Packers Center Josh Myers Might Face Lions With One Healthy Hand

Center Josh Myers didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday due to an injured left wrist that has severely impacted mundane tasks.

Green Bay Packers center Josh Myers vs. the Arizona Cardinals / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – First, Josh Myers put on his socks with one hand. Next, it was his shoes.

The Green Bay Packers’ center didn’t practice on Wednesday and Thursday due to an injured wrist, and his status is in question for Sunday’s NFC North showdown against the Detroit Lions.

“It’s just going to depend on how I feel these next couple of days, whether or not I feel like I can do it,” Myers said. “I think the big thing for me is I’ve just got to make sure I’m not going to hurt the team by playing. So, I just have to answer that question, essentially.”

Fortunately, Myers is right-handed and the injury is to his left wrist. Unfortunately for Myers, blocking isn’t a one-handed thing.

“It’s hard, that’s for sure,” Myers said. “Just have to be great with my feet, have to be great with my right hand. If I play, I’m going to have to throw my left, too, and be able to land it. So, just going to have to find a way.”

Myers said it was “absolutely” possible he could play with a club to protect the injury, though that would do nothing to help him deal with the pain of slamming it into Lions defenders over the course of three hours.

Myers was able to “grit his teeth” and continue playing after sustaining the injury last week. Can he do it for 60 or 70 plays on Sunday, with first place in the NFC North on the line?

“I’m taking it day by day,” he said. “It’s hard to say. We’re going to do everything I can, though, I can guarantee that.”

While coach Matt LaFleur said he’d give Myers “up to gametime” to get ready, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich thought it would be important for Myers to practice on Friday just so he’d “feel confident” in his ability to perform in the game.

“You just got to gut it out,” Stenavich said when asked how a lineman can get through a game with one functional hand.

“It’s one of those things, it’s been done before. Guys have played through broken hands or things like that, sprained whatever. You’ve just got to get it done. There’s really no other explanation than that. Do a better job with your other hand, move your feet better, all those things. He’s one of those guys who will just go out there and prove it.”

If Myers can’t play, the Packers probably would move left guard Elgton Jenkins to center, slide right guard Sean Rhyan over to left guard and insert rookie Jordan Morgan at right guard.

“I don’t think so, for real,” Jenkins said of the transition to center. “You’ve got to go out there and do your job. It’s not like something that I haven’t played before, so being able to go out there, communicate, get everybody on the same page. I’m familiar with the offense, so it’s really just the fundamentals and things like that.”

A second-round pick in 2021 and the first center selected in that draft class, Myers has developed into a steady and reliable player. According to Sports Info Solutions, he allowed three sacks and had 28 blown blocks (15 pass, 13 run) in 2023. In eight games this season, he has allowed zero sacks and just three blown blocks (one pass, two run).

“His availability has been huge for us (and) the continuity up front,” LaFleur said. “He’s the guy kind of driving the ship up front, making all the calls. He’s battled through a lot – obviously, he battled through a lot off the field, but also on the field. And his ability to get ready each week for us and his availability has been pretty impressive. He’s one of those guys that’s kind of like the heart and soul of the team.”

Myers managed to smile for a second when the “heart and soul” line was relayed to him.

“I really appreciate that,” Myers said. “I’d like to think he meant that I just leave it all out there every time and really prided myself on that throughout my career.”

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