Green Bay --- A lot has happened since Charles Johnson injured his knee July 27.
Veterans at his position also went down. Other young receivers stepped up. And nursing his medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury, Johnson had a first-row ticket on the sideline to watch it all. On Wednesday, Johnson finally returned.
It may be too late for Johnson to compete for a roster spot, at least right now. Both Illinois State's Tyrone Walker and Louisiana Tech's Myles White -- two undrafted rookies -- have excelled as Johnson and fellow seventh-rounder Kevin Dorsey (hamstring) sat out. The Packers may look to sneak the duo onto the practice squad.
Without much time, Johnson realizes urgency is high.
"I'm just going to go out there every day and treat every snap like it's my last snap," Johnson said. "Go out there and make every opportunity count. I missed a lot of time. From this point forward, I'm going to be excited. I'm happy just to be out there. I'm going to make every opportunity I get count."
The rookie with the intriguing path to Green Bay has a different blend of size and athleticism than all the other rookies. At 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 215 pounds, with 4.3 speed in the 40, the Packers will certainly want to see what they have. They simply have not seen him play for an extended amount of time yet. After Johnson missed all but one off-season practice and nearly a full month of training camp, he might have only one week of practice to flash his ability. He was a limited participant Wednesday, so could be pressed to play Friday.
Asked if the practice squad would be a viable option -- to help make up for a lost summer -- Johnson said he hasn't looked that far ahead yet.
"I look at it as what does this team need me for?" he said. "What can I do for this team at this moment? I'm going to go out there, give it my all and whatever happens, happens.
"I'm pretty strong with (the knee). I've progressed a lot. I'm strong. Obviously I was able to get out and practice now so the training staff was real impressed with what I was able to do working with them so I was able to practice today."
During his two-year stay at Grand Valley State, Johnson caught 128 passes for 2,229 yards (17.4 avg.) with 31 touchdowns.
This past month could have been a chance for him to grow into a realistic contributor in this year's offense. Both Jordy Nelson (knee) and Randall Cobb (bicep) have nursed injuries, creating reps for others. Instead, it's been Walker and White making plays in the rookie class.
White lacks size at 182 pounds, but he can run. He's been a threat along the sideline and was a couple poor throws away from a breakout game at St. Louis. And much like Jarrett Boykin a year ago, Walker has displayed consistent hands across the middle of the field. He has also caught the eye of cornerback Sam Shields, too.
"Big hands, he can catch very well," Shields said. "He runs routes well. He's been a good receiver."
Asked if Walker could play right away in this offense Shields said, "Most definitely."
Johnson has the ideal measurables, the potential but now he has to make up a ton of lost time.
"Charles is at a disadvantage," coach Mike McCarthy said after practice. "He doesn’t have the timing and the reps down with the quarterbacks as far as throwing him the ball. Really, for a young man to go out there in his first live action, you just want to see him play, play fast, play with confidence and try to do the best he can. So, he definitely has a lot of ability. That’s why we drafted him and hopefully he can go."