GREEN BAY, Wis. – The injury rate in the NFL is 100 percent, as players like to say. Some injuries are more painful than others, though, and the Green Bay Packers have felt the sting of torn ligaments and sprained muscles more than anyone this season.

According to Rotowire, the Packers are the second-most injured team headed into their Week 8 home game against the Carolina Panthers. That’s just the number of injuries, though. The Packers have a lot of star power on their injury lists, and that’s reflected in Rotowire’s Impact Index.

From that perspective, no team is more impacted by injuries this week than Green Bay. That list is headed by All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons and budding star Edgerrin Cooper. Parsons hasn’t played this season due to last year’s torn ACL. The team’s biggest X-factor in replacing Parsons was Cooper, who suffered a torn Achilles in Week 4.

Along with the possibility of standout receiver Matthew Golden missing the game with a shoulder injury, the Packers have three of the 13 most-impactful injuries this week.

Starters and Key Backups on Injured Reserve: Offense

Here is the list of key injuries on offense.

Receiver Jayden Reed, the premier slot player who received a contract extension this offseason, suffered a season-ending back injury in Week 2. The Packers have missed his playmaking ability in the intermediate zones and his run-after-catch skill.

Complicating matters, Skyy Moore, who had been Reed’s replacement, is on injured reserve, as well. Savion Wiliams missed the first five games due to an ankle injury but has made a few impact plays upon his return.

What would really complicate matters is if Matthew Golden is out. “I sure hope so,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Tuesday about Golden’s status. He would not have practice on Monday or Tuesday; the team will get on the field for some individual drills on Wednesday, which will be important in determining Golden’s status for the game.

Running back Chris Brooks started the Week 4 game at Tampa Bay but went down with an ankle injury and was placed on injured reserve. Thursday’s game will mark his third game on the sideline.

Tight end Luke Musgrave suffered a neck injury during the offseason practices and there is no estimated time for a potential return.

Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele suffered a season-ending knee injury one play after Reed was injured against the Jets. The Packers signed him to a huge contract extension before last season. By the end of this season, he will have played about 32 percent of the snaps over two years.

Center Sean Rhyan, who was re-signed to a lucrative three-year contract just before the start of free agency, suffered a high-ankle sprain on the fourth snap at Detroit. He might be headed to injured reserve, where he’d join his backup, Jacob Monk.

“We got some time yet before we determine that, I would say,” LaFleur said.

Left guard Aaron Banks never landed on injured reserve but the team’s highly paid left guard has played in 22 snaps this season due to knee and toe injuries.

Starters and Key Backups on Injured Reserve: Defense

Here is the list of key injuries on defense.

Edge Micah Parsons remains on the physically unable to perform list due to last year’s torn ACL. He might make his practice debut next week. Without him, the team’s four edge rushers have 5.5 sacks and 64 pressures in seven games. Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson has five sacks and a league-high 42 pressures in six games.

Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave suffered a torn Achilles at the end of the Chicago game and will miss the rest of the season. He wasn’t great and perhaps not worth the contract, but he had six pressures in four games, which is one more than Devonte Wyatt in seven games.

Defensive tackle Warren Brinson, who looked primed for a Year 2 jump, missed the start of the regular season with a calf injury and then suffered a groin injury during his first week of practice. He’s on injured reserve and might not be back until late in the season.

Defensive tackle Jonathan Ford won a spot on the roster because of his stoutness against the run. He’s on injured reserve with a calf injury. Fortunately for the Packers, Jordon Riley made his season debut at Detroit after missing the first six games following last year’s torn Achilles.

Linebacker Edgerrin Cooper was having a dominant, breakout season before suffering a torn Achilles in Week 4 at Tampa Bay. The Packers are fortunate to have quality backups but Cooper really is that cliché one-of-one player. Even while missing the last three-plus games, he leads the team with six tackles for losses.

Linebacker Zaire Franklin will miss a second consecutive game with an injured shin. He’s the team’s defensive captain.

What About Packers-Panthers Game?

From that perspective, Green Bay will be facing its kindred spirit on Thursday. According to Rotowire, the Panthers have a league-high $90.0 million of salary cap tied up in injured players. The Packers are on their heels, ranking second with $86.8 million. They are head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the league from the financial component.

The Packers, who are coming off a bitter loss to Detroit last week, were crushed by the Falcons on Thursday night in Week 3. They must shake off the pain and inflict some pain on the Panthers.

“We’ve got to be better than we were last time we played a Thursday night game here at home, and I know we will be,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “So I think, in terms of preparation, it’s always tough on a short week. Everything kind of just gets jam packed.

“And then especially in terms of trying to get your body back, we’ve got a lot of guys that are injured right now. So, it’s always tough. You’re never going to make excuses, but we’ve definitely got to be a lot better than we were last time we played the Thursday game.”

With the trade deadline less than two weeks away, here's how I'd place Packers needs on a 1-to-10 scale.https://t.co/YGggSrnxwY

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 28, 2026