Green Bay Packers OL Elgton Jenkins did not practice Sunday, reasons unclear

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins has been on pace for a miraculous recovery, by all accounts. After tearing his ACL in Week 11 against the Minnesota Vikings last season, Jenkins was activated from the physically unable to perform list on August 14th, which burned his eligibility to begin the season on the PUP list to start the year.

While he hasn’t participated in team drills, Jenkins has been working out in individual drills as a right tackle and the fact that he was activated off of the summer PUP list was seen as a significantly positive move in the right direction. Had Jenkins stayed on the PUP list through the Packers’ cutdowns to a 53-man roster, he would have had to miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season.

In the pre-practice presser on Sunday, though, head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that Jenkins would not be practicing with the team in their first practice back since their preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. “Elgton I believe will not be practicing today, but [tight end] Bobby [Tonyan] should be,” he stated.

LaFleur was then asked, “Is something going on with Elgton,” to which he replied a quick “No.” When LaFleur was asked if Jenkins not practicing was planned, as the media tried to shed light on why Jenkins would go from individual drills to missing practice entirely, LaFleur said, “Not necessarily planned, but I’m gonna keep it internal.”

According to Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber, Jenkins was in the rehab group alongside the practice field today, but whatever issue led to him being pulled out of participation today was not knee related. Due to the fact that the Packers are not in-season, when they have to provide league-mandated injury reports, Green Bay doesn’t have to tell the public why a player is missing a practice.

Whatever the issue(s) may be, hopefully, Jenkins can return to the field soon. With left tackle David Bakhtiari also off of the PUP list but still yet to practice with the team, Green Bay only has so many offensive linemen they can keep on their 53-man roster if the duo can’t suit up against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1. By Tuesday, the Packers will need to shave down their 78-man roster, following the releases of Ty Summers and receiver Danny Davis, to 53 players. Time is ticking.