But the recovery time for that kind of injury is eight to 10 months and that would put his return sometime into the regular season. At some point well before that, the Packers would have to move forward and prepare to replace him as their starting right tackle.
"It's a medical condition. What (was) it, Week 12, Week 13?" McCarthy said of the injury, which occurred against the Houston Texans on Dec. 7. "It's a late injury. You do the math, and you're looking Oct. 1 (at his return). That's what the math tells you.
"Mark would probably tell you differently because he feels great. He's attacked his rehab and he's in there every day. We'll see what happens. Leadership-wise, you can't say enough great things about him. It's a medical condition that's going to make for a tough decision."