-- In the heat of a position bottle at the wide receiver position, the last thing Jake Kumerow can afford right now is another injury that stunts an early regular-season debut.

Unfortunately, a pinky injury suffered during Monday's joint practice with the Houston Texans could be mildly concerning.

The Green Bay Packers' journeyman wide receiver has quickly transformed into a fan favorite, as well as one of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' favorite targets. After a strong showing at last week's annual Family Night practice, it seemed as if Kumerow was heading towards a possible lock for the final roster.

"I've had plenty of jams, nicks, bumps and bruises before, so I'm just fighting through it," Kumerow said after Monday's practice, according to Packers.com. It's possible he may have been downplaying the injury considering he dropped out of Family Night briefly with a hand injury before returning. It's unclear whether or not this is the same injury.

Either way, the Packers would ideally want Kumerow healthy if they stash him as one of their 53-best players come final cut-downs in September. With four preseason games on deck -- including Thursday's opener against the Texans -- there's still plenty of time for Kumerow to show that he can stay upright for an extended period of time.

There's more than enough competition at the bottom of the Packers' depth chart, with names such as Teo Redding, Darrius Shepherd and Jawill Davis all making periodic positive plays in practice. Enough to show that the margin for error in this battle is going to be razor-thin.

Monday featured the first opportunity for that trio of receiving targets to play against another team rather than the Packers' own defensive backs. Kumerow, however, has just five accrued regular-season games under his belt despite being 27 years old.

"We've been going against the same guys for quite a while now, so it's good to get some routes ran against different guys with different techniques and leverages," Kumerow said. 

A benefit of these joint practices -- and for any of these receivers fighting to make the roster -- is that the Packers are able to familiarize themselves with the opposition prior to the preseason opener. It presents an opportunity for them to figure out what works and what doesn't.

"You get a feel for the guy you're going against and get your eye on some of the numbers. It's good to get a good idea and maybe practice a few things here in practice that you may use in a game or may not use in a game.

"Now that we've got a good feel for what these guys are all about, tomorrow should be a lot better for moving the ball around and completing more passes; I think we're going to do a better job."