Injury report update: Preston Smith did not participate in practice

In the Packers’ first official injury report of the week, cornerback Kevin King, who head coach Matt LaFleur called “day-to-day” on Monday, was listed as a limited participant in practice, potentially good news for the defensive back who has been dealing with a shoulder injury since Week 5 against the Bengals. The unfortunate news on Green Bay’s end is that pass-rusher Preston Smith (oblique), safety Darnell Savage (concussion), center Josh Myers (knee), and tackle Dennis Kelly (back) were non-participants in practice.

Based on the tone of the press conferences out of Green Bay this week, it does not sound like Smith will suit up against the Washington Football Team, but the new addition of Whitney Mercilus should help to alleviate some of the issues the Packers will have with Smith out. Myers is also a betting favorite to miss this week, as LaFleur said Myers will “most likely” miss a couple of games. Kelly’s lingering back injury becomes more interesting when you realize that the Packers used their fourth practice squad protection this week on Ben Braden, who has only been activated for one other regular-season game this season.

Beyond the injury report, the big news is that left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) returned to practice, meaning that his 21-day window for activation to the 53-man roster has begun. There is no promise that he will play this week, but it’s good to see that his recovery is going as planned, as this is the first week that he was eligible to return to the field for the Packers. He seems pretty excited about it.

While Green Bay’s injury report was fairly short, Washington’s was robust on Wednesday. Three wide receivers did not participate in Football Team practice, including stars Terry McLaurin (hamstring) and Curtis Samuel (groin), with another (rookie Dyami Brown) listed as a limited participant. Their most dynamic running back Antonio Gibson (shin) and three offensive linemen (Sam Cosmi, Charles Leno, and Brandon Scherff) were also missing.

With rumors swirling that Washington could trade for current Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the Packers might catch the Football Team right when their practice week turns into somewhat of a circus.