Packers put WR Allen Lazard on reserve/COVID-19 list

Davante Adams has company on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Green Bay announced Tuesday afternoon that wide receiver Allen Lazard had been added to the list. Players are put on the list due to a positive COVID-19 test or if they are considered a close contact of someone that tested positive. According to the NFL Network, Lazard is unvaccinated and was added to the list as a close contact of Adams. He will must sit out at least five days, meaning he will miss Thursday night’s game against Arizona.

With Lazard and Adams out, the Packers are down two of their top three wide receivers. Their other top guy, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, is still currently on injured reserve, though there is hope by the team he could be activated in time for Thursday.

The Packers only held a walk-through for practice today, but if they had practiced fully cornerback Kevin King (shoulder) and outside linebacker Preston Smith would have been limited participants. Both missed last week’s win over Washington. Left tackle David Bakhtiari also continues to make his way back to football shape as his recovery from a torn ACL nears its end.

“We’ve been banged up this year but other teams have as well,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “We have a lot of guys who we’d love to come back this week. (Waiting until) next week (vs Kansas City) obviously gives them an extra three days. Not sure what the status of a couple of those guys is going to be — Preston, Marquez and Dave. It would be great to get those guys back, but we’ve got to go with what we have on Thursday.”

Lazard, one of the better blocking wide receivers in the league, had not been involved much in the passing game this year until Sunday. On a single drive against Washington he had five catches for 60 yards and grabbed his second touchdown of the season.

There was one piece of good COVID-19 news, as wide receiver Malik Taylor was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. He had been there since Oct. 15.