Green Bay Packers announce Week 1 inactives versus Minnesota Vikings

The Green Bay Packers have announced that the following players will not play for the team in the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings:

• WR Allen Lazard (ankle)
• WR Samori Toure
• OT David Bakhtiari (knee)
• OL Elgton Jenkins (knee, pectoral)
• DL Jonathan Ford
• CB Shemar Jean-Charles
• S Tariq Carpenter

The Packers being without Lazard, Bakhtiari and Jenkins was expected as this morning NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the assumption was that the trio would not go on Sunday. Lazard, who is the team’s top returning receiver from 2021, was unable to practice all week after being stepped on. Bakhtiari and Jenkins were limited on Wednesday and Thursday, but played Green Bay’s team snaps in practice, before Bakhtiari missed practice on Friday.

In place of Bakhtiari and Jenkins, the Packers’ offensive line is expected to be Yosh Nijman, Jon Runyan Jr., Josh Myers, Jake Hanson and Royce Newman. Nijman and Hanson are the players who are expected to be promoted from backup roles to starting roles with today’s news. Nijman started eight games at left tackle for the team in 2021 while Hanson is set to make his first start in his NFL career on Sunday.

Beyond the three injured players, three of the four Packers' seventh-round rookies (Toure, Ford and Carpenter) and Jean-Charles were Green Bay’s “healthy scratches.” This is not surprising, as each of these players were out-snapped in the preseason by players who are now on the practice squad. The late-round rookies seem to be “redshirt” stashes by general manager Brian Gutekunst and the rest of the front office.

The Packers announced on Saturday that receiver Juwann Winfree and safety Micah Abernathy have been elevated to the active roster for the game, as the team has the option to call up two practice squadders for game action each week. Abernathy, who was signed by Green Bay in August, will play in his first NFL regular season game after stints with four NFL squads, the XFL and the USFL.

Along with Abernathy, the following players will make their Packers debuts today:

• WR Sammy Watkins
• WR Christian Watson (rookie, second-round pick)
• WR Romeo Doubs (rookie, fourth-round pick)
• OL Zach Tom (rookie, fourth-round pick)
• OG Sean Rhyan (rookie, third-round pick)
• OT Rasheed Walker (rookie, seventh-round pick)
• DL Jarran Reed
• DL Devonte Wyatt (rookie, first-round pick)
• OLB Kingsley Enagbare (rookie, fifth-round pick)
• ILB Quay Walker (rookie, first-round pick)
• CB Keisean Nixon
• S Dallin Leavitt
• S Rudy Ford
• P Pat O’Donnell
• LS Jack Coco (rookie, undrafted)

The Vikings named running back Ty Chandler, tackle Vederian Lowe, offensive lineman Chris Reed, defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo, outside linebacker Luiji Vilain and safety Lewis Cine as inactives today. The only player on that list who is not a healthy scratch is Cine, the 2022 first-round pick. Cine, who has been playing a backup role on the team, has been dealing with a knee injury that left him limited in practice on Thursday before missing Friday’s practice altogether.