Packers coach Matt LaFleur talks about Tucker Kraft’s season-ending injury
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur is confident that tight end Tucker Kraft will stay positive after suffering a season-ending ACL injury.
- Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs is expected to miss at least two games due to a sprained MCL.
- The injury is not to the same knee that was surgically repaired during training camp.
- Hobbs signed a four-year, $48 million contract with the Packers after four seasons with the Raiders.
GREEN BAY – After playing through knee pain for the past month, Green Bay Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs is expected to miss at least the next two games with a sprained MCL, a source told PackersNews.
Hobbs’ injury is not to the same knee he had surgically repaired for a torn meniscus in training camp, the source said. Hobbs missed Week 1 recovering from knee surgery but started the next five games. His latest knee pain started during the Packers’ tie in Dallas during Week 4. The Packers initially believed Hobbs had a small cyst on his knee, the source said, but MRI results Nov. 3 revealed the small tear.
The team will wait to see how he responds to rehab before making any official determinations.
A grade 1 injury is a mild sprain and will not require surgery, the source said. The MRI revealed a tear on the same day tight end Tucker Kraft was confirmed to have torn his ACL against the Panthers, ending his season.
Hobbs dropped out of practice Oct. 17 with a knee injury and struggled in that week’s game at the Arizona Cardinals. A week later, Carrington Valentine started against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Hobbs played only four snaps. He was not on the team’s injury report last week and played 19 snaps against the Panthers (33%) but removed himself from the game late because of the knee pain.
A week ago, Hobbs declined to attribute his struggles to the knee injury.
“I’m not going to say that,” Hobbs said.
In the spring, Hobbs signed a four-year, $48 million contract with the Packers after playing four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Packers believed he would be a good fit on the perimeter despite playing predominately in the slot as a nickel corner with the Raiders. Hobbs missed 16 games the previous three seasons because of an assortment of injuries.
Coaches have said the veteran Hobbs is in competition with Valentine for snaps at the outside. Given Javon Bullard’s emergence at nickel, there are fewer snaps available in the slot. Without Hobbs, the Packers will have four available perimeter cornerbacks on their roster this week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Keisean Nixon and Valentine are expected to start with Bo Melton and Kamal Hadden on the sideline.
This story was updated to add more details.
