Packer Central

What Do Roster Moves Mean for Jordan Love, Jaire Alexander vs. Vikings?

The Green Bay Packers have huge injury questions at quarterback and cornerback ahead of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. Do Saturday’s transactions provide a clue?

Bill Huber

Green Bay Packers cornerback Robert Rochell waves to the fans during last week's win at Tennessee.
Green Bay Packers cornerback Robert Rochell waves to the fans during last week's win at Tennessee. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers on Saturday elevated two cornerbacks to the roster for their big NFC North showdown against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Lambeau Field?

What do Saturday’s transactions mean for the availability of quarterback Jordan Love and cornerback Jaire Alexander?

Not Elevated: QB Sean Clifford

The last two weeks, the Packers elevated Sean Clifford from the practice squad and Jordan Love was inactive because of the knee injury sustained against the Eagles.

Not this week. Clifford was not elevated. That means Love, three weeks and two days after going down in Brazil, will be back in the lineup to face the vaunted Vikings defense.

“I’m trying to push it and I’ve been trying to get back as fast as I can, no matter who the opponent was,” Love said this week. “But definitely, you look at this week and NFC North opponent, 3-0 team, really good team, so definitely it would mean a lot to get back and push myself to get back for this game.”

Two weeks ago, the Packers introduced the defense for their home opener against the Colts. On Sunday, it will be the offense’s turn.

“It would be special,” Love said. “It would be my first home game here in Lambeau, playing. It would definitely mean a lot. It was tough to watch, obviously, the Colts game from the sideline but it’s part of it, part of the injury process and playing the game, so if I’m ready to go, I’m definitely going to be very excited, very ready.”

Elevated: CB Robert Rochell

Carrington Valentine didn’t practice on Friday and is doubtful on the injury report, so he’ll almost certainly miss a second consecutive game with an ankle injury.

Moreover, top cornerback Jaire Alexander was limited to start the practice week with an injured quad. Compounded by an injured groin, Alexander didn’t practice on Friday and is questionable on the injury report. He could be a game-time decision for a potential individual matchup against All-Pro Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson.

“Yeah, that’s a concern, for sure,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Sunday. “Anytime a guy doesn’t practice, it’s definitely concerning.”

With only Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine and Keisean Nixon healthy at cornerback, the Packers elevated Robert Rochell from the practice squad for a second consecutive week.

Rochell was a fourth-round pick by the Rams in 2021. He started five games and intercepted one pass to help them win the Super Bowl.

The Packers grabbed him off Carolina’s practice squad in late October last year, when Eric Stokes was placed on injured reserve and Alexander was dealing with an injured back. In nine games, he didn’t play on defense but recorded four tackles on special teams.

The Packers re-signed him to a one-year contract in free agency. With Alexander and Stokes staying healthy through training camp, Rochell lost out on his bid for a roster spot to Corey Ballentine.

Elevated: CB Kamal Hadden

With the injuries in the defensive backfield, the Packers also elevated Kamal Hadden. He was the choice over Kalen King, a seventh-round pick by the Packers this year.

Hadden was a sixth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in this year’s draft.

Hadden has excellent size at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds with 4.57 speed in the 40. At the University of Tennessee in 2023, he paced the Volunteers with three interceptions and 11 passes defensed even while missing the final six games with a shoulder injury.

According to PFF, 125 corners in this draft class played at least 250 coverage snaps. Because of the injury, he just missed the cutoff. Had he played enough snaps, he would have ranked third in completion percentage allowed (36.4), first in passer rating allowed (7.0) and ninth in forced-incompletion percentage. He did not allow a touchdown.

Hadden played only 22 snaps in the preseason. With eight coverage snaps, PFF charged him with one completion (one target) and 22 yards.

Teams can elevate only two players to their gameday roster, so they couldn’t elevate Clifford, Rochell and Hadden.

 

More Green Bay Packers News

Packers-Vikings: Reasons why they’ll lose | Packers-Vikings: Reasons why they’ll win | Packers-Vikings Friday injury report | NFC North power rankings | Mark Bavaro? Yes, Mark Bavaro | Xavier McKinney worth every penny | Jordan Love limited, with a twist | Grab an aspirin | “New” player on practice squad | A lot of love for Aaron Jones | 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

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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.