GREEN BAY – In a matchup against one of the NFL’s most-explosive running backs, the Green Bay Packers will be without both of their starting linebackers.

Zaire Franklin, a defensive captain, took a knee to his shin in practice Oct. 22 and will not play against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Oct. 25. The Packers already are without Edgerrin Cooper, who is out for the season after tearing his Achilles a few weeks ago.

That will leave backups Isaiah McDuffie, a special-teams captain, and Ty’Ron Hopper to contain Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

“I don’t believe it’s going to be anything too long term,” coach Matt LaFleur said when asked if Franklin’s injury might put him on injured reserve. “Just an unfortunate deal. That happens when you play football, especially with the way our guys have been practicing, but I think we’ve got a lot of confidence in McDuffie and Hopper and Nick Niemann, if need be, to go in there and do a great job for us.”

Even if Franklin’s injury is short term, the timing isn’t ideal. Gibbs ranks fifth in the NFL with 504 rushing yards and is tied for second in the league with seven rushing touchdowns. A dual-threat, his 27 receptions are third among running backs in the league. He has 243 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches.

Gibbs is the engine behind a Lions offense tied with the Buffalo Bills in league scoring at 32.8 points per game.

McDuffie has started in place of Cooper the past two weeks. Hopper, a third-round draft pick in 2024, has only 78 defensive snaps this season but has shown potential, especially in coverage. He had a goal-line interception two weeks ago against the Chicago Bears and has added a pair of pass breakups.

“He’s maximized [his snaps],” LaFleur said. “He’s taken advantage of them. He’s done a great job, and his progression has been pretty cool to watch, just how he’s developed over the years. Especially, I think, we kind of got a good sense early on in training camp that he’s on his way. So this will be a great opportunity for him to get even more reps.”