Jones Practices; Will He Play in the Packers-Giants Game?
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones had a perfect 3-for-3 practice week and could be ready to play against the New York Giants on Monday night. Jones has been out the last two games due to a sprained MCL. After injuring his knee against the Chargers and missing games against the Lions and Chiefs, Saturday’s practice was the final big test for Jones’ potential return. Will he participate? When Coach Matt LaFleur releases the final injury report after practice, he will most likely list him as questionable.
“I would say just being able to put that foot in the ground and then get up to full speed,” Jones said after Friday’s practice of when he’d know he’d be ready for game action. “The only thing you don’t know is the hit – when you’re taking a hit, you don’t know until that happens. But I feel like it’s more so when you’re running around, you have your full range of motion, you’re able to cut, put your foot in the ground the way you want to.” Assuming Saturday’s practice went off without a hitch, it will be up to Jones, the coaches and training staff to decide whether Jones will play on Monday night or wait a week and face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday at Lambeau Field. While the Packers have won their last three games, the return of Jones would provide a lift as a runner, receiver and leader.
“His dynamic playmaking ability of obviously running the ball but in the pass game, as well,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “But we’re lucky that we have AJ (Dillon). He’s done a really good job this last half of the season, just being our workhorse. He might not be flashy like Aaron Jones but he’s a guy you can just count on to come through and he’s done a good job with all that.” As is typical for the
final practice of the week, reporters only got to see the pre-practice stretch inside the Don Hutson Center. Linebacker Quay Walker (shoulder) and receiver Christian Watson (hamstring) were the only players who did not go outside for the start of practice. Dealing with a hamstring injury sustained late in the victory over the Chiefs, Watson didn’t practice this week. The question isn’t so much whether he’ll play against the Giants as it is how many games he’ll miss with his latest hamstring issue.
Walker missed all three practices this week. If Walker, who is coming off a 13-tackle game against the Chiefs, isn’t ready, Isaiah McDuffie will make his seventh start. Left guard Elgton Jenkins did not practice on Friday as he wrestles with a sore shoulder, but LaFleur said his absence was the team being cautious. Sure enough, he went out for the start of practice on Saturday. Cornerback Jaire Alexander
practiced all week for a second consecutive week, though it’s worth noting he hasn’t actually missed practice since the Wednesday before the Week 11 game against the Chargers. After missing the last four games with a shoulder injury, will this be the week he returns? That will be up to Alexander. “Especially when you’re talking about elite corners, it’s a tough one to battle,” he said. The Giants will be without three key performers on offense. One, obviously, is quarterback Daniel Jones, who is out following a season-ending torn ACL. Tight end
Darren Waller is hoping to return next week following a hamstring injury that has him on injured reserve. And right tackle Evan Neal, the seventh pick of the 2022 draft and a building block on a struggling offensive line, will miss another game with an ankle injury. Neal has played just one game over the past two months. He’s been doing rehab work but isn’t ready to go. “To be honest with you, it hurts. You
know what I’m saying?” he told reporters in New York this week. “But it’s football. Sometimes, you’ve got to play through pain, but I do want to make sure whenever I do go back out on the field, I’ll be ready. I’ll definitely have bullets in my gun to shoot with because anybody would never want to go into a war without any bullets in their gun, and that’s where I’m at.” This story will be updated after Saturday’s practice, when LaFleur reveals the final injury report. For now, here are the reports from Friday.
