Advertisement
“My legs felt good — no soreness, no pain,” said Grant, who had a nagging hamstring injury.
Grant also missed the first week of training camp because of a contract issue that led to a new four-year deal worth as much as $30 million. He said he’s eager to play Thursday in the exhibition finale against Tennessee.
It’ll be his first game action since the Packers lost 23-20 to the New York Giants in overtime in the NFC Championship game.
“It is something you want to get back in the swing, you want to get hit,” Grant said. “I want to get hit; I want to hit. So, I expect to lower my shoulder if I get that opportunity, and I expect to be hit. It’s just part of the game.”
Coach Mike McCarthy hasn’t determined the playing time for Grant yet.
“I want to get through the week of work first,” McCarthy said. “It’s his first day back. So, we’ll see how he progresses through the week.”
The Packers returned to practice Sunday with a dozen players out, and McCarthy already has ruled out six regulars from playing in the finale against Tennessee at Lambeau Field.
The defense was without six of its starters, including five players who came out of the Packers’ 27-24 win at Denver on Friday.
Cornerback Charles Woodson (knee), safety Atari Bigby (ankle), linebacker Brandon Chillar (back) and linemen Johnny Jolly (hip) and Cullen Jenkins (soreness) were held out.
McCarthy said Bigby won’t play Thursday and Woodson probably will be sidelined as well for precautionary reasons.
Linebacker A.J. Hawk also will be sidelined for the third straight game with a chest injury. Chillar, who might return to practice Monday, has been starting in Hawk’s place.
Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett is questionable to make his preseason debut after failing to pass a mandatory second day of conditioning tests, McCarthy said.
Pickett, the run-stuffing anchor of the line, hasn’t practiced since suffering a hamstring injury before training camp started.
“It’s the nature of football, man,” linebacker Brady Poppinga said. “You hit each other, somebody’s bound to get a little banged up, a little hurt. It’s the nature of the beast.”
The Packers offense under the first-year starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers also is feeling the effects of what Poppinga said is an injury bug permeating the team right now.
Center Scott Wells, rookie right guard Josh Sitton and wide receiver James Jones won’t play Thursday.
Wells is receiving treatment for a strained muscle in his lower back that has kept him out of two of the first three preseason games. Sitton and Jones have joined him in the training room after suffering knee sprains in the game Friday.
McCarthy didn’t disclose the severity of the sprains but said both players are on a “week to week” schedule for recovery.
McCarthy said Sitton and Jones are focusing on getting healthy enough for the Sept. 8 season opener against Minnesota.
“I know in talking to both young guys, they’re optimistic and said they’re going to be back,” McCarthy said.
The loss of Sitton for at least a game created more transition on what has been an unstable offensive line throughout the preseason.
The Packers’ starting five in practice Sunday were Chad Clifton at left tackle, Daryn Colledge at left guard, Jason Spitz at center, Tony Moll at right guard and Mark Tauscher at right tackle.
Despite losing Sitton to his injury in the first quarter, McCarthy was pleased how the offensive line functioned with the starters in the game for more than a half.
Rodgers was sacked only once after he absorbed four sacks in a half of action in the previous game at San Francisco.
“It’s unfortunate Josh got hurt. But, the flexibility we were looking for in this group, I think we’ve accomplished that,” McCarthy said. “We’ve just got to get those (other) guys healthy.“
Notes: McCarthy said Rodgers will play Thursday, though the Packers want to give an extended look at quarterback to rookie backups Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn for an equal amount of time. “I need to give them as many reps as possible and give them some opportunities not only in the run game but also in the passing game,” McCarthy said. “I want them both to take a step forward.” Brohm will enter the game first after Rodgers, same as the previous three games. ... S Nick Collins practiced Sunday. He suffered a neck stinger and left the game Friday two plays after Bigby sustained his game-ending ankle injury in the first half. ... McCarthy said former first round pick DT Justin Harrell was in Charlotte, N.C., getting a second opinion on a back injury that has kept him out since the start of training camp. “We’ll hopefully have some more information in the next day or so,” McCarthy said.
