The Green Bay Packers scored three straight touchdowns to take a 21-10 lead over the Oakland Raiders at halftime of Thursday night’s preseason contest, but a few potentially major injuries tainted the first 30 minutes of play at IG Field in Winnipeg.
Outside linebacker Rashan Gary, linebacker Curtis Bolton and receiver Equanimeous St. Brown all suffered injuries and exited the field during the first half.
Gary went down twice. In the first quarter, he got caught up in traffic and suffered a lower body injury. Later, he was pursuing a play from behind and took a big shot to his head and neck area while attempting to make the tackle. He walked off gingerly and was then carted back to the locker room, although it doesn’t appear as if Gary suffered a neck injury.
Bolton walked to the locker room with trainers during the first quarter. It’s unclear when or how he was injured.
St. Brown’s injury could be the worst of the three. He caught a slant from Tim Boyle in the second quarter and took a wicked shot to the helmet area. As he went down, his left ankle got caught underneath his body and twisted unnaturally. St. Brown was in a lot of pain as he exited the field and required a cart to get to the locker room.
Preseason games aren’t about results. It’s about practicing the process and avoiding injuries. The Packers, who play in Chicago in exactly 14 days, are dealing with some bad luck on the injury front in Winnipeg.
