The Green Bay Packers will look to claim back-to-back wins when they travel to face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, and Devonte Wyatt’s return would play a big role in letting that happen. Wyatt has been out since Week 4 after suffering a knee injury against the Dallas Cowboys, and Matt LaFleur's original “week-to-week” timeline had him miss last week's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
With a new week upon us, there were new hopes that Wyatt would be ready to go for Sunday’s game. Unfortunately, LaFleur indicated that Wyatt has gotten off to a rough start as he will not participate in the Packers’ first practice of the week on Wednesday.
“He’s getting closer,” LaFleur said via The Leap’s Jason B. Hirschhorn. “He won’t go today, but obviously give him the week.”
Packers Weigh Risk and Reward of Rushing Devonte Wyatt Back From Injury
Wednesday’s news on Wyatt isn’t great, but it also doesn’t kill the possibility of his return against the Cardinals. While he missed all three practices before he was ruled out for the Bengals game, a limited practice at some point during the week could earn Wyatt a questionable tag and give the Packers the option to bring him back.
Of course, there are some caveats. The Packers have attempted to be careful with injuries after Zach Tom’s initial return from oblique and back injuries lasted just one play during a Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns. Sunday’s game is also a winnable one against a Cardinals team that has lost its last four games after a 2-0 start.
Then again, the Packers would love to have Wyatt back. The 27-year-old had six total tackles and a pair of sacks in the four games. He also generated a 12.3% pressure rate, according to Pro Football Focus. While sixth-round pick Warren Brinson made an impact with a pair of pressures in his NFL debut against the Bengals, the Packers haven’t gotten much besides him in the trio of Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, and Nazir Stackhouse.
Pushing Wyatt to return has some risks, and if quarterback Kyler Murray misses a second straight game with a foot injury, it may be best for Wyatt to sit this one out. But the Packers are a better team with the veteran in the lineup, keeping all eyes on the practice reports leading up to Sunday’s game.