| Packers' Charles Woodson will miss about six weeks after suffering a broken collarbone in the win against the Rams. (US Presswire) |
Veteran CB Charles Woodson has a broken collarbone and will miss about six weeks, coach Mike McCarthy confirmed Monday afternoon.
Woodson suffered the injury in Sunday’s 30-20 win over the Rams, a game in which the Packers were playing without four defensive starters. Woodson appeared to hurt his shoulder late in the fourth quarter, but stayed in the game the rest of the series. He wasn’t on the field on the Rams’ final possession, but neither Woodson nor the Packers mentioned the injury after the game.
“Just talking with Charles this morning, he was a little nervous about it last night,” McCarthy said. “He let it go through the evening and then this morning he came in and x-rayed it, and that’s when we got the news.”
McCarthy said he was told about the injury during a staff meeting on Monday. The Packers will not place the eight-time Pro Bowler on injured reserve, he said, because they expect he will be able to return this season.
“That’s the hope,” McCarthy said. “We’re going to give him that opportunity for sure.”
According to CBSSports.com NFL insider Mike Freeman, a source said Woodson believes he can come back sooner than six weeks.
In the meantime, the Packers will carry just 52 players on their active roster. They cannot place Woodson on the injured reserve/designated to return list because they used that spot on RB Cedric Benson after Benson hurt his foot in Week 5 at Indianapolis.
McCarthy said Woodson hurt the same collarbone he broke in Super Bowl XLV, when he had to leave the game, but indicated the current injury was “not as significant” as that one.
“If you've seen the play, it was a very similar action as he experienced in the Super Bowl,” McCarthy said.
Woodson sustained the injury Sunday when he dove at Rams WR Brandon Gibson, who’d caught a third-down pass with less than three minutes remaining. Woodson rolled around on the ground briefly, before getting up and clutching his shoulder. He stayed in on the subsequent fourth-down play, but did not return to the field for the Rams’ final offensive drive.
The Packers defense has been decimated by injuries the past few weeks. They were already playing without NT B.J. Raji (ankle), OLB Nick Perry (knee), CB Sam Shields (shin) and ILB D.J. Smith (knee), who was placed on IR last week. McCarthy was asked about the next man up mantra the Packers so often reference when asked about reserves replacing starters.
“It's a bigger challenge,” McCarthy said. “We're talking about Charles Woodson. This has been a hard couple weeks for us.
“But the reality is we fully expect and will plan for the next individuals to step up and continue to play better defense. That’s our goal every week, regardless of how we line up.”
McCarthy said he expects the backups will step in, the defense will continue to grow and nothing will change. The Packers already were going to be counting on young players gaining on-the-job experience as the season went along, and now they will just have to learn faster and be ready sooner.
The Packers have several options for replacing the versatile Woodson, who played safety in the 3-4 base defense and slot cornerback in sub packages, while also blitzing and playing as an independent, instinctual ballhawk.
Rookie S Jerron McMillian could bring a physical, hard-hitting style to the base defense. Second-year S M.D. Jennings has range and can cover deep. And rookie CB Casey Hayward has already shown Woodson-like traits playing in the slot, with four interceptions in the last three games.
Woodson, 36, the 2009 NFL Defensive Players of the Year, has 55 career interceptions, second-most among active players. This season, he has 38 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and 1.5 sacks. He’d played 95.9 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps this season, missing just 21, according to ESPN Stats.
Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.