The Green Bay Packers believe left guard Elgton Jenkins suffered a sprained MCL in his knee during Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Per Rapoport, Jenkins needs an MRI to determine the severity of the sprain.
Buy Packers TicketsJenkins appeared to be injured on a run by A.J. Dillon, who crashed into the side of Jenkins’ leg as he was going to the ground. He left the game to start the Packers’ next offensive drive and was officially ruled out for the game coming out of half time.
Per Penn Medicine, MCL injuries often occur when pressure is exerted on the outside of the knee, as was the case for Jenkins on Sunday.
Third-year offensive lineman Royce Newman replaced Jenkins at left guard for the rest of the contest.
While an MCL injury is certain to knock Jenkins out of the lineup for several weeks, it isn’t likely to be of the season-ending variety. Jenkins missed the final eight games and the start of the 2022 season after tearing his ACL during the 2021 season.
The Packers were without their starting left side of the offensive line for much of the contest on Sunday. Left tackle David Bakhtiari did not play for undisclosed reasons. The offense was also without running back Aaron Jones and receiver Christian Watson, who were inactive because of hamstring injuries.
Looking ahead, it can be assumed Newman, who has 22 career starts over the last two seasons, would be the starter at left guard in Week 3 against the Saints. Sean Rhyan, a 2022 third-round pick, would also be an option. The Packers could even experiment with moving Zach Tom to guard and starting Rasheed Walker or Yosh Nijman at offensive tackle, depending on Bakhtiari’s health situation.
