| Could OLB Clay Matthews return for this Sunday's game against the Lions? Coach Mike McCarthy refused to discount the possibility on Monday, but it would be best to double check later in the week when the Packers' official injury reports are released. (US Presswire) |
Depending upon how much you want to read into Packers coach Mike McCarthy’s deflected answers to questions about OLB Clay Matthews on Monday, there could be reason for optimism.
McCarthy didn’t provide injury updates on any players except for RT Bryan Bulaga and OLB Nick Perry, both of whom were placed on injured reserve Monday. But he was asked multiple times about Matthews, who’s had a history of hamstring problems, and the depleted outside linebacker position.
Initially, McCarthy, who doesn’t have to provide an injury list until Wednesday, responded with the company line. “We’ll get into that Wednesday,” he said, adding that the medical staff was going to put Matthews through “some tougher rehab” later in the day and see how he responded on Tuesday. “Wednesday’s evaluation will give us a better look at all those injuries.”
A week ago, when the team began its bye, McCarthy tossed out “a couple weeks” as an estimate for how long Matthews would be out with the hamstring injury suffered in the Packers’ Week 9 victory over the Cardinals. But when the coach was asked about the possibility of Matthews suiting up to play this Sunday at Detroit, McCarthy, whether genuinely uncertain or simply exasperated, did not rule him out.
“I’m not a doctor and I don’t want to act like one, either,” McCarthy said. “We’ll see what happens. Let’s see how he responds to rehab today and tomorrow. I don’t know exactly where Clay is, but we have four (outside linebackers now), and when Clay comes back, we’ll have five.”
The Packers boosted their outside linebacker corps on Monday when they signed Vic So’oto, who’d been released Nov. 6 by Oakland after playing four games with the Raiders. So’oto made the Packers 53-man roster in 2011 as an undrafted free agent and played seven games in Green Bay. But he suffered an ankle injury in training camp this year, was placed on IR and agreed to an injury settlement.
So’oto joins veteran Erik Walden, undrafted rookie Dezman Moses and Frank Zombo, who was recently activated to the roster after opening the season on the physically unable to perform list.
Perry, who hurt his wrist in the season opener, had surgery recently to repair the damage. McCarthy said Monday the injury was worse than the team originally thought and the decision to shut Perry down was made with the rookie’s future in mind.
“It (was) something he was actually working through and playing with," McCarthy said. "It really continued to bother him so we went with the second opinion and we felt this was the best route for him because, especially being such a young man, you’re dealing with a wrist. It is intricate as far as the number of different bones in there.
“That’s why we took the path that we did with Nick. So it’s obviously in his best, long-term interest.”
Other injury news: WR Jordy Nelson (hamstring), TE Andrew Quarless (knee), DE Jerel Worthy (concussion) and CB Sam Shields (ankle) all practiced on Monday. FB John Kuhn (hamstring), WR Greg Jennings (groin/abdomen) and DE Mike Neal did not participate. Neal has battled an ankle injury of late, but he played against Arizona and it’s unknown if that’s what was ailing him.
T Derek Sherrod, who began the season on PUP, practiced for the first time on Monday. The Packers have a three-week window, which started last week, to evaluate Sherrod and decide if they want to activate him or place him on IR.
Bishop excited about young players: ILB Desmond Bishop’s season ended in the preseason opener after he sustained a severe hamstring injury and was placed on IR. On Monday, he met with reporters and said his rehab from surgery was going well.
“I foresee me being close to 100 percent, I would say, February-ish,” Bishop said. “I’m just focused on positive energy to get this leg right and get back to regular form, or even better actually.”
Bishop, who won his starting spot in 2010 when veteran Nick Barnett went on IR with a wrist injury, said he was impressed with how the young players behind him had stepped up similarly. Second-year man D.J. Smith replaced Bishop and played well until suffering a knee injury that put him on IR. Now, it’s Brad Jones manning the ILB position.
“It’s part of the game. It happens all the time where someone goes down and someone has to step up,” Bishop said. “I’m excited about the guys who are getting opportunities because that’s the same way I came up. It’s fun to watch.”
Quarless feels good: Quarless said Monday that the three weeks of practice he got after coming off the PUP list was “really important” in helping him re-acclimate to playing football after being out 10 months with a serious knee injury.
“Just getting out there, getting to react, getting people in front of me, hitting people. Everything that comes with football, I think those three weeks of practice were a great deal of help,” Quarless said. “Today was my first official active practice, it felt great. I was into it.”
With Quarless activated from PUP last week, the Packers now have five tight ends on the roster, the same number they had last year. Quarless said he doesn’t foresee a logjam problem at the position.
“I just try to get in where I fit in,” he said. “I just work my craft every day, wherever they need me, I’m there. I feel ready. I felt ready at the beginning of the season, but I wasn’t practicing. I remember saying I was ready, but now having three weeks of practice, I can stand here and really mean it, have something to back it up.”
Just stomp it: Since the beginning, G/C Evan Dietrich-Smith has downplayed it. He’s said it was no big deal, just football, when Lions DT Ndamukong Suh stomped him in the Packers’ Thanksgiving Day win over the Lions last year.
On Monday, Dietrich-Smith was again diplomatically dismissive.
“I don’t even think about it anymore,” he said. “I think writers and stuff try to make more about it than it was, but it’s not really on my mind.”
With Bulaga out and LG T.J. Lang replacing him, Dietrich-Smith will get the start at left guard in Sunday’s showdown at Detroit, where he’ll no doubt face off against Suh on the inside once more.
Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.