Elgton Jenkins returns to practice, Dennis Kelly held out with an illness

The Packers trade one for one on the offensive line, while the Bengals suffer an injury at cornerback today.

Green Bay’s Thursday injury report looks a lot like Wednesday’s injury report, outside of two exceptions: Offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins (ankle) has gone from a non-participant in practice to a limited participant while tackle Dennis Kelly did not participate in practice due to an illness.

Head coach Matt LaFleur hinted yesterday that there’s a possibility that Yosh Nijman could make the start at left tackle, even if Jenkins returns to the field after his Week 2 injury, which is becoming a more interesting option as a finger injury continues to limit rookie center Josh Myers from practicing. Both Jenkins and former starting guard Lucas Patrick have some experience playing center, giving them a potential inside track to start over the backup center on paper: Jake Hanson. Hanson has yet to start an NFL game and, frankly, was a surprise retention when the Packers cut down their roster to 53 players.

Aside from Myers (finger) and Kelly (illness), cornerback Jaire Alexander (shoulder) and Chauncey Rivers (knee) did not practice due to injury. As LaFleur stated earlier in the week, it is unlikely that Alexander will suit up for the team this weekend, as they’re still evaluating whether or not Alexander will have surgery or not. Rivers is likely to land on the injured reserve list after a non-contact ACL injury that happened late in yesterday’s practice. Tight end Marcedes Lewis was also a non-participant today, though he was given a veteran’s day off, which is normally scheduled for the 37-year-old.

Players listed as limited participants, beyond Jenkins, are defensive lineman Jack Heflin (ankle), running back Aaron Jones (ankle), and cornerback Kevin King (concussion.) LaFleur said that King was “close” this week, in reference to King passing the league’s concussion protocol.

The Bengals, meanwhile, only changed the status of one player on their injury report today: cornerback Trae Waynes, who is now listed as “limited” with a hamstring injury. Other players who did not have a full practice in Cincinnati today are cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (groin), receiver Tee Higgins (shoulder), receiver Stanley Morgan (ribs), defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (knee), and receiver Mike Thomas (ankle.) The Bengals who did not participate at all on Thursday are center Trey Hopkins (knee), running back Joe Mixon (ankle), guard D’Ante Smith (illness), and guard Xavier Su’a-Filo (knee.)