The Green Bay Packers received encouraging injury updates Friday as they prepared for a Week 2 road game against the New York Jets, with two key players taking part in practice after missing or being limited last week.
Edge rusher Lukas Van Ness practiced for a third straight day while working through the concussion protocol. Left guard Aaron Banks also practiced again as he continues to manage knee tendinitis that kept him out of the season opener.
The Packers are 0-1 after a 39-22 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. They travel to MetLife Stadium on Sunday looking to even their record against a Jets team that opened 1-0.
Van Ness entered the protocol Monday after delayed symptoms from the Vikings game. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave later entered the same protocol after residual effects from that contest. Hargrave did not practice Friday after sitting Thursday as well.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported Friday: “Lukas Van Ness practicing but Javon Hargrave not would indicate [LVN] has advanced further in the concussion protocol. Aaron Banks (knee) also practicing for a third straight day. He did so last week but still didn’t play, so nothing definitive at this point. Warren Brinson (calf) still a DNP.”
Van Ness still must complete the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol to be cleared. His availability matters because Green Bay is already without star pass rusher Micah Parsons, who remains on the reserve/PUP list after tearing his ACL against Denver in December 2025 and having surgery Dec. 29.
Parsons is not eligible to return until at least Week 5 under the PUP rules and the team’s nine-month recovery standard. That has left Van Ness, a 2023 first-round pick, as a primary edge presence. He finished Week 1 with four tackles and one sack, plus three quarterback pressures and two hurries, according to Pro Football Focus.
Banks practiced limited all week after missing the opener. Coach Matt LaFleur said Friday the team still needed to evaluate him through the day’s work. Banks also practiced last week and was inactive anyway.
Green Bay’s offensive line struggled against Minnesota’s blitz-heavy scheme. The unit allowed 18 hits on quarterback Jordan Love. Backup Donovan Jennings started at left guard in Banks’ place and posted a 39.3 PFF grade, the lowest among Packers linemen in that game.
The Packers signed veteran guard Cordell Volson to the practice squad Thursday. Volson started 48 of 51 games for Cincinnati from 2022-24 before a shoulder injury cost him the 2025 season. He signed a one-year, $3.2 million deal with Tennessee in the spring but did not make the final roster.
Defensive tackle Warren Brinson has not practiced this week because of a calf injury suffered in the preseason. He missed Week 1 and is expected to sit again. Devonte Wyatt (ankle), Zach Bako-Bewele (knee), Barryn Sorrell (foot) and Ty’Ron Hopper (Achilles) were limited.
The Jets have their own issues. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin) and receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle) have been listed as unlikely to play. Edge rusher Will McDonald IV was limited with an ankle injury.
Green Bay’s thin depth on the edge and interior line makes Sunday’s designations important. The team must submit its final injury report after Friday’s practice. Game-time decisions remain possible for Van Ness and Banks.
A win would give the Packers their first victory of 2026. A loss would drop them to 0-2 before a short week.
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