The Green Bay Packers are struggling to stay afloat in a season that they were supposed to establish themselves as Super Bowl contenders. While the defense has been dominant for most of the year, the offense has consistently faltered in big moments.
Heading into a Week 12 divisional matchup against the Minnesota Vikings that has suddenly become crucial to Green Bay's mission to hold off the Detroit Lions, the status of star running back Josh Jacobs is up in the air. The Pro Bowl back injured his knee early in the Packers' game against the New York Giants last weekend.
As they enter the final stretch of the season, the Packers need their star running back to be as healthy as possible. According to a recent update, things are trending in the right direction.
Josh Jacobs gives the injury update Packers fans have been hoping for
According to ESPN NFL reporter Rob Demovsky, "Jacobs said he banged his knee on the second play of Sunday's game. It swelled up fast and couldn't bend it, which is why he dropped out. At this point, it's not a pain issue but needs to get his range of motion back. Doesn't think that will take long."
The Athletic's Matt Schneidman added that even if he misses this game, Jacobs is "adamant" he will play against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
When fans see that a star player suffered a knee injury, we often expect the worst. In this case, it looks like Jacobs has avoided being sidelined for any significant time and should be back on the field soon. Demovsky also reported that the running back participated in individual drills during practice on Thursday. Jacobs did not practice in any capacity on Wednesday.
It's still unknown whether Jacobs will play this weekend. It would be surprising if he were able to make a full recovery from a knee injury in under a week, but he's showing signs of progress. Having a full range of motion is a necessity for a running back, so there's no reason to push him to play before he's fully healthy. Especially with the playoffs coming up soon, the Packers should ensure that he doesn't reaggravate this injury.
If he misses the game against the Vikings, backup Emanuel Wilson will take his place in the starting lineup. Wilson proved in the second half of the Week 11 game against the Giants that he is capable of carrying a full workload while Jacobs is off the field. If the starter is out, he'll have a tough task ahead of him facing the Vikings' defense.