Packers to face Lions without LB Franklin
Trending
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Green Bay linebacker Zaire Franklin has a shin injury that will keep him from playing Sunday at Detroit, leaving the Packers without their second-leading tackler.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Friday that Franklin took a knee to the shin during a collision and wouldn’t be available for the Lions game. Franklin had been added to the injury report on Thursday.
“I don’t think it’s going to be anything too long-term, but just an unfortunate deal,” LaFleur said. “It happens when you play football, especially the way our guys have been practicing. But I think we’ve got a lot of confidence in (Isaiah) McDuffie and (Ty’Ron) Hopper and Nick Niemann if need be to go in there and do a great job for us.”
Franklin has 41 tackles in his first year with Green Bay after spending eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. The Packers acquired him in a trade for defensive tackle Colby Wooden.
Green Bay’s top tackler is safety Evan Williams, who has 49 stops.
The Packers (4-2) will be seeking their fourth straight win Sunday when they face the Lions (3-2).
The Lions have pivotal stretch against the Packers and the Minnesota Vikings in the Motor City over the next two weeks while a visit from Chicago looms on Thanksgiving.
“Division games are big, man,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said. “You talk about wanting to win a division, you have got to win division games. That’s something we weren’t able to do last year and that’s why those are important. … They’re really a game and a half.”
The Lions will play three of the last four games of the regular season on the road against NFC North teams, including a visit to Lambeau Field in Week 18.
Green Bay and Chicago are 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota (5-0) and that makes the stakes high for the visitors at Ford Field, too, in the NFL’s only division that has four teams with a winning record.
“Since I’ve been the starter, the division’s been winning a lot of games and it’s been a very tight competition throughout the whole course of the division, through the whole season,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. “It’s one of those things where you’ve got to take advantage, you’ve got to win these matchups when they present themselves.”
The Packers, who rank last in rushing yards and yards per carry, are expected to get a boost with the return of Josh Jacobs, who pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges stemming from an altercation with his then-girlfriend. The three-time Pro Bowl running back was removed this week from the commissioner’s exempt list, which had prevented him from playing in the first six games of the year or practicing with the team.
“It’s going to be a huge addition for us,” Love said. “Excited to have him back.”
When/where to watch: Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox.
Latest odds: Lions by 3
Against the spread: Packers 3-3; Lions 2-3.
Last week: Packers beat Cowboys 23-13; Lions had bye, beat Cardinals 45-21 on Oct. 11.
Last meeting: Packers beat Lions 31-24 on Nov. 27, 2025, in Detroit.
Series record: Packers lead 108-78-7.
Matchup to watch
Packers’ passing game against Detroit’s defense. Green Bay’s Christian Watson has 538 yards receiving and six touchdowns while teammate Matthew Golden has 501 yards receiving and three touchdowns. They are the only duo to rank among the top 10 in the NFL in yards receiving. The Lions are last in the league in passing defense, allowing nearly 300 yards per game.