The Green Bay Packers released some concerning injury news for Thursday Night Football, ruling out several key pieces, including a pair of offensive linemen. But is Aaron Jones playing? It’s still up in the air after the running back earned a questionable tag. Let’s look at the most recent Aaron Jones injury updates as we assess whether he will be available in Week 4.
UPDATE (9/28/2023 at 9:50 a.m. ET): Aaron Jones is expected to play in tonight’s Lions-Packers game, per Tom Pelissero.
Aaron Jones Injury Update: Is Green Bay’s Star Playing Thursday?
Aaron Jones Injury Update
Despite some optimism about his status earlier in the week, the Green Bay Packers have listed Aaron Jones as questionable for their Thursday Night Football game against the Detroit Lions. Jones returned to practice late last week and earned a questionable tag but was ruled out. He has been listed as a limited participant each day this week as well.
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The Packers haven’t tipped their hands about Jones’ Week 4 status, but it’s easy to feel encouraged about the star running back. On Tuesday, Head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that he was “cautiously optimistic” about Jones’ return. However, he added that “… we want to make sure he’s able to protect himself and not going to be at further risk for injury.”
Is Aaron Jones Playing for Green Bay in Week 4?
So is Aaron Jones playing for Green Bay in Week 4? We likely won’t know until sometime Thursday afternoon. The short turnaround makes it extra difficult to evaluate injury timelines. If this were a Sunday game, I’d be much more confident about Jones’ return to the field, but at this point, I’d put it around 72/25 that he plays.
It’s worth pointing out that the Packers have a capable backup in A.J. Dillon, which means LaFleur could ease Jones back into the lineup. However, the fact Green Bay will be without two starters on the left side of the offensive line, tackle David Bakhtiari and guard Elgton Jenkins, Jones may be at an additional risk of taking hits in the backfield.
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The Packers have a weird schedule over the next few weeks. They won’t play again until next Monday, and then they’ll have their bye week. The scheduling could cut either way for Jones — head coach Matt LaFleur could see it as a low-risk spot to use him, or he could see it as a great opportunity to give him some extra rest to ensure he is at 100% strength when he returns.
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