The Green Bay Packers are hoping to get some good news on the injury front this week, as wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks works his way back from a calf injury that has kept him out of the field for the last two games. The receiver, who has been in the process of becoming a cornerstone for the team’s offense, has missed valuable time at a point when Green Bay’s receiving corps is already thinned by multiple injuries.
How Long Will Dontayvion Wicks Be Out?
Dontayvion Wicks was ruled out for the Green Bay Packers’ Week 9 loss to the Carolina Panthers due to a calf injury he sustained during the team’s Week 7 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
The injury came after Wicks had been limited the previous week with an ankle issue from the Cincinnati Bengals game, but he managed to play through that. However, the calf injury proved more troublesome, and he has not played or practiced fully since.
Coach Matt LaFleur told reporters on Tuesday that Wicks could “potentially” return in Week 10, but his availability for Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles remains unclear.
#UPDATE: Wicks will return to practice on Thursday ahead of the Week 10 matchup against the Eagles.
Wicks has recorded 13 receptions through six games, but injuries and inconsistent playing time have limited his production. According to PFSN Impact metrics his best performance came in Week 2 where his score was 76.0 with a C grade.
The Packers have missed his presence, especially as other offensive players continue to go down. Tucker Kraft (knee) and Matthew Golden (shoulder) were both injured in the loss to Carolina, while Jayden Reed remains unavailable.
That leaves Romeo Doubs, Malik Heath, Savion Williams, and tight ends Luke Musgrave and John FitzPatrick as the team’s only fully healthy pass catchers. Christian Watson’s return from a torn ACL also helped ease the burden.
For now, with the group running thin, promoting from within makes sense, as those players already know the playbook and have chemistry with quarterback Jordan Love.
Meanwhile, according to NFL rules, since the Packers play on Monday, they must release practice participation reports on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The official game status designations will be made public on Saturday. Those updates will give a clearer picture of whether Wicks has a realistic chance to return in Week 10.
Until then, the Packers will closely monitor Wicks’ recovery. The team probably does not want to risk re-injury by rushing him back, especially with important games soon to come. If he can return to practice, there’s a chance he sees the field against Philadelphia. If not, a more plausible return timeline would be Week 11.