Jeff Janis may or may not have been anywhere near the field for the Packers at the beginning of the season anyway.
But now there’s a medical reason.
Via Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers wide receiver had surgery to repair a fracture in his right hand, and said he’d be out from four to six weeks.
He said he had screws inserted into his index finger to hold the bones together, after suffering what he initially termed a “jammed up” hand.
“It’s all fixed and everything,” Janis said. “So now we’re just waiting on it to heal and take it week by week.”
The 2015 playoff Hail Mary hero was in a fight for a place on the depth chart anyway, and this complicates his future by taking away the chance to impress in the preseason. Had he played well, he could have pushed Davante Adams for the third receiver spot, but that’s unlikely now.
“Haven’t even thought about that really,” Janis said. “I’m just going to focus on healing up and being ready when I’m ready. I haven’t really thought that far in the future. I’m just going to try to get better.
“I’ve always kind of prided myself on being one of the guys who is always available and ready to play. But this is something that happens and you can’t really control it. Just got to stay in the [playbook], keep going to meetings, keep paying attention and make sure I’m up with everything in the game plans and everything. Then when it is healed, be ready to play.”
The Packers may have to make a decision, because while he has value on special teams, it might be hard to justify their one IR/designated for return spot. They might just be forced to carry an injured player on their 53-man roster the first few weeks of the regular season while he heals, if they want to carry him at all.
