With a bye week in front of them, the Packers aren’t freaking out about Clay Matthews’ injury yet. But his track record with his hamstrings does give them pause.
The Packers outside linebacker left yesterday’s win over the Cardinals in the first half, after twice pulling up and limping off the field. He didn’t return to the game in the second half.
Matthews missed most of training camp in 2009 and 2010 with the same left hamstring pull, meaning they’ll keep a close eye on him after evaluating the injury today.
“We need to get healthy,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said, via Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “That’s what bye weeks are for. We’ve had some significant injuries, too many for our liking.”
Prior to yesterday, Matthews hadn’t missed many snaps, and no practices or games. So the with a week and a half before his next full practice, he will have a chance to rehab and rest.
The Packers will also be monitoring the status of wide receiver Jordy Nelson (ankle) and right tackle Bryan Bulaga (hip), in addition to a long list they carried into the game.