As the Green Bay Packers sharpen their strategies for the upcoming clash against the Los Angeles Rams, they face the uncertainty of two key defensive players’ availability for the Week 9 showdown. Coach Matt LaFleur has flagged safety Rudy Ford and linebacker Quay Walker as questionable participants for Sunday’s gridiron battle.
Ford is contending with a calf issue that emerged this week, limiting his participation in Thursday’s activities and sidelining him in Friday’s session. Walker’s situation unfolded on Friday morning when he reported a tightness in his groin, prompting the Packers to take a cautious approach by withholding him from practice.
Their playing status hangs in the balance and will be disclosed with the announcement of the gameday inactives around 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday. Should Ford be unavailable, the Packers may need to realign their defense, potentially mobilizing Jonathan Owens, Anthony Johnson Jr., Dallin Leavitt, and Zayne Anderson to step up in the safety position, especially with Darnell Savage currently on injured reserve.
In the event of Walker’s absence, Isaiah McDuffie is poised to step in, joining De’Vondre Campbell in the starting lineup to fortify the linebacking corps.
Meanwhile, there’s good news for the Packers as cornerback Jaire Alexander, left guard Elgton Jenkins, running back Aaron Jones, tight end Luke Musgrave, and offensive tackle Yosh Nijman are set for action without any injury designations. Aaron Jones, who has been donning a “no contact” jersey, received an optimistic update from LaFleur, who expressed confidence in Jones’s readiness to “cut loose” come Sunday.
With the current 52-man roster, LaFleur acknowledged ongoing discussions with general manager Brian Gutekunst on filling the final roster spot, a decision that will be closely watched.
The Rams are confronting their own injury dilemmas, notably with linebacker Ernest Jones ruled out and both quarterback Matthew Stafford and right tackle Rob Havenstein carrying the questionable tag into the weekend’s crucial matchup.