veteran coordinator, veteran kicker and veteran punter but a couple unproven snappers. The coaches seemingly want to hand the job to Coco, who’s gone first just about every day at practice. Can he hold onto the gig or will general manager Brian Gutekunst make a late-camp addition? Wirtel’s punt snaps have been consistently low. With Crosby sidelined, rookie Gabe Brkic has been consistently inconsistent.