Packers-Cardinals Inactives: Christian Watson, Jaire Alexander Return

The Green Bay Packers will get a big boost for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals with the return of cornerback Jaire Alexander and receiver Jaire Alexander.
Injured on this play against the Vikings, Packers receiver Christian Watson will play against the Cardinals.
Injured on this play against the Vikings, Packers receiver Christian Watson will play against the Cardinals. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – As expected, cornerback Jaire Alexander is back in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. In a bit of a surprise, he’ll be joined by receiver Christian Watson.

There’s only one injury-related absence for the Packers, with defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (ankle) out for a second consecutive game.

The Packers’ inactives:

Defensive tackle: Devonte Wyatt.

Safety Kitan Oladapo.

Defensive end Brenton Cox.

Offensive tackles Andre Dillard and Travis Glover.

Tight end John Fitzpatrick.

The Packers listed five players as questionable: Watson, Alexander, left tackle Rasheed Walker, offensive lineman Jordan Morgan and defensive end Arron Mosby. All five of them will play.

Alexander missed the last two games with a groin injury but practiced all week and said on Friday that he expected to play.

Watson missed last week’s game with the ankle injury sustained earlier the week before against the Vikings. He was limited participation all week. Rather than using the week of practices to get him ready for next week, he will play on Sunday.

“Until it gets to that point and I’m able to go or not go, I’m going to say I’m 100 percent confident,” he said on Wednesday. “That’s just kind of the mentality I feel like I have to have going into it, or I’m not going to get to where I want to be. But I feel like I’ve progressed pretty fluidly the past week-and-a-half, so I’m definitely optimistic about being able to go on Sunday.”

The key to getting himself ready?

“I think it would really just be to not have any setbacks,” he said. “I feel like I’m good in terms of where I’m at in the progression I’m looking at having over next couple of days. As long as I don’t have any setbacks, knock on wood, I think I’ll be all right. That’s why I’m so confident about it.”

With the return of Romeo Doubs from a suspension, the receiver corps is at full strength.

Walker popped up on the injury report on Friday and was questionable with a knee, but a source on Saturday that he’d be good to go. He hasn’t let his man touch the quarterback since Week 1.

Morgan, the team’s first-round pick, missed the last three games with a shoulder injury sustained in Week 2 against the Colts. It will be interesting to see if he rotates with Sean Rhyan at right guard.

Even with Mosby banged up, Cox is inactive again.

For the Cardinals, their key inactive is kicker Matt Prater. Chad Ryland will kick for a second consecutive week.

Right tackle Kelvin Beachum, who is starting in place of injured Jonah Williams, is active after dealing with a hamstring injury this week. He was questionable, as was nickel corner Garrett Williams, who also will play.

More Green Bay Packers News

Josh Jacobs’ bizarre NFL record | Three reasons why Packers will lose to Cardinals | Three reasons why Packers will beat Cardinals | These teams excel at big plays | Packers-Cardinals Friday injury report | Romeo Doubs speaks | NFC North power rankings | A lot of options in the secondary | Packers-Cardinals keys to the game | Packers-Cardinals game preview | Christian Watson on Romeo Doubs | Packers-Cardinals: What you need to know | NFC North is best division | On SI NFL Power Rankings | Packers-Cardinals matchups 


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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.