Packers get Aaron Jones injury update ahead of Thanksgiving clash vs Lions

 

The Green Bay Packers will be without a running back when they travel to Detroit for Thursday’s traditional Thanksgiving Day matchup. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Aaron Jones is out for the week with an MCL sprain.

Jones is not expected to play Thursday, despite the fact that his injury is not serious enough to end his season. The Packers, who are averaging 20.2 points per game, have only scored 202 points this season, ranking them 21st in the NFL.

Jones was helped to the sideline and then carted into the locker room late in the second quarter of the Packers’ 23-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

The 28-year-old running back, a fifth-round pick out of UTEP in 2017, missed two games earlier this season after injuring his hamstring in the Packers’ 38-20 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week One. Aaron Jones has 245 yards rushing this season, averaging 3.7 yards per carry and scoring twice behind featured back AJ Dillion. The Packers’ rushing attack has been stifled for much of the season, with 1,021 total yards on the ground, ranking them 23rd in the NFL.

With a record of 4-6, the Packers are currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFC playoff picture, trailing the 6-5 Minnesota Vikings for the conference’s final playoff spot. Meanwhile, the Lions enter their fabled Thanksgiving Day matchup with an 8-2 record, good for second in the NFC and first in the NFC North.

In their first meeting of the 2023 season, the Lions defeated the Packers 34-20 in Week Four. The game on Thursday will be the 189th meeting between the two teams since 1930.

Jay Pritchard is a writer and sports editor based in Burlington, Vermont. He has previously worked for the Panama Canals, the Boston Celtics, the Football Association of Ireland, the Green Mountain Baseball Association, and FantasyPros.