WR Allen Lazard
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard had a career game last Sunday night (6 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown). He played the entire game and there was no indication afterwards in speaking with reporters that he had suffered an injury. Yet, as ESPN first reported, Lazard underwent core muscle surgery and is out indefinitely. The team listed him on their injury report Thursday with a core muscle injury.
Fellow receiver Davante Adams practiced on Thursday. He said afterwards that he still doesn’t know if he’ll be available to play on Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons.
At the moment, the Packers have three other receivers on their active roster. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Darrius Shepherd and Malik Taylor. Shepherd was signed off the practice squad last week.
Equanimeous St. Brown was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 19 with a knee injury and isn’t eligible to return until after next week’s bye. The Packers did sign two receivers to their practice squad this week, giving them three wideouts on the taxi squad. Signed this week were Caleb Scott and Juwann Winfree, joining Robert Foster.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, in his zoom session with reporters, raved about Shepherd’s improvement.
“He was as productive as just about anybody in camp, and I really like his approach,” Rodgers said. “He’s the one who’s always in Davante’s ear, listening to what he’s talking about. Damn near every time I come in the Hutson Center during training camp when we’re starting practice, I walk in and do the same thing, put my helmet down. And Shep is picking Davante’s brain about releases and certain things.
“And look, I try and pay attention as much as I possibly can, but that sticks with you. That impacts you. You’re seeing just that desire to improve and get better. And then you see it on the field. You see him consistently using those releases, making plays and I’m really proud of him, just sticking with it, getting activated to the roster and I do have a lot of trust in him.”