Packer Central

Packers-Vikings Thursday Injury Report: Jordan Love Practices, With a Twist

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love practiced again on Thursday as the team continues to get ready for Sunday’s showdown against the Minnesota Vikings.

Bill Huber

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love passes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during theier game on Oct. 29.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love passes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during theier game on Oct. 29. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With a huge NFC North game against the Minnesota Vikings looming on Sunday, injured Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love practiced on Thursday.

But there’s a twist.

Reporters got to watch about 10 minutes of Thursday’s practice. On Wednesday, Love took a heavier workload during the brief media viewing window than he did last week. That included taking two out of every four reps during a drill featuring quarterbacks and running backs.

On Thursday, he sat out that drill entirely. Malik Willis took all the snaps with top running back Josh Jacobs.

“That’s because he was limited (participation),” coach Matt LaFleur said.

What did Love do? He threw passes to the backs and tight ends during a ball-security drill. After talking to a trainer during the aforementioned quarterbacks-running backs period, he took his usual workload for a couple minutes during a routes-on-air period before reporters had to leave practice.

From a footwork perspective, the drill that Love sat out is much more taxing than the periods in which he participated.

Officially, Love was limited participation on Wednesday. After that practice, Love agreed that he was “less limited” than he was last week.

“Yeah, we’re building it up, for sure,” he said after practice. “It’s kind of just based on how I’m feeling and basing off of practice today, how I’m feeling, and going from there.”

Love suffered a sprained MCL during the final seconds of the Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil. Friday will mark exactly three weeks since the injury.

Love did not practice before the Week 2 victory over the Indianapolis Colts and was limited participation all week before the Week 3 victory over the Tennessee Titans but was inactive for both games.

“I was pretty close” to playing, Love said. “I was pushing it all week, trying to get myself ready but, at the end of the week, we just determined I wasn’t where I wanted to be.”

Last week’s practices – including an on-field workout before the Tennessee game – seemed to have set the stage for Love being where he wants to be, which is back in the starting lineup.

“I feel like I’m getting better every day, moving around, getting out there practicing and feeling better,” he said. That judgment “comes down to running in practice, doing the drill work in practice, things like that, and just having a feel for my body.”

Without Love, the Packers beat the Colts and Titans behind Willis, who broke a 100-year-old record in beating his former team.

Among quarterbacks with 30 passing attempts, Willis is No. 2 with a 122.7 passer rating and No. 1 with 9.5 yards per attempt. Among all players with at least 12 rushing attempts, Willis is second with 9.5 yards per carry.

Willis was excellent on third down, made plays with his arm and his legs, and didn’t get close to turning over the ball in lifting the Packers’ record to 2-1.

“I think just able to find those completions, move the ball down the field,” Love said when asked about what had impressed him about Willis. “Besides penalties, we haven’t really had a lot of negative plays. So, he’s getting the ball out, he’s not taking any sacks. He’s just avoiding those negative plays, which is able to keep the offense moving. And he’s made some big-time throws, he’s made some big-time scrambles. 

“He’s played at a really high level so far.”

Willis’ run might end on Sunday, with Love seemingly on track to be back in the starting lineup.

As was the case on Wednesday, only first-round offensive lineman Jordan Morgan was not on the field for the start of practice. He is working his way back from a shoulder injury.

Tight end Tucker Kraft, even while wearing a no-contact red jersey for a padded practice, was listed as full participation.

For the Vikings, starting receiver Jordan Addison, who missed the last two games with an ankle injury, was back at practice on Wednesday and practiced again on Thursday.

Packers Thursday Injury Report

Did not participate:  G/T Jordan Morgan (shoulder).

Limited participation: CB Jaire Alexander (quad), DT Kenny Clark (toe), QB Jordan Love (knee), TE Luke Musgrave (quad), WR Jayden Reed (calf/quad), RT CB Carrington Valentine (ankle), DT Devonte Wyatt (shoulder).

Full: LG Elgton Jenkins (rest), TE Tucker Kraft (shoulder), C Josh Myers (shoulder), Zach Tom (quad).

Vikings Thursday Injury Report

Did not participate: DL Jonathan Bullard (knee), LT Christian Darrisaw (illness), LB Ivan Pace (ankle), S Jay Ward (knee).

Limited: WR Jordan Addison (ankle), C Garrett Bradbury (ankle), LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (knee), TE Josh Oliver (wrist).

Full: QB Sam Darnold (knee), OLB Dallas Turner (knee).

More Green Bay Packers News

Grab an aspirin | “New” player on practice squad | A lot of love for Aaron Jones | Jordan Love seemingly trending toward playing | Vikings’ Brian Flores raves about Matt LaFleur | Aaron Jones says thank you | Packers and penalties: Do they matter? | How to watch and what to watch | Packers-Vikings matchups | Consensus NFL Power Rankings | Matt LaFleur’s coaching greatness

Published |Modified
Bill Huber

BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packer Central, 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.