Packers’ injury designations: Aaron Rodgers will play, Jaire Alexander OUT vs. Lions

How many snaps the injured Packers’ players play seems very fluid.

The Detroit Lions Week 18 opponent, the Green Bay Packers, have declared their injury designations and while they will be without their stud corner Jaire Alexander, they will test the waters with a few of their injured offensive starters, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers and left tackle David Bakhtiari.

Let’s take a look at the Packers’ COVID-19 list and injury designations for this week, with the starters bolded.

Reserve/COVID

• CB Jaire Alexander
• RT Billy Turner

Alexander was removed from the COVID-19 list on Friday, but Turner remains on. More on Alexander in a bit, but Turner only has a short window of time to clear the league’s protocols before this Sunday’s game. If he can’t go, the team will likely turn to Dennis Kelly, unless they want to push David Bakhtiari—who has not played a snap this season—into more playing time.

Injured Reserve

• WR Randall Cobb
• C Josh Myers

Cobb needs more time and won’t play this week.

Myers, the second-round rookie out of Ohio State, started his 21-day evaluation window this week in a effort to return for the Packers’ playoff run. At this time he has yet to be activated to the roster but the plan is to get him on the active roster ahead of the game and get him some work against the Lions so he can get comfortable for the postseason.

Myers “looked really good at practice. I would anticipate him playing in this game,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Friday.

OUT

• CB Jaire Alexander (shoulder)
• DL Kingsley Keke (illness)

Despite being removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list, Alexander won’t play versus the Lions this week. With a lingering shoulder injury combined with not practicing all week, the Packers are giving their star corner time to heal up. Rasul Douglas is the presumed starter in his absence.

Kingsley missed Week 16 due to a personal matter, then missed Week 17 due to COVID-19 protocols, and even though he was removed from the reserve list, he has been down with a separate illness all week. Look for smaller fronts this week from the Packers defense, which could benefit the Lions rushing attack.

Questionable

• LT David Bakhtiari (knee)
• RB Aaron Jones (knee)
• LB De’Vondre Campbell (elbow)

As mentioned earlier, Bakhtiari hasn’t played at all this season, but he was able to get in his first full participation level practice of the season on Friday. Like with Meyers, the Packers likely want to get a look at their projected starting offensive line ahead of the playoffs. How much he—and other starters—plays on Sunday seems very fluid at the moment.

Jones was able to get in three limited practices this week, but with the emergence of backup AJ Dillon—173 rushes for 740 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and five touchdowns—don’t expect the Packers to push their starter too much.

Campbell also got in a full week’s worth of limited practices but he may also be on a pitch count.

Not listed with an injury designation

• QB Aaron Rodgers (toe)
• TE Marcedes Lewis (rest)
• TE Dominique Dafney (ankle)

Rodgers missed practice on Wednesday, but was able to get in limited practice work on Thursday and Friday. He has stated all week that he wants to play this Sunday, and per the Green Bay media, the Packers are planning on starting him.

Like with the offensive linemen, how much he plays is very much up in the air at this time.

Here’s a look at the Lions’ injury designations for Week 18.