GREEN BAY — Just when it looked like the Green Bay Packers would only be without one player — cornerback Casey Hayward — from their 53-man roster for Sunday's regular-season opener at San Francisco, safety Morgan Burnett and inside linebacker Brad Jones showed up Friday morning with soreness in the hamstrings they injured against Seattle on Aug. 23.
Both starters on defense, Burnett and Jones both missed the Aug. 29 preseason finale at Kansas City but had practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday and were not even listed on the injury report until their hamstrings bothered them Friday.
"We'll see how it goes. We'll be smart with those guys," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after Burnett did not practice at all on Friday and Jones was limited. "Forty-eight hours (until game-time), it's important to get those guys ready to play the game. Hopefully, it's nothing more than that."
Packers
Out: CB Casey Hayward (hamstring).
Questionable: S Morgan Burnett (hamstring), ILB Brad Jones (hamstring).
Probable: CB Jarrett Bush (ankle).
49ers
(San Francisco’s practice had not concluded at the time of this posting.)
If Burnett can't go, the Packers would started M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian together at safety. The two have been battling for the starting job next to Burnett all offseason and training camp. Chris Banjo is the third safety.
If Jones can't go, Robert Francois would likely get the call in his place. The Packers also have Jamari Lattimore and rookie Sam Barrington on the roster at inside linebacker.
"Well, you always have to prepare," defensive coordinator Dom Capers said. "We always tell our guys, if you're sitting in that room, you've got to be ready to go in because you might be one play away from being out there and playing a whole lot of plays."
Jason Wilde wrote: