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According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, third-round rookie wide receiver Savion Williams has been dealing with a hamstring injury, which is why he was a non-participant in both the Green Bay Packers’ joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts and the subsequent preseason game last week. Previously, it was unclear what Williams’ injury was.
Per Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber, Williams had offseason shoulder surgery, which is why he wore a red non-contact jersey at practice while participating in drills this spring. That was the first health issue that Williams suffered this offseason. According to the scouting combine sheet, Williams’s reason for not being a full participant at the combine was due to his shoulder, meaning that he’s dealt with this injury for some time. Williams only ran the 40-yard dash in Indianapolis.
In late July, Williams was a non-participant in practice due to a concussion, which he returned from on July 27th. Almost as quickly as he returned, though, Williams was pulled out again, as he suffered another shoulder injury on August 2nd during the Packers’ Family Night practice.
On the 5th, Williams came back to practice, a good sign that this shoulder issue isn’t going to be a recurring issue, but the rookie has missed both preseason games since then. Williams’ lack of playing time in Week 1 against the New York Jets seemed to be a precautionary measure due to his shoulder, as he returned to practice the following week.
Unfortunately, that’s when his hamstring became a problem. On August 12th, Williams was banged up in practice with what we now know is a hamstring issue. He hasn’t returned to the field since.
So, no, it wasn’t a third shoulder injury or lingering issues from his concussion that’s keeping Williams out of action. It’s actually a new injury entirely, which can be viewed as a positive or negative, depending on your perspective.
Against the Colts, only one of the Packers’ top six receivers was healthy enough to suit up for the game. That receiver, rookie first-round pick Matthew Golden, was given a ballcap to wear on the sideline instead of a helmet. At this point, it’s probably not a bad idea to put him in bubble wrap.
