The knee injury suffered by Green Bay Packers left guard Elgton Jenkins last Sunday in Atlanta may end up being a short-term one. Jenkins told Rob Demovsky of ESPN that he isn’t expecting to go on injured reserve, suggesting he could be back and available within the four-week timeframe of injured reserve.
Jenkins is believed to have injured the MCL in his knee on a play in the second quarter against the Falcons. He played out the series before exiting, and he didn’t return after halftime. The Packers have already ruled out Jenkins for this Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Buy Packers TicketsIn theory, the Packers could open up a spot on the 53-man roster by placing Jenkins on injured reserve. But if Jenkins and the team believe he can return before four weeks, a trip to injured reserve — where the minimum number of games missed is four — wouldn’t be necessary.
Over the next four games, the Packers play the Saints, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos. But the team’s bye week arrives after playing the Raiders in Week 5, so an extra week off could have Jenkins ready to play the Broncos on Oct. 22. In that scenario, Jenkins would miss only three games without going on injured reserve.
It’s unclear how the Packers will replace Jenkins at left guard on Sunday. Royce Newman, now in his third season, played left guard after Jenkins exited in Atlanta. Newman has made 22 career starts over three seasons.
