The Packers' Week 10 triumph over the Seahawks was bittersweet because of an injury to a key player.
The bitterness subsided Monday with the arrival of good news. Running back Aaron Jones suffered a mild MCL sprain, an MRI revealed, meaning he'll be out 1-2 weeks, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
"I don't think it's going to be long term," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday, confirming Jones' diagnosis, per ESPN. "We'll monitor it on a daily basis and see how fast he can heal up because he's a guy that you want on the field."
Jones' injury appeared to possibly be much more serious, with Packers fans spending the hours after their team's latest win steeling themselves for the worst-case scenario regarding the star running back. With second-year bulldozer AJ Dillon also available, Green Bay is equipped to handle a potential loss at the position, though it would be mighty difficult to replace the threat Jones brings to the field in both the running and passing games. And after losing Kylin Hill to a season-ending knee injury in Green Bay's win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Packers weren't as deep as they'd like to be.
Instead, they'll just have to figure out how to spend the next couple of weeks without Jones, who has accounted for over 800 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games this season.
On the other side of the ball, LaFleur told reporters Monday the team is still evaluating edge rusher Rashan Gary's elbow injury and called linebacker Whitney Mercilus's biceps injury "a tough one."
If there's one thing this Packers squad knows well by now, it's how to figure out a secondary plan without one of their key players. Davante Adams missed Green Bay's game against Arizona due to a positive COVID-19 test, and Aaron Rodgers missed more than a week due to his own positive test, knocking him out of the Packers' 13-7 loss to Kansas City in Week 9.
Now they'll test their mettle without Jones in an NFC North battle against the rival Vikings.
