The Green Bay Packers fell apart at the end of their Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and now there has been injury added to insult with a potential long-term loss of Pro Bowl offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins.
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During the first half of the Week 2 matchup, Packers running back AJ Dillon slipped and attempted to dive for a first down. In the process, Dillon rolled up on Jenkins while he was trying to block, forcing Jenkins out of the game. After the 24-25 loss, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport tweeted that Jenkins is believed to have suffered a sprained MCL, with an MRI coming shortly to determine how severely he sprained his knee.
#Packers OL Elgton Jenkins, who left the game and did not return, is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain, source said. He’ll have an MRI to determine the severity.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 17, 2023
Jenkins' absence was felt for the Packers. After a strong offensive outing from Jordan Love and company, the offense fell apart in the fourth quarter, with the new starting quarterback for Green Bay missing each of his last six pass attempts. The Packers also went three-and-out on their final two drives, failing to give their defense enough cushion to secure a win.
The Packers were already dealing with enough injuries on offense heading into Week 2. Their inactive list included arguably their three best offensive players in Aaron Jones, Christian Watson, and even All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari. The veteran offensive tackle played well in Week 1 and appeared to be fully healthy, but was unable to go in Atlanta.
If Jenkins is out for significant time, it will leave the Packers with a huge hole to fill on their offensive line. The former second-round pick has been Green Bay's versatile chess piece in the trenches, playing all five positions on the offensive line during his time in Green Bay. If Jenkins is out, then there will be even more pressure on Jordan Love to produce in the coming weeks.
