GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers' resident tough guys when it comes to cold weather — the offensive linemen — are having second thoughts about their vow to go sleeveless for Sunday's NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.
With subzero temperatures predicted for game-time — and the threat of frostbite a very real concern — guards Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang, the unit's veteran leaders, admitted Friday that after two days of practicing outside, they may go against their policy and wear long-sleeved shirts under their uniforms. The most recent forecase from the National Weather Service calls for Sunday's high to be 1 degree and the low to be minus-21. Wind chills could reach extremely dangerous levels.
"The weather forecast is pretty damned cold," Lang said. "Probably a game-time decision. I've never worn them in my life, but I don't want to get frostbite. We'll see what happens."
Sitton said he wore sleeves for Friday's practice after not wearing them on Thursday and noticed a difference. Rookie David Bakhtiari had said on Thursday that he would go sleeveless, in part because the veterans had made it clear that doing so was an unwritten toughness rule.
"I said (to Bakhtiari), if I'm wearing sleeves, then you're wearing sleeves," Sitton said. "I don't want to be the only one with sleeves on. We'll see. I mean if it's so cold that I need sleeves, I'm putting sleeves on. I don't really care what anybody thinks of me toughness-wise."
Meanwhile, rookie running back Eddie Lacy said that while he will wear multiple layers under his uniform, no long-sleeve shirts will be among them. Lacy, who lost a fumble in the regular-season opener against the 49ers and did not fumble again all season, said his concern was purely about ball-security, not showing how tough he is.
"I just feel like if I had sleeves, I might fumble or something like that," Lacy said. "I'm just staying with no sleeves. I'm comfortable that way."
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