Packers get clarity on veteran starter’s injury, and a silver lining could soften the blow for their defensive outlook
Off-ball linebacker Zaire Franklin missed Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the Lions, and a short week before facing Carolina complicates his path back to the field.
The Green Bay Packers played without off-ball linebacker Zaire Franklin in Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the Detroit Lions. The team listed it as a shin injury, which Franklin suffered after taking a hit during practice late last week.
Now there’s a defined diagnosis. According to ESPN and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Franklin got accidentally kicked in practice and suffered a hairline fracture in his leg.
Green Bay did not place Franklin on injured reserve, which means they’re confident he’ll return fairly soon. A player who lands on IR must miss at least four games. By keeping Franklin on the active roster, the Packers signal they expect him back before that four-game window would end.
A tough week to return
The schedule doesn’t help ahead of Week 8, though. Green Bay faces the Carolina Panthers on Thursday, and the short week leaves little time for Franklin to heal after getting hurt so late in the previous week of practice. The chances of Franklin suiting up against the Panthers are minimal.
The more realistic targets come next. Franklin could return against the New England Patriots after the mini-bye, or at least against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 15 at Lambeau Field.
That three-game sequence against the Panthers, Patriots, and Vikings leads into the bye week. After that, the Packers return on Thanksgiving Eve, Nov. 25, to play the Los Angeles Rams. Even in a conservative scenario, the bye gives Franklin extra time to get right before the stretch run.
How the Packers handled linebacker without Franklin
Against the Lions, Green Bay started Ty’Ron Hopper and Isaiah McDuffie at off-ball linebacker. McDuffie played 100% of the defensive snaps, while Hopper played 93%.
They were the clear primary options, and the Packers didn’t need to lean on depth. Nick Niemann played just one defensive snap, and Kristian Welch contributed only on special teams. Those two round out the linebackers on the 53-man roster. Green Bay also has Jack Dingle, an undrafted rookie, on the practice squad.
The thin depth chart might look concerning at first, but it fits how the position works in this defense. Off-ball linebackers essentially play every snap unless an injury forces a change, and they don’t rotate much.
As a consequence, the Packers are comfortable carrying four active linebackers on game day. Hopper and McDuffie handle the bulk of the workload, while Niemann and Welch serve as emergency options and special teams contributors.
