Muhammad Wilkerson's season might be over before it even reaches Week 4.
The defensive lineman's gruesome ankle injury required surgery, which kept him in Washington, D.C., overnight, Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Monday. Even worse: That injury is likely season-ending, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
McCarthy called the injury "significant," a term typically not used by a coach unless information on the severity of an injury is fairly certain.
If Wilkerson is sidelined for a week or the rest of the season, Dean Lowry stands in line to replace him, according to the team's official depth chart. Lowry has played on 29 percent of Green Bay's defensive snaps through three games (per Next Gen Stats), recording five tackles. Wilkerson has recorded as many tackles while playing on 56 percent of defensive plays.
He'd be replacing a player who has earned the second-best grade among Packers defensive linemen, per Pro Football Focus, trailing only Kenny Clark in overall, run defense and pass rush grades. League wide, 30 defensive interior linemen have played better than Wilkerson, according to PFF's grades.
Green Bay ranks 14th in defense, per PFF, but its true strength is in coverage, where the Packers rank 12th. That makes the loss of a key offseason addition in Wilkerson that much more signficant.
In other Packers injury news, linebacker Nick Perry is in concussion protocol, McCarthy said Monday.
