What Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers fear has come true. Wide receiver Randall Cobb will be sidelined for some time after undergoing surgery to address his core muscle injury.

Cobb sustained the injury in the Packers' Week 13 game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Packers used the bye in Week 14 to evaluate him and have one of their top wideouts undergo surgery.

Now, according to Field Yates of ESPN, the team has put Cobb on the Injured Reserve list. That means he won't be eligible to return and play until Week 17.

While there is still hope for Randall Cobb to return, there is still no specific timeline for him. Depending on his recovery, he could end up not playing at all for the remainder of the campaign and the playoffs–which is why his injury was deemed to be potentially season-ending.

Cobb's absence is a massive blow to a Packers squad aiming to finish at the top of NFC. At 9-3, they are within striking distance of the top-seeded Arizona Cardinals (10-2). However, that also means they can't afford to lose in the remaining games if they want to keep themselves in play for the first-round byes.

The 31-year-old receiver is the Packers' leading wideout with already five receiving touchdowns to his name this 2021. He is tied with Davante Adams, though Cobb has fewer receptions and receiving yards.

With the Cobb news, the Packers will need Aaron Jones and Allen Lizard to step up further. Aaron Rodgers need extra new weapons to find as target, especially at this crucial juncture of the season.