The Green Bay Packers are placing left guard Lane Taylor on the injured reserve with a bicep injury, according to a team announcement. Rookie Elgton Jenkins is primed to start in his place. The team also signed guard/tackle Adam Pankey.
It is unclear when Taylor sustained the injury. He was not listed on Wednesday's injury report, was limited on Thursday and on Friday, did not practice.
The Packers have Jenkins prepared to take over left guard duties. On Sunday, the team had him switching with Taylor on the line; Jenkins played 18 snaps, Taylor: 51. In doing so, the rookie is more acclimated to the NFL speed.
However, coach Matt LaFleur says switching the two around was a “matter of the competition.”
“I just think it’s a matter of the competition. And until one guy really shows the other one up, we’re going to keep it competitive and we’re fully comfortable with that,” LaFleur said Thursday, via Jason Wilde of Delco Times. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to have a guy take a breather, come back in. Then he’s fresh. It’s just like what you see defensively quite often with defensive linemen — they’ll rotate those guys in. So the defensive line might be fresh but your O-line’s not.”
For now, the Packers won't be doing much switching between the two; Jenkins is the starter and Taylor is injured. A second-round pick in this year's draft, the rookie has an opportunity to take the starting position and hold on to it, even when Taylor is back.
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