The Green Bay Packers head into their Sunday showdown at Lambeau Field with a suddenly favorable set of circumstances against a banged-up Minnesota Vikings squad that has dropped its last two games.
While the Vikings are welcoming back quarterback Kirk Cousins in his familiar No. 8 jersey after a midseason trade, the rest of the injury news out of Minneapolis has tilted the field in Green Bay’s direction.
Wide receiver Jordan Addison and starting safety Josh Metellus both emerged from Friday’s practice session with new issues and are now listed as questionable for the game.
Addison has served as a consistent complementary threat alongside Justin Jefferson; any limitation on his availability would thin out the Vikings’ vertical options and force Cousins to lean even more heavily on his top target.
Metellus’ status similarly complicates Minnesota’s secondary communication on the back end.
More definitive absences already shape the matchup.
Inside linebacker Blake Cashman, who has played at an elite level under Brian Flores and earned midseason first-team All-Pro recognition from ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, will miss the contest with a concussion suffered in the Monday night loss to Buffalo.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson is also out with wrist and chest injuries that kept him from practicing all week.
Hockenson has been one of the more productive pass-catching tight ends despite inconsistent quarterback play earlier in the year, and his absence removes a size mismatch that the Packers’ linebacker group—already dealing with the season-ending loss of Edgerrin Cooper and the ongoing absence of Zaire Franklin since mid-October—would have struggled to cover.
The Vikings have further ruled out quarterback Kyler Murray (hamstring), wide receiver Jauan Jennings (calf), and defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (ankle).
Pass rusher Kyle Van Noy is questionable with a calf issue after missing the first two practices of the week.
Collectively, these absences strip Minnesota of depth on both sides of the ball at a time when the Packers can play in front of their home crowd with a healthier roster.
For Green Bay, the cumulative effect is straightforward: fewer dynamic playmakers to account for in the passing game, a less physical front seven to confront, and reduced pressure on the edges.
Cousins’ return gives the Vikings a familiar face under center, yet the supporting cast available to him on Sunday looks significantly thinner than the one that has produced mixed results this season.
At Lambeau, that gap in personnel represents a clear and timely advantage for the Packers as they look to capitalize on Minnesota’s current injury attrition.
