GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s been three days since the Green Bay Packers’ Aug. 13 preseason opener, so naturally, bodies are going to be a little sore.
One of them is Lukas Van Ness, who was a new non-participant on Sunday. The former first-round pick played just three snaps against the Pittsburgh Steelers and helped contribute to a sack on the Packers’ opening defensive possession.
Ditto for Darian Kinnard, who exited the game Thursday night with an injury. Kinnard, Van Ness, and starting nickelback Javon Bullard headlined the Packers’ rehab group.
It’s not all grim news. Safety Mark Perry and defensive lineman Anthony Campbell, who dropped out of the game with injuries, were practicing. It’s also worth noting that Carrington Valentine was participating in individual drills. Valentine has been absent since dropping out of practice with a hamstring injury on Aug. 2, and after it appeared that he was making his return eight days later, he was confined back to the rehab group.
Cornerback Kamal Hadden made his return to team drills on Sunday. He didn’t play in the Packers’ preseason opener as he continues to work his way back from last year’s ghastly, season-ending injury. In the Dec. 27 game against the Baltimore Ravens, Hadden dislocated his ankle and fractured both his tibia and fibula.
Here’s the full list of non-participants as the Packers prepare for their Week 2 exhibition contest in Denver against the Broncos.
EDGE Lukas Van Ness (Shoulder)
The Packers are going to lean heavily on Van Ness to begin the season as Micah Parsons works his way back from last year’s torn anterior cruciate ligament. The fact that he’s already dealing with an injury after playing just three snaps against the Steelers is certainly concerning and worth monitoring.
OL Darian Kinnard (Ankle)
It may not seem like it, but Kinnard is—and has been—an important piece to the Packers’ offensive line. He filled in at right tackle at various points last season and even functioned as their No. 3 tight end. The Packers have been experimenting with him at right guard as they attempt to get former second-round pick Anthony Belton as much cross-training work at right tackle as possible. When Kinnard left the game against the Steelers, he was replaced by undrafted rookie Josh Gesky.
S Javon Bullard (Foot)
The third-year versatile safety was seen at practice with a walking boot on his right foot. There was no cause for alarm, though; the boot was a precaution as he dealt with a bone bruise. He’s not expected to miss significant time. When asked about how crucial Bullard is to the Packers’ defense last Monday, LaFleur said, “Bull is a dog, man. Talk about a guy that can play with the mentality, the play style, what we want to be about. It’s been cool to see his evolution.”
CB Domani Jackson (Core)
Jackson has missed all of training camp while recovering from offseason core muscle surgery—his absence could significantly affect his chances of making the Packers’ initial 53-man roster. He was back on the practice field on Sunday, albeit in a limited capacity. Because we don’t have a ton of information yet, I’m going to include him down here anyway. LaFleur was hopeful that Jackson would be able to participate in 11-on-11 drills after Family Night, but that hasn’t been the case as of yet.
RB Josh Jacobs (Groin)
Jacobs is dealing with a groin injury that doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue that will persist into the season, but it is lingering for a second week in a row. LaFleur said that Jacobs is going to remain out of the mix until later this week, so don’t expect to see him—or very many of the other starters, really—on the field in Denver. The Packers are going to tread carefully, and rightfully so—soft tissue injuries are notoriously tricky. With how thin and unproven their backfield is, they can’t afford to lose their No. 1 on the depth chart for an extended period of time. MarShawn Lloyd is next up in the pecking order, and the first two years of his career have been plagued by injury, so he isn’t a reliable option. He rushed four times for 13 yards and caught a pass for -4 yards against the Steelers.