GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy says leading receiver Randall Cobb is too valuable to take off of kick returns for safety reasons.
McCarthy says Monday that if Cobb is healthy, he will be the Packers' full-time punt and kick returner, even in the wake of the ankle injury he suffered in Sunday's 55-7 rout of the Tennessee Titans.
Cobb was injured when tackled by Tennessee's Tracy Wilson while returning a punt with 8:38 left in the third quarter - a game in which Cobb set the franchise single-season record for all-purpose yardage. On his previous two punt returns, Cobb had gained 14 and 17 yards.
"I'll be honest with you: I don't have a really high tolerance for this (line of questioning) because I don't understand how you play scared in the game of football. I don't get that," McCarthy said sternly. "I think it's convenient questioning. I understand the risk involved in every single play. Some plays are higher risk than others, and I'm fully aware of that.
"But you can't sit here and say special teams is important if you don't put a guy like Randall Cobb out there as a returner. Now, if we're sitting here next year, we might be having a different conversation. But the way our team is built for 2012, Randall Cobb is a huge part of our success on special teams."
McCarthy didn't have any update on Cobb's health, although he said Cobb seemed optimistic and the team's medical staff wasn't overly concerned, either. Cobb was scheduled to undergo further testing Monday.
"The medical staff does not have high concern," McCarthy said. "Randall's so positive, so he doesn't seem very concerned."
Even with quarterback Aaron Rodgers' not-so-subtle post-game suggestion that Cobb is too valuable to risk on returns, McCarthy said Cobb remains the returner, including in next Sunday's regular-season finale at Minnesota if he's available.
"Randall Cobb is a big part of our success on special teams," McCarthy said. "The philosophy of him playing on special teams has not changed."
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press
