Packers: Oren Burks suffers torn pectoral muscle, per report

The Green Bay Packers could be without Oren Burks for a while.

Burks left the Packers‘ preseason opener in the first quarter due to an injury and missed Saturday’s practice.

It was initially reported that Burks was out with a chest injury, but Rob Demovsky of ESPN has reported that it is believed Burks has a torn pectoral muscle. Demovsky also noted that the Packers have more tests scheduled.

If the injury is indeed a torn pectoral muscle, that is bad news for both Burks and the Packers, and one has to imagine it would keep him out of action for a significant amount of time.

Burks dealt with a shoulder injury in his rookie season, and he continues to have awful injury luck.

Had Burks been healthy, he was set to start at inside linebacker alongside Blake Martinez. If he is out for the start of the regular season, it could be rookie Ty Summers who takes his place. Summers impressed in the preseason opener with a team-high 10 tackles.

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine may turn to Summers, James Crawford or Curtis Bolton to start, but it’s also possible safeties Raven Greene and Josh Jones could line up at linebacker.

According to Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com, Bolton started with Martinez in the first team period during Saturday’s practice. Bolton played well in Thursday’s preseason victory against the Houston Texans, finishing with two tackles and a pass defense.

The hope is that Burks’ injury isn’t significant and he’ll be able to return in time for the Packers’ regular season opener in just under four weeks. But that looks to be unlikely, and being placed on injured reserve has to be a possibility for the second-year player.

Let’s hope the injury isn’t as serious as the Packers believe it is, and that Burks can return at some point this season.