Packers Make Final Decision on Jordan Love for Eagles Game

The Green Bay Packers have made a final decision on quarterback Jordan Love’s status for the NFL playoffs, clearing him of his elbow injury and taking him off the injury report for their NFC wild-card game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Love officially will not carry an injury designation into Sunday’s wild-card game against the Eagles after spending the week nursing an elbow injury that forced him out of Week 18’s loss to the Chicago Bears. While the Packers limited him for Wednesday’s practice, he returned to full participation for the final two days, paving the way to a green light.

Love injured his right elbow in the second quarter of the Packers’ regular-season finale at home against the Bears. While Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said in the postgame that Love could have returned to finish out the game if necessary — and nearly did when backup Malik Willis injured his hand late — the team kept him out as a precaution.

Fortunately for the Packers, the cautious approach seems to have worked with Love.

“He did well. Today was a good day,” LaFleur said after Friday’s final practice.

The Packers also cleared Willis — their No. 2 quarterback — of the right thumb injury that threatened his status late in the game against the Bears. Like Love, Willis worked as a limited participant for Wednesday’s first practice, but he had no restrictions listed for the final two days. He will now have a chance to play in his first career playoff game.

The Packers will look to avenge their season-opening loss to the Eagles when they meet them in Philadelphia for their wild-card game at 4:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 12.

Packers Leave Door Open for 2 Injured Starters to Play

The Packers could not clear everyone from the injury report heading into the weekend, but they did leave the door open for a few more starters to potentially return for them.

The Packers officially listed starting linebacker Quay Walker (ankle) and rookie safety Evan Williams (quadriceps) as questionable for the wild card against the Eagles after both returned to practice — as limited participants — this week for the first time since sustaining their injuries in Week 15’s win over the Seattle Seahawks on December 15.

Veteran offensive tackle Andre Dillard (concussion) and defensive linemen Brenton Cox Jr. (foot) and Tedarrell Slaton (ankle) are also questionable for the matchup, while the Packers have ruled out safety Zayne Anderson (concussion) and wide receiver Christian Watson — the latter of whom tore his ACL against Chicago in Week 18’s finale.

The rest of the Packers’ roster is healthy and cleared to play, including wide receiver Romeo Doubs and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper — who both faced illnesses this week.

Eagles Clear QB Jalen Hurts to Play Against Packers

The Packers were not the only ones who entered wild-card week with some uncertainty about their starting quarterback. The Eagles also had to monitor the status of starter Jalen Hurts, who missed the final two weeks of the regular season with a concussion that he sustained in Week 16 and came into the week still in the league protocol.

Fortunately for the Eagles, head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on Friday that Hurts cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and will play against the Packers on Sunday. The Eagles also cleared wide receiver A.J. Brown (knee) from the injury report for the game.

Philadelphia still had a few cross-outs for the start of the NFL playoffs, though. Neither guard Trevor Keegan (illness) nor defensive tackle Byron Young (hamstring) will play against the Packers in the wild-card game, while star wide receiver DeVonta Smith popped up on the injury report with a back injury on Friday and is “unspecified.”