Ankle injury could sideline Packers WR Randall Cobb for start of training camp

Michael Cohen

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Green Bay Packers receiver Randall Cobb (18) cools off between drills during Packers training camp practice on July 26, 2016, at Ray Nitschke Field.

GREEN BAY - Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb is recovering from an ankle injury that may sideline him for the beginning of training camp, according to a source.

Cobb participated in organized team activities throughout the spring and was on the field as recently as June 4, the final practice open to the media before veterans were excused for the team’s mandatory minicamp in mid-June. His only absence during OTAs was for a personal matter.

Three weeks later, though, Cobb is wearing a walking boot on his right ankle. He described the boot as “temporary” when seen at an airport Sunday night but didn’t say whether he underwent surgery. How and when the injury occurred is unclear.

SILVERSTEIN:Rookie WRs need to grow up quickly

Rather than rush Cobb back to full health, the Packers are expected to ease him onto the field when training camp begins next month, a source said. Either way, the team has no concerns about his availability for the season opener against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 9.

Cobb, 27, will be asked to play a large role in the offense this season both on and off the field. He and Davante Adams, the team’s No. 1 wideout, are the eldest members of a receiving corps that features three rookie draft picks and limited experience outside of the starting lineup. Those two players, along with tight end Jimmy Graham, are expected to be the primary weapons for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“Randall has obviously been a very good player here, and we expect him to be a very good player moving forward,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said in March. “Those future questions, you never know what’s going to come down. You just don’t know how those things are going to play out. But he’s a guy that we’re counting on for the upcoming season. He’s a young, really good player who has been a good player in the past, and I haven’t seen any decrease in his play over the last few years.”