The Green Bay Packers returned to practice on Monday after their Bye Week, and now all eyes are set on a Week 6 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. While it fell earlier than most teams, Green Bay's Bye Week came at the right time, allowing some members of the roster time to recover from a rash of early-season injuries.
Unfortunately, the time off didn’t lead to great news concerning injured defensive tackle Devontae Wyatt. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that Wyatt and rookie offensive tackle Anthony Belton were the only players to not practice on Monday, raising concerns about their status for Sunday’s game against the Bengals. Zach Tom’s return to practice helped lessen the impact of Belton's absence. However, Wyatt's inability to practice presents the Packers with a more delicate issue as they look to fill the middle of their defensive line.
In the end, it may be Wyatt that forces the Packers’ hand, and it could leave him out not only for the Week 6 matchup against the Bengals but for a few additional weeks to ensure his health late in the season.
Packers Shouldn’t Rush Devontae Wyatt Back After Latest Injury Setback
Wyatt has been one of the best storylines on the Packers' defense this year, breaking out after Kenny Clark was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Micah Parsons. According to Pro Football Focus, Wyatt’s 72.6 overall grade ranks 26th among qualifying interior defenders. His 13 quarterback pressures rank 16th despite missing the Week 4 matchup with the Cowboys due to a knee injury in a loss to the Cleveland Browns the previous week.
The Packers were hoping that the bye week could give Wyatt some time to recover, but the fact that he’s still missing practice after a week off is a concern for his long-term availability.
Green Bay hosts the Bengals on Sunday, and while the Packers could make things interesting by being their own worst enemy, it’s a game they should be able to handle. The Packers then travel to the 2-3 Arizona Cardinals in Week 7, which looks like another matchup that Green Bay should have little trouble in, before continuing their road trip to face Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 26. Even then, the Packers host the Carolina Panthers the following week before hosting the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 10.
The matchup against the Eagles is the point in the season where the division schedule begins to pick up, as the Packers have two games each against the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, as well as another meeting against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.
Having Wyatt for that stretch outweighs the benefit of running him out there on Sunday, and even if he needs 2-3 additional weeks, the Packers should proceed with caution. After extending Tom’s absence by running him out against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3, this situation with Wyatt is a perfect opportunity to prove the coaching staff has learned its lesson, even if it means being without an important defender for the next game on the schedule.