Will Eddie Lacy play vs. Chicago Bears in Week 7?

A lingering ankle injury and a short week have combined to put Green Bay Packers’ running back Eddie Lacy’s in doubt for Week 7.

The Green Bay Packers are reeling after a loss to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, and with a lack of healthy depth behind Eddie Lacy wide receiver Ty Montgomery saw significant snaps at running back in that game.

The Packers have made a trade to address that lack of running back depth, acquiring Knile Davis from the Kansas City Chiefs for a conditional draft pick on Tuesday morning. But now, Lacy’s status is in question for Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Bears.

Lacy suffered an ankle injury against the New York Giants in Week 5, and despite some doubt about his status he played and had 71 total yards on 18 touches (17 carries) against the Cowboys in Week 6. Primary backup James Starks injured his knee during a workout last week, and he’s expected to miss about four weeks after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus last Sunday morning.

Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy suggested Davis does not have enough time to get up to speed and contribute much on Thursday night, which is perfectly logical. So if Lacy can’t go, which is the trend since he didn’t practice on Monday or Tuesday, Montgomery and practice squad member Don Jackson may be the only two guys healthy and able to take most of the snaps at running back.

Next: NFL quarterback rankings, Week 7

Lacy’s injury wasn’t bad enough to keep him from playing in Week 6, but a short preparation week to try to be ready to play again looks like a big ask right now. Injuries are obviously a big part of football, and an unavoidable circumstance in most cases. But when key players don’t have enough time to ramp back up for Thursday night games, that’s a continuing black mark on the quality of play the NFL is putting forth this season.