The Green Bay Packers may have dodged a bullet when it comes to inside linebacker Krys Barnes. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Barnes is believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain and calf injury after the injury appeared to be much worse. The initial fear was that the injury could sideline him for months, if not the rest of the year, but now, he could be back in just a few weeks.
Barnes was carted off the field during the fourth quarter after replacing an injured Quay Walker. The injury appeared to occur when Barnes got caught up in a gang tackle of Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison. Barnes immediately grabbed the lower part of his leg, and trainers used an air cast to stabilize the injury. The team immediately ruled Barnes out for the rest of the game.
Usually, getting carted off with an air cast means the injury is significant. However, the initial prognosis is better than anyone could have hoped for, which is great news for Green Bay.
It’s still possible Barnes will land on injured reserve, but his season most likely isn’t over.
The Packers were already hurting at linebacker when Walker exited the game with an apparent shoulder injury. Walker was the team’s first overall pick in this year’s draft, and the early returns looked good on Sunday as he looked comfortable flying around the field making plays. Walker totaled eight tackles before getting hurt.
The severity of Walker’s injury is still unknown. This offseason, he replaced Barnes in the starting lineup, even though Barnes is still viewed as a solid depth piece. Barnes played in 29 games, including 23 starts in 2020 and 2021, racking up 161 total tackles.
It may be up to All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell to carry the load until Walker and Barnes are both healthy.
