GREEN BAY, Wis. – What was coach Matt LaFleur looking to get out of the Green Bay Packers’ bye week?
“It’s called health,” LaFleur said a couple days after his team limped out of Dallas following a 40-40 tie against the Cowboys.
“That is the big thing,” he added. “We’ve got to get these guys their bodies back, and then we also understand that it’s going to be a long haul after the bye.”
We’ll see how long into the “long haul” the Packers stay healthy, but they came back from their bye on Monday with a mostly healthy roster.
The only players who didn’t practice inside the Don Hutson Center on a rainy Monday were defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (knee) and offensive tackle Anthony Belton (ankle). Wyatt initially suffered his knee injury during the Week 3 loss at Cleveland, then lasted only 13 snaps during Week 4 tie against the Cowboys. Belton was injured at practice before the Dallas game and was inactive.
Five players returned to practice.
WR Christian Watson: Nine months and one day after suffering a torn ACL in the final game of the 2024 regular season, Watson returned to practice. He opened the season on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he had to sit out the first four weeks.
With the four weeks behind him, the Packers opened his 21-day practice window. At the end of that period, the Packers must add him to the active roster or place him back on injured reserve.
“I’d say the only hurdle really is just getting live reps and getting back into everything,” Watson said after practice. “Just knocking the rust off, getting back into full football mode, live bullets.”
G/C Jacob Monk: The second-year lineman suffered a hamstring injury late in training camp and opened the regular season on injured reserve. As was the case with Watson and PUP, starting the season on injured reserve meant Monk was sidelined for the first four weeks of the regular season.
Monk said he was doing “great.”
Over the past month, he said, he was, “Just doing what I can to stay in shape, stay ready, stay in the playbook and stay focused. Trying to get back as fast as I could.”
RT Zach Tom: Green Bay’s best offensive lineman has played the eighth-most snaps on the unit. He suffered an oblique injury during the second half of the Week 1 game against Detroit, was inactive on a short week against Washington in Week 2, then made it through only one play in Week 3 at Cleveland. He was inactive at Dallas.
Tom started every game each of the past two seasons and was on the sideline for just 43 of a possible 2,180 snaps during that span. This year, he’s played in 31 of 264, or 11.7 percent.
LG Aaron Banks: The Packers’ big free-agent addition suffered a groin injury late in the season-opening win over Detroit. He was inactive for Week 2, played the first half in Week 3 and was inactive again in Week 4, meaning he’s played just 73 snaps. That’s 27.7 percent of the offensive snaps.
CB Nate Hobbs: Missed the end of the Dallas game with a concussion. The team’s other big free-agent addition, Hobbs missed most of training camp following knee surgery and has played in 126 of 271 snaps on defense, or 46.5 percent.
With the returns of Tom, Banks and Monk, it helps lessen the blow of losing undrafted rookie offensive tackle Brant Banks. Banks was promoted from the practice squad for the Dallas game. The Packers released him a few days after the game, and he was claimed off waivers by the Titans.
The Packers will practice again on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before hosting the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Bengals, of course, will line up without star quarterback Joe Burrow.
Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (32) takes a handoff during training camp. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With Christian Watson off the physically unable to perform list and Jacob Monk off injured reserve, six players remain on injured lists.
Injured Reserve
WR Jayden Reed (collarbone, foot) was placed on injured reserve after Week 2. He suffered a broken collarbone early in Week 2 vs. Washington.
RB MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve at the end of training camp after sustaining the injury during the second preseason game at Indianapolis. He’s played in one game since being a third-round draft picks last year.
DE Brenton Cox (groin) was placed on injured reserve after Week 1. He was injured in the opener against the Lions.
OT Travis Glover (shoulder). Glover is out for the season.
PUP
DE Collin Oliver (hamstring). The fifth-round pick has not practiced since the rookie camp.
OL John Williams (back). The seventh-round pick has not practiced since being drafted.
