I think Cobb could be the most important here, with Alexanders close behind.
Expecting Alexander to make open field tackles on TE's or RB's could send him back to IR real fast, whereas Cobb will help the offense with far less chance of re-injury.
Next is Z-Smith, what a force he could be if he can get into football shape fast, even if he only played on passing downs it would be huge. The fact there's been little to no news about him, and his contract situation, makes me wonder if he'll be back, ever? If he's re-injured they can't cut him, and there's no way they can afford his present contract. That's a tough decision.

Local Wisconsin newspaper reported that MLF expects Bahk to practice this week. Depending on how the knee reacts to practice, MLF indicated he could see snaps versus Detroit. The paper did not provide details for any of the other injured Packers. Maybe the start of the return of the injured.

The O line is fine no reason to rush Myers back, I would expect Alexander, Cobb and Smith back which would add depth at those positions .

It seems like Cobb, Bakhtiari and Alexander will be back sooner then later.

Smith and Myers seem to be farther out, but if they would return they definitely will provide some backup ability at the very least. Smith would be added to the rotation. Probably wouldn't play a ton of snaps, but would definitely get in the mix in certain situations. Myers if he came back I'm not sure if they would have him start or not. Beings he is a rookie and hasn't played in a long time. I would assume to start he would be a backup. But what is great about that is if something happened to a OG, they could put Myers in at OC and move Patrick out. It would give them some flexibility.

Getting Cobb back will really help the offense in 3rd down situations. Rodgers fully trusts him and will provide that option.

Hopefully they can get Turner back as well. He has been very good for us. Luckily we do have Kelly, though he is currently on the Covid list. But it has helped having him there.

Getting some of these players back could really give the team a boost.

Lucas Patrick deserves more credit for his playing time than he gets. Larry McCarren gave him the O line player of the game award for his "playing until the echo of the whistle", on every play, in the viking game. He has played well for the Packers.

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Let’s hope you are right about the post season not forcing teams to play backup QBs. Covid could make it a farce if it strikes.

The key is depth. Any good players that we get back make that stronger even if they aren’t able to play a full game. The one area where we most need depth is OLB though, and that maybe the the least likely to get reinforced.

I am unsure about the IR designated to return rules after this week. Could the team actually bring back a player during the playoffs? And if not, does that mean that this week is the final week to bring back players from IR. And what implications does that have on the 53 roster?

Just like I wasn't going to say "tHe SeAsOn iS oVeR" after we looked like dog poo the last 3 weeks, I'm not going to say "WeRe SuPeR bOwL bOuNd" now. We played a demoralized and beat up Vikings team. Yes, we boat raced a backup QB. There are still plenty of things to work on.

We could certainly use some of our best players back on the field to help make a run. Having all of them would certainly help. But it guarantees nothing. The team has the talent to win it all right now, with who they are trotting out there.

That hasn't kept the Packers under Rodgers and Favre from spitting the bit in January plenty of times. Cross your fingers.

Baling wire Corey, not chicken wire... your malapropisms are showing...

IMO Z has played his last snaps for the GBP. I really do not think he wants to play any more football on his current contract. Very disappointing, just very disappointing, I expect much more from an NFL star player with a pretty big contract already in place. Minus one good year he looks a lot like Joe Johnson to me.

Bakh NEEDS snaps vs Detroit if he is to play any playoff snaps. Continuity matters on the OL and past performance is no guarantee of future success, especially after ACL tears. Performance vs lolions isnt that critical, seeing him out there in the mix giving and taking is what will prepare MLF for proper decisions when the games REALLY matter.

Cobby will be back, hopefully taking a few snaps vs detroit, but most importantly practicing leading up to the playoffs and then being his old self in crunch time once the real games start. He was acquired for winter 2022 football (and to placate someone), time to see it!

Myers is an enigma, He was supposed to be back in a reasonable time, then had a setback requiring surgery. He is still a rookie with very little NFL game experience and I think at this stage his return would not benefit the GBP unless some deep depth was needed, again, continuity matters on the OL - I sure hope that scenario does not play itself out during the playoffs.

...and Jaire... given all I researched concerning AC joint issues and the recovery track chosen by the GBP for him, I expected him to be back playing after the bye week. Taking a couple extra weeks isn't the end of the world, but IMO he needed to be back vs the barneys and also play vs the lolions to regain his timing and be the player we all expect him to be in the playoffs. I hope his recovery went as expected and that he is at 100% physically. I also hope that he can just step back in and be the same player before his injury. Thats a lot of hope with very little promise.

I can't help but feel that the conservative nature of the GBP medical team has hurt the ability of the GBP to gain their best roster composition and play timing and overall momentum going into the playoffs. A lot of things have advanced this season in terms of player focus, coaching decision making and strategies, but the GBP medical team is still the same, and IMO that is not beneficial to the GBP winning games and championships.

The entire makeup of the 2022 team will depend on Aaron Rodgers' decision. If he stays, he needs a new contract. How they do that, I don't know. If he goes, either through retirement or trade, he still marks $17 million on the salary cap.

To get back to even with the cap and have some room to sign rookies, the Packers will need to shave about $40+ million in salaries. D. Adams is unaffordably gone. They also have to sign D. Campbell and R. Tonyan. I keep saying this is happening but no one seems to believe it. If Rodgers goes, that's a sizeable chunk. But they likely would have to cut Z. Smith, Cobb, King, Patrick, B. Turner, Lowry just to get back enough money to sign the rookies without considering Tonyan and Campbell.

So the starting o-line next year is David B., Jenkins(can also play center) Myers, Runyon, and Nijman. The d-line is Lancaster, Clark and person to be named later.

The d-backs include Stokes and Alexander, with Douglas who might be trade bait.

Things will be different next year but the extent of the bleeding of veterans will depend on Aaron Rodgers decision.

My return list of importance-

1) Z. Smith (an additional pass rusher is our most critical need);
2) J. Alexander (a true shut down CB for the likes of: Kupp; Evans; Lamb; Hopkins; et al;
3) Bak (The best LT in the NFL);
4) B. Turner (an excellent RT and/or Guard)
5) Cobb (ARod’s comfort horse and legitimate slot receiver);
6) Meyers (a tremendous run blocking center.

Merry New Year y’all !!!
Do It Packers!

I'm grateful for what they've done. BUT- You'll see rotation. Which is a good thing. I can't help but think the packers played Soft. Because the competition just wasn't top notch these last 3 weeks. I 'm seeing over confidence. So bring in the Cavalry before they get scalped. The OL smells of over achievement. The Secondary needs that pressure up front. And Nobody should be considered a Rookie anymore. Learning the hard way has happened for the last ten years. We need their best now. To be the best, you must prove your the best. ALL hands on deck. Attack ,Attack, Attack!

I get the feeling that this article has the Packers being Custer and the playoffs Little Big Horn and hoping help will arrive in time. I don't what the team actually believes, but I hope it isn't the same as Cory or Custer, I know it would be great to have certain players back though it doesn't ensure that they are physically or game ready, but to start putting doubt into what was achieved without them could create the sense of being Custer resulting in the early massacre. The question is can this team win it all without the players they haven't had all season? If you have a doubt, perhaps you always have and are now realizing the record doesn't portray the team accurately.

I’m not counting on any help from the wounded. The good news is we shouldn’t need any.

You can’t always get want you want, but if you try real hard, you get what you need. IMO, we have everything we need.

Rodgers to Adams is a HOF pass and catch duo at their peak. Jones and Dillon are a formidable 1-2 punch.
That’s 75% of our offense. If the Packers offense gets blocking, it’s going to hold onto the ball, chew the clock, score points and control the game. The rest is just details.

We beat the Cards and Rams without those players. It will help getting Cobb and Alexander back. The players that Leather has mentioned on offense are very formidable. Also, a rested crew of Clark,Smith, and Gary etc..will spell trouble for the opposition. Contrary to Custer we will meet the enemy on OUR turf. Afterwards even Taryn will learn to love the hefties on the O line that will have her eating a lg portion of nutritious crow.

Maybe it's not time to look at the long term consequences with the playoffs on the horizon, but when I put on my GM hat, it's something that has to be considered.

Josh Myers is just a rookie, so his long term value is moot as the Packers have him under contract for 3 more years. Getting him back would be great, but rushing him back would not. Making sure his injury is completely cured before he hits the field would be essential as this investment is going to be long term.

Jaire Alexander has a huge cap hit of $13.2K next season (he was averaging $3.8K for the last 3 years). That contract will have to be redone in the off-season because his value to the #Packers is enormous. Alexander truly needs to be on the field for the playoffs as the Packers are going to be facing some great receivers and they need their best cover man doing his job and shutting them down. I foresee his return shortly, and with fingers crossed he stays healthy.

Randall Cobb may not be part of the picture for the 2022-23 season unless QB Aaron Rodgers is back in the fold. But, having Randall Cobb back for the playoffs would be greatly appreciated and very needed. Randall's knack for snagging difficult catches on 3rd-down cannot be understated. Paired with Davante Adams and Allen Lazard, the "All Hands Team" would be the lynchpin to playoff success. Core injury aside, he needs to be back.

Za'Darius Smith may the more difficult player to review. He has a back injury that has lingered for the whole season. That kind of injury ended Josh Sitton's tenure with the Packers, and it may also end Smith's tenure when you couple the injury with the Packers lack of spending money and Smith's lack of a contract. I don't foresee the Packers keeping Za'Darius Smith. I also don't see Smith getting back on the field this year - yes, it would be nice to have him IF he was 100% because their pass rush would be enhanced, but the Defense has managed without his presence, and Preston Smith has picked up the slack in his absence. I'm sure it would be easier on the front office (as well as the fans) to see that ship sail off quietly. Would love to have him, but financially unaffordable.

I am not Brian Gutekunst and I am not Russ Ball. Perhaps those two can work some magic in the offseason, but, with only 44 players under contract for next year and needing to shed $63 million off of their salary cap before the season begins, some hard realities are going to have to be looked at.

Cory it would be great to have each and everyone of those starters back on the field and I do think chances are good that perhaps most all or all of them could be in the playoffs games. And just because a player hasn't recovered by the first playoff game, doesn't mean he won't be available for the NFC Championship game or the Super Bowl.

One other related item is the fine play of these backup players. If they are on the bench again, we will have game tested and reliable players to fill in for injuries.

Finally this COVID thing is crazy they way it's hitting players and from what I have been able to determine, our offensive line hasn't been greatly affected. We have the potential of having a plethora of quality players available in the event the virus raises its head at the wrong time during the playoffs.