The Green Bay Packers got some unpleasant news on the injury front on Monday morning following the team’s 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 7. Two starters, one in the middle of each of the offense and defense, are likely to miss more time with injuries, though neither one is expected to be season-ending.
First up is linebacker Zaire Franklin, who was ruled out for Sunday’s game after suffering a leg injury in practice during the week. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Franklin has a hairline fracture in his leg, which explains why he was unable to play in Week 7. That injury will likely keep him out for the Packers’ Week 8 game against the Panthers on Thursday Night Football, but the team is not expected to put him on injured reserve.
On the other side of the football, it appears likely that starting center Sean Rhyan will head to IR. Rapoport is on the Rhyan injury as well, and it is believed to be a high ankle sprain. Rhyan is fortunate to have avoided any fractures, but he still could be looking at a month-plus for recovery time, which could line up with a stint on injured reserve.
Green Bay also lost backup center Jacob Monk to an injury just a few plays after Rhyan left the game, meaning John Williams had to enter the game as an emergency option. He performed admirably for the most part, and could be in line to start on Thursday against Carolina if Monk is also unavailable on a short week.
The decision not to shut Franklin down suggests that the Packers expect him to return to the field before the end of November. Had they put him on IR, he would need to sit for the next four games before being eligible to return to the active roster. Should either of these injured players actually go on injured reserve, they would be ineligible to return until the game against the New Orleans Saints in Week 13, due to the Packers’ bye coming in Week 11.