- May 21, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The Green Bay Packers will be without starting inside linebacker Zaire Franklin for Sunday's matchup against the Detroit Lions.
Franklin suffered a shin injury in Thursday's practice after a collision. "He got kneed in the shin," coach Matt LaFleur said Friday. The ninth-year veteran is not expected to land on injured reserve, so he will miss fewer than four games.
The loss stings for a defense already missing Edgerrin Cooper, who tore his Achilles three weeks ago. Franklin ranks second on the team with 41 tackles and serves as the defensive signal-caller after being voted captain in his first Green Bay season.
Ty'Ron Hopper, who intercepted a pass in Week 5, will step into a starting role alongside Isaiah McDuffie. The pair faces a stiff test in Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who averages 149.4 yards from scrimmage per game.
On offense, running back Josh Jacobs is on track to make his season debut after missing six games on the commissioner exempt list. LaFleur indicated Jacobs practiced this week for the first time since training camp.
Mickey's Angle: The Packers are paper-thin at linebacker against one of the league's most explosive backs, so expect Detroit to test the middle early and often.
Source: ESPN (also reported by ProFootballTalk) - written by Mickey the Mouth from the original report.