Pack WR situation still murky 2 days before game
Rob Ninkovich picks the Packers over the Raiders as long as they can stop the run and force QB Derrek Carr to throw. (1:11)
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The best hope for any of the Green Bay Packers‘ top three receivers to play Sunday rests with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and he’s dealing with a pair of injuries.
Davante Adams won’t go for the third straight week because of turf toe, and Geronimo Allison remained in the concussion protocol and was listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders.
That leaves Valdes-Scantling, who did not practice all week but held out hope that his left knee and left ankle injuries would made significant improvements before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Lambeau Field.
Otherwise, barring a late roster move, the Packers’ receiver group will have three former undrafted free agents (Allen Lazard, Jake Kumerow and Darrius Shepherd) with a combined 18 career NFL catches, plus a veteran signed off the street this week (Ryan Grant) who has never played in a game with Aaron Rodgers.
Valdes-Scantling is listed as questionable on the injury report. When asked Friday which injury was bothering him more, he said, “Both.”
Valdes-Scantling returned to Monday night’s game against the Detroit Lions after his second-quarter injury and made a 46-yard catch in the fourth quarter of the Packers’ comeback win. When asked how he returned, he said, “Adrenaline is a great drug.”
He walked through the locker room on Friday with his left ankle wrapped and a small electronic stim machine attached to his knee.
“I was really, really proud of him how he battled and stayed in the game and showed some toughness, because we needed him,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “And he definitely provided a huge spark on that catch.”
For Adams, the hope is that he can return for next Sunday’s prime-time game at the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Next week’s not out of the question,” Adams said Thursday. “It’s going to be day to day.”
Last week, Adams said his turf toe “doesn’t feel how I want it to feel,” but on Thursday, he said it feels “a million times better.”
The Packers also could be short-handed at tight end, although Jimmy Graham (ankle) returned to practice Friday and was removed from the injury report. However, fellow tight end Robert Tonyan (hip) was listed as doubtful.
Lazard was the hero of Monday night’s win over the Lions with four catches for 65 yards — all in the fourth quarter — including his first NFL touchdown. That came after Shepherd dropped a pass near the goal line that ricocheted off his hands and was intercepted.
Grant signed with the Packers on Wednesday and went through a crash course in the offense.
“It’s been a grind,” said the sixth-year veteran with 123 catches for three different teams. “Really just been honing in on the plays and trying to learn as much as I can for this weekend and just taking it a day at a time and trying to learn as much as possible to help us on Sunday.”