The Green Bay Packers could be without linebacker Desmond Bishop, one of their best defensive players, for the rest of the season. Their starting left tackle (Marshall Newhouse) and best receiver (Greg Jennings) are recovering from concussions. The team barely has any running backs.
"I don't know what's going on, I've never seen anything like it," McCarthy said Sunday via the Green Bay Press-Gazette. "I've never dealt with numbers like this before, just the number of players missing practice."
The Packers shortened practice to help cope with all the injuries. 19 players missed Sunday's practice, after 21 missed it the day before. Running back James Starks' injury may be the most worrisome other than losing Bishop.
This was supposed to be the year Starks stepped up. But he suffered a turf toe injury and is now "week to week" which usually means at least a few weeks. Turf toe is a famously slow injury to heal. Third-stringer Brandon Saine is also hurt. Second-year pro Alex Green is the projected starter at the moment; he's coming off major reconstructive knee surgery. Now you get an idea why the Packerssigned Cedric Benson.
If nothing else, McCarthy could take solace that all of these injuries are happening so early. The most injury-plagued team last August was the New York Giants.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
