For all the good vibes over the Pack’s 4-0 start thanks to the 30-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons Monday night, Tuesday turned into a more somber day at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.
Injuries continued to pile up and the worst was suffered by third round draft pick Josiah Deguara. The rookie tight end just came back from an ankle injury suffered in the opener after a promising debut in Minnesota. Late in the game he went down again and Head Coach Matt Lafleur said today, “unfortuantely, it looks to be a pretty bad one.”
ESPN.com reporter Rob Demovsky later confirmed it’s a torn ACL that will require surgery and end his season.
LaFleur said he feels badly for a player they thought could be a versatile weapon on offense and he has a bright future in this league.
Several players in the secondary also went down Monday night, Chandon Sullivan with a concussion, Kevin King with a quad injury, Will Redmond also departed and Darnell Savage got nicked up but was able to return.
The Packers offense continued to roll even without Davante Adams who was held out of the game with a hamstring injury suffered against Detroit. Adams issued a tweet Monday morning expressing his frustration over diligent rehab only to be told he’d be inactive. The tweet was quickly deleted and LaFleur said he didn’t issue the directive but said he understands how Adams worked hard to come back and wanted to play but the medical decision was better for the long run.
Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy released a statement late this afternoon saying the organization is placing and indefinite hold on welcoming fans to Lambeau Field. No fans will be allowed for the third home game, November 1 against the Minnesota Vikings and the rest of the season is in doubt because of the concerning increase in COVID-19 cases in the Green Bay area and across the state. Murphy said a marked improvement in the rate of hospitalizations and infections rates will have to take place before fans can attend.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst also announced some roster reductons. Wide receiver Reggie Begelton, the former Canadian Football League standout who was just promoted to the 53 man roster Monday night, has been released. Linebacker Curtis Bolton was waived off the reserve/physically unable to perform list and wide receiver Caleb Scott was cut loose from the practice squad.
Players are being required to stay in Green Bay during the bye week, LaFleur said plans for the team are on hold as the NFL is considering new protocols for bye week teams after positive cases have turned up with a few teams, most notably the Tennessee Titans.
The team is off until next Monday when they’ll resume play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Florida on October 18.
