Packers Wide Receiver Expected Back for TNF

The Green Bay Packers are looking to build on Sunday's thrilling 31-28 win over the Dallas Cowboys, and they should have a familiar face back to help them do it. Wide receiver Randall Cobb is expected to play in tonight's Thursday Night Football game against the Tennessee Titans.

From @gmfb: #Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott (knee) on the field for walkthrough, the latest on #Vikings WR Justin Jefferson’s injured toe and #Packers WR Randall Cobb (ankle) expected to be activated from IR for tonight’s game against the #Titans. @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/zxiwwFazHG
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 17, 2022

Cobb has been unavailable since suffering an ankle injury in the Packers' Week 6 27-10 loss to the New York Jets. The injury had initially appeared severe, so Cobb's relatively quick return comes as a pleasant surprise.

Cobb had been one of the Packers' top pass catchers before the injury. His 42.8 receiving yards per game remain second on the team, and his 9.9 yards per target are the most of any receiver on the team with more than 25 passes in their direction. He should provide a huge boost to a Packers passing attack that may have turned a corner in Week 10; they scored a season-high 31 points and quarterback Aaron Rodgers managed a season-best 146.7 passer rating.

Cobb initially joined the Packers as their 64th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He peaked in 2014 with a Pro Bowl season, hauling in 91 receptions for 1287 yards and 12 touchdowns, but his production declined from that point, bottoming out with 383 yards at a middling 6.3 yards per target in 2018. He revived his career with a couple of efficient years with the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans in which he averaged 50.8 receiving yards per game at 9.7 yards per target. He found his way back to the Packers in 2021.