Packers place another wideout on COVID-19 protocol with Davante Adams

The Green Bay Packers receiving corps will be majorly shorthanded this Thursday night in a huge test against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.

Allen Lazard will join Davante Adams on the COVID-19 list this week, meaning Green Bay will be without two of its top wideouts heading into an already-daunting test against Arizona on a short week.

As talented as Aaron Rodgers is, to defeat a tough Cardinals defense (which is ranked top-three against the pass) without two of his top weapons is a virtually impossible ask. Without Adams and Lazard, the Packers will turn to a group that includes both veterans and young players, in Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Equanimeous St. Brown and the recently-activated Malik Taylor.

NFL’s COVID-19 protocol, explained

Because Lazard isn’t vaccinated, he must stay away from the team for five days before undergoing any testing. It’s unknown at this juncture if Adams is vaccinated or not.

Players who test positive for COVID-19 can be activated from set list after they test negative twice, 24 hours apart.

The Packers are first in the NFC North by a fairly wide margin at 6-1 on the season, so one loss won’t necessarily do them in. The Vikings are 3-3 on the year in second place.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, are one of the more surprising teams in the NFL. While it was expected that Kyler Murray and Arizona would take a step forward this year, they’ve turned into the darlings of the league at 7-0. Key acquisitions such as J.J. Watt on the defensive side of the ball have made the Cardinals a complete unit, rather than just an offensive juggernaut.