Despite having to put running back Noah Herron on injured reserve Sunday, the Packers took a turn for the better in the health department with the return to practice of several key performers.
Running backs Brandon Jackson and Vernand Morency, wide receiver Donald Driver, guard Jason Spitz and defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila all participated in the opening jog-through portion of practice on Sunday afternoon, keeping them on track potentially to be available for next Sunday's season opener against Philadelphia.
Morency and Driver were both limited in their work, and the practice was in shorts and jerseys (no pads), so it's difficult to say whether either would have participated in contact drills. More will be known about their status when the team practices in full pads on Monday. Jackson, Spitz and Gbaja-Biamila did not appear to be limited.
Seeing the running backs on the field was perhaps the most positive sign, in light of Herron's knee injury from the preseason finale against Tennessee being more serious than initially thought. General Manager Ted Thompson said an arthroscopic procedure was performed on the knee Saturday, and it didn't appear Herron would be healthy enough to play prior to the bye in Week 7, so the difficult decision to place him on injured reserve was made.
"It was not an easy decision," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. "Especially for the type of individual Noah is, how he's contributed to this organization on and off the field in the short time that he's been here. I can't say enough about him and the way he goes about his business. He was definitely going to be a contributor this year."
Jackson, who missed last week's game with a mild concussion and hadn't practiced in a week, got through the entire workout and is confident he'll be ready to start against the Eagles.
"I'm healthy and everything's good," said Jackson, who had 40 carries for 131 yards in the first three preseason games. "I was sharp today, played fast, and not much error. I feel great. Hopefully I can be the guy to start. It's up to coach, but I'm going to do everything in my power to start."
Morency is doing everything he can to get ready as well, though his situation is different because he hasn't practiced since July 28, the first training camp practice, with a knee injury.
He said he considered going through the opening stages of practice "another step" in his rehab, and he'll need to take another this week to be back in practice full-time.
There is the question of getting into "game shape," having missed so much time, but McCarthy said if Morency is ready to play on Sunday, he'll be used sparingly, perhaps in Herron's role as a third-down back, until he's able to handle a larger workload.
"When he does play I won't look for him to play every snap," McCarthy said. "We'll use him as a role player and be smart with him. I'm not concerned about (his conditioning)."
{sportsad300}The backfield also got one of two reinforcements on the field Sunday. Ryan Grant, acquired from the New York Giants in a trade for a draft pick on Saturday, practiced and will have four more workouts to get up to speed in the offense.
Grant also had extensive special teams experience with the Giants, so he could be available for that type of duty against the Eagles if nothing else.
"Hopefully it's not that much of a crash course, because I feel I can pick up things pretty quickly," Grant said.
The other addition to the backfield, fullback John Kuhn, was claimed on waivers from Pittsburgh and was expected to practice on Monday.
Driver's sprained foot, sustained in the third preseason game on Aug. 23, continues to improve and the Pro Bowl wide receiver appeared to run routes Sunday without difficulty. McCarthy said Driver would be limited in practice all week, and a decision on his playing status would be made at the end of the week.
Driver said last week he fully expected to be able to play against Philadelphia, and McCarthy said Sunday he remains optimistic.
Spitz sat out last week with a strained calf muscle and did not play in the preseason finale at Tennessee. He was being held out mostly as a precaution, and his return to full duty was expected.
Gbaja-Biamila missed the last two preseason games with a bruised knee but appeared fully healthy on Sunday. Fellow backup defensive end Michael Montgomery won't be recovered from his knee injury for perhaps several weeks yet, so if 'KGB' is ready to go, he will resume his third-down pass-rush role and second-year pro Jason Hunter will also be available behind starters Aaron Kampman and Cullen Jenkins for the opener.
