The Green Bay Packers are beginning to get worried about the availability of some key offensive players. They have been missing running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Christian Watson from both days of practice to start the week.
Both players were again absent on Thursday according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Jones is dealing with a hamstring injury that was suffered at the end of his 35-yard catch and run for a touchdown in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. Watson missed Week 1 because of a hamstring injury that was suffered before the league-mandated three days off between the end of training camp and the beginning of regular season practices.
While certainly a concerning development, it likely isn’t one that the Packers are surprised by. Last week, head coach Matt LaFleur said that Watson was in a week-to-week situation, which insinuated that he could miss multiple games. But, Watson has said that a trip to the IR was never discussed.
An encouraging update was provided by the Packers earlier this week on Jones. LaFleur said he was able to jog off of the field last weekend and they could just be taking the cautious approach with him. They are planning to give him the entire week of practice to get right in hopes of being on the field Sunday afternoon.
If Watson is unable to go again, it is fair to assume the Packers would use a similar wide receiver rotation against the Falcons as they did against the Bears. Romeo Doubs has been working through a hamstring injury of his own but has become Jordan Love’s go-to target. Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath and Samori Toure were all part of the game plan.
In the backfield, AJ Dillon would likely assume an every-down role in the absence of Jones. Patrick Taylor received some burn at the end of the blowout, but this would be Dillons’ backfield. Training camp star Emanuel Wilson would likely be active as someone who could chip in and help with early-down work if need be.
