:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/25723927/20131215_ter_sh5_007.0.jpg)
As today is Christmas, the Packers players and coaches are home with their families rather than on the practice field. That didn't stop the team from releasing a practice injury report, however.
Linebacker Clay Matthews has been officially declared out for the NFC North deciding showdown this Sunday. Matthews' newest ailment relates to his surgically repaired thumb in what head coach Mike McCarthy described as a "repeat injury." The length of Matthews absence is unknown at this point, but if the damage is similar to his October 6th break, he won't return again this season.
As he has for the last few weeks, the Packers listed quarterback Aaron Rodgers as a "limited" participant. As Rodgers discussed on his Tuesday radio show, the decision on his availability will be made on Thursday.
As for the remainder of the injury report, there are few surprises. After re-aggravating his right ankle late in the third quarter of this past Sunday's game, Lacy was listed as a DNP. Joining him were Brad Jones, Nick Perry, Ryan Pickett, and Mike Neal. Each of the past two weeks, Lacy sat out of practice until Friday, so there's no new information here.
More troubling is the status of Perry and Neal who are the primary backups to Matthews. If neither can play, Green Bay will be forced to start rookies Andy Mulumba and Nate Palmer, a harrowing proposition for an already struggling defense. Expect more concrete information on the linebackers on Friday.
