For the first time in a long time, Packers coach Mike McCarthy will have some difficult decisions about who to make inactive when he determines his 46-man game-day roster for Saturday night’s playoff game against the Vikings.
It’s a good problem to have because it means the team is largely healthy and at his disposal. Excepting those on injured reserve, Green Bay should have almost its full complement of players available for the wild-card round rematch against Minnesota.
“It’s great. You want your team healthy. You want them healthy all the time,” McCarthy said Thursday. “We’re getting healthy at the right time, and it’ll be tough this week to do the 46-list and so forth.
“But hey, you want to play your best football this time of year, and it’s great to have most of our team back.”
On Thursday, the Packers’ last practice of the week because McCarthy said Friday will be treated like a typical-week Saturday, only three players on the 53-man roster did not participate. One of them was DE Jerel Worthy (knee), who the Packers have said is out for the rest of the season but have not yet made a roster move to replace. Reserve WR Jarrett Boykin, who hurt his ankle last week, also sat out and is unlikely to play.
CB Tramon Williams did not participate due to illness. McCarthy said he didn’t “have a feel” for the severity of the sickness or if Williams would be ready for Saturday night.
“He came in, obviously had flu symptoms, he was given medication and sent home,” McCarthy said. “We’ll probably know more (Friday) morning.”
The only player who was limited was RB James Starks, who injured his knee a month ago and the Packers hope can return soon.
Other than that, everyone else practiced in full. That’s especially heartening for the offense, which got several key skill players back on the field.
WRs Jordy Nelson (knee) and Randall Cobb (ankle) looked spritely and McCarthy said their involvement was “definitely” a step in the right direction.
“Randall and Jordy looked good today and we’ll see how they come back tomorrow,” he said. “I had Randall push it the last two days, and Jordy wanted to get out there and push it again today. So it looks good.”
McCarthy said the “concern with Jordy’s particular injury is what it could turn into.” He added that Nelson’s status would likely be determined following an examination Friday morning.
In the locker room, Nelson said he felt good and had no doubts “whatsoever” that he would play against the Vikings.
Cobb, who hurt his ankle returning a punt in the Week 16 win over the Titans and sat out last week, echoed that confidence and said he was improving every day.
"Definitely another week of rest, it will continue to get better and hopefully be to a level where I can perform at a high level on Saturday," Cobb said.
DB Charles Woodson, who missed the last nine games of the regular season with a broken collarbone, was cleared earlier this week and also practiced fully.
McCarthy said there would be no restrictions or snap-count limitations placed on the 36-year-old veteran.
“We’re going to go. We’re going to let him play, and we’ll communicate with him on the sidelines and make sure he’s OK,” McCarthy said. “There’s game conditioning and there’s practice conditioning. He’s really been pushing the conditioning probably the last five or six weeks, and he has been practicing for four weeks. It’s just that part where you transition to the game field.
“He’s played a lot of football and how we utilize him will potentially help him. We’ll keep an eye on him. This is about winning the game.”
Second-year CB Davon House (hip) was upgraded from limited to full participation Thursday.
The Packers and Vikings aren’t required to publish their final injury reports until Friday, just like during the regular season, even though they are playing on Saturday.
McCarthy said despite the short week coming off defeat at Minnesota’s Metrodome in the regular-season finale, he felt good about where his team was at in terms of preparation and health, though it took a couple of days.
“Any time you come off a turf game, it’s a little tougher on their bodies, so you have to be in tune with that,” he said. “We pushed it (Wednesday), doing all our team work outside, extended ball drills, kicking and special teams work outside.”
McCarthy added that the Packers practiced outside on Thursday for nearly half the session.
“I feel very good about where we’re at,” McCarthy said. “Their bodies are back and we’re ready to go.”
Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.