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Defensive line could be thin on Sunday

With DE C.J. Wilson still out with a knee injury and DE Mike Neal added to the injury report on Wednesday with a shoulder injury, the Packers’ defensive line could be a bit thin come Sunday against the Lions.

Mike McCarthy said he didn’t have a lot of information on Neal’s shoulder, but he didn’t “feel real good about what the medical staff told” him about Neal. That would indicate Neal’s chances of playing this week are slim, and if Wilson remains out, that would leave the Packers with only four healthy defensive linemen — B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett and rookies Jerel Worthy and Mike Daniels.

In other injury news, it sounds like rookie Don Barclay could get his first NFL start at right tackle in place of T.J. Lang, whose injured ankle is “not progressing the way he’d like,” according to McCarthy. Lang sat out practice on Wednesday.

WR Jordy Nelson also sat out practice, as did LB Clay Matthews. Both have hamstring injuries, and McCarthy said he didn’t know if either would be ready to play this week and didn’t get into specifics. “I’m about timelined out,” McCarthy said.

Veteran C Jeff Saturday was also added to the injury report with a foot injury. He was limited in practice, but McCarthy said he expects Saturday to be able to play against the Lions.

In summary, the injury list doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter for the Packers, but they’re so used to dealing with it by now that the typical response is a shrug of the shoulders.

“Self-pity is a waste of time, a waste of emotion,” McCarthy said. “I think it’s part of the National Football League. I don’t think we’ve created any secret formula how we go about it, we just stay focused on what’s in front of us, and you have to, especially these division games. They’re so important.”

The positive injury news came in the form of Charles Woodson’s return to practice from a broken collarbone. He was listed as limited on the injury report, the first time he has participated in practice since the injury, which occurred on Oct. 21 at St. Louis.

The Packers will practice in pads on Thursday, and McCarthy didn’t say whether Woodson would go in pads, which would be the next step to returning to game action.

“He’s getting close,” McCarthy said. “It’s a good start.”

Neal back in, Quarless out at practice Thurs.

DE Mike Neal was back at practice on Thursday after sitting out Monday’s and Wednesday’s workouts dealing with an ongoing ankle problem. Neal played through the ankle injury in the Arizona game before the bye but then rested until Thursday, which was a padded practice.

TE Andrew Quarless did not practice on Thursday. He was listed as limited in practice on Wednesday on the injury report with his knee injury, which forced him to begin this season on the PUP list. Quarless was just activated to the 53-man roster from PUP during the bye week.

Also, backup RB Johnny White was not at practice. He was not listed on the injury report on Wednesday.

Mike Neal returns to practice

Packers DE Mike Neal, who left last Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and missed Wednesday’s practice, was back on the practice field in pads on Thursday during the portion of the workout open to reporters.

Other than that, no other changes injury-wise appeared to be forthcoming. Mike McCarthy said on Wednesday that both FB John Kuhn and WR Jordy Nelson, who have hamstring injuries, would possibly practice on Friday at the earliest.

Jennings ruled out for Sunday

The Packers have already ruled WR Greg Jennings out for Sunday’s game in Indianapolis. He will miss his second game in four weeks with a groin injury.

Mike McCarthy said he spoke with Jennings before practice on Thursday and they felt with his groin injury — which he originally sustained in Week 1 against San Francisco — “we were going around in a circle.” So Jennings is being shut down this week and will only do rehab.

As for G T.J. Lang, he was excused from practice for a personal matter and is expected back on Friday. He is listed on the injury report for missing practice, but the absence is not injury related.

DE Mike Neal practiced in pads for the first time in the regular season, and McCarthy said the coaching staff would take the full week to decide the next step with Neal. If he’s going to play in Sunday’s game, he’ll have to be added to the 53-man roster by 3 p.m. Saturday. Otherwise, he’ll have to be activated by 3 p.m. on Monday, when the one-week roster exemption expires.

WR Jennings not practicing Wednesday

As expected, WR Greg Jennings was not practicing on Wednesday during the portion of the workout open to the media. Jennings left last Sunday’s game with a groin injury, the second time this season he has injured the groin. He missed one game, in Week 2 vs. Chicago, the first time he hurt it, and Mike McCarthy said earlier this week that shutting Jennings down for a period of time might be an option.

The other Jennings, safety M.D., was practicing despite leaving the Saints game with a shoulder injury.

The only other player on the active roster not practicing was rookie S Sean Richardson, who remains out with a hamstring injury.

DE Mike Neal was also practicing for the first time in the regular season. Neal just finished serving a four-game suspension, and the Packers now have a one-week roster exemption to let him practice. After missing so much time, it would seem unlikely Neal would be activated for Sunday’s game in Indianapolis, but McCarthy will be addressing the media after practice with an update.