Matt LaFleur Announces Big Injury News Coming Out of Packers' Bye Week
The Green Bay Packers' bye week couldn't have come at a better time. After barely beating the Jacksonville Jaguars and then losing to the Detroit Lions, this team needed a chance to take a step back and regroup.
As always, the bye week was a boon for injured players, too. And coming out of the bye, starting down an NFC North matchup against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, head coach Matt LaFleur broke some great news on the injury front.
All three of Jaire Alexander, Evan Williams and Josh Myers have "optimistic" outlooks, and seem set to return to action in Week 11.
Matt LaFleur tells me he’s “optimistic” that Jaire Alexander, Evan Williams and Josh Myers will all play Sunday in Chicago coming off the bye but will give them the week. All three missed the Lions game. Full 25 minutes with the Packers head coach drops tomorrow at 6 on my show.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) November 11, 2024
All three of those Packers have been key difference-makers this season, and all three missed that 10-point loss to the Lions before the bye. These reinforcements should make a significant impact.
In the defensive backfield, Alexander is obviously a crucial part of the secondary, and his absence completely changes the way that Jeff Hafley can call up coverage schemes.
The rookie Williams has been nearly as impactful in his own way, too. The Packers went 4-0 from his entrance into the starting lineup in Week 5 until he got hurt in Week 8. He played a full 100% of the team's defensive snaps in two of those games, and PFF has him as the team's second-highest graded defender (trailing only Xavier McKinney) on the season.
On the other side of the ball, Myers' may not feel as important — as he's generally struggled up front and often earns the ire of fans. But continuity on the offensive line tends to be seriously underrated. Myers started every game for each of the last two seasons, and a center's impact goes beyond their own contributions.
It's also nice that the trio gets an easy matchup as they get themselves back up to speed in their returns. The Packers are 6.5-point road favorites against the reeling Bears (per FanDuel Sportsbook) before having to turn their attention to a much more dangerous matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12.
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