The Packers are about to find out how valuable Chad Clifton truly was to the team.
The left tackle is going to be out a while with a hamstring injury. Coach Mike McCarthy only said at his Monday press conference that it would take “weeks” until the team knew exactly how long Clifton would be sidelined.
McCarthy confirmed the injury was “significant.” The team is not considering putting Clifton on injured reserve, but McCarthy made it sound like Clifton won’t be back anytime soon.
The Packers may get second year tackle Bryan Bulaga back from his knee injury this week. It’s uncertain if Bulaga will play Clifton’s left tackle spot when healthy, or stay on the right side.
Green Bay found a way to win on Sunday night despite Clifton’s injury. Backup tackle Marshall Newhouse has looked surprisingly competent this season.
Still, we’d expect Aaron Rodgers’ protection to become one of the dominant storylines in Green Bay’s otherwise perfect start to the season.
