The Minnesota Vikings received a significant boost heading into their Week 10 NFC North clash when reports confirmed that Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs will undergo surgery on a fractured finger this week and is expected to miss up to three weeks.
The news, first detailed by CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, means Jacobs will sit out Sunday’s matchup against Minnesota at Lambeau Field, removing one of the Packers’ top offensive weapons at a critical point in the season.
The injury occurred in the first quarter of Green Bay’s 45-27 win over the New England Patriots.
On a short gain, Jacobs extended his right arm for a stiff-arm and caught the ring finger of that hand in the facemask of Patriots safety Craig Woodson.
He later told reporters he saw a bone protruding and popped it back into place himself before heading to the sideline.
Medical staff tried tape and then a cast in an effort to protect the digit and restore his grip, but neither option worked well enough for him to return.
Jacobs finished the afternoon with just four carries for five yards.
Through three games since returning from the Commissioner’s Exempt List, Jacobs has rushed 36 times for 80 yards and a touchdown.
That modest output follows stronger campaigns in Green Bay, where he previously topped 900 rushing yards with double-digit scores.
Coach Matt LaFleur initially left open the possibility that a protective solution could allow Jacobs to play through the fracture, noting the main issue was simply securing the ball.
Sources now indicate the team has opted for surgery, with a maximum absence of three weeks and no expected placement on injured reserve.
For the Vikings, the timing is favorable. Green Bay enters the divisional game at 6-3 and already faces other backfield questions, including MarShawn Lloyd’s knee injury that kept him inactive against New England.
In Jacobs’ absence, Kaleb Johnson and Pierre Strong Jr. are the leading options to handle the ground game.
While the surgery is not expected to end Jacobs’ season, the short-term void gives Minnesota a clearer path to slow a Packers offense that has leaned on its running back in recent years.
The recovery window leaves open the chance of a return later in November, but for now the Vikings hold a tangible edge in what is traditionally one of the league’s fiercest rivalries.
