GREEN BAY, Wis. — The conversation about Jake Kumerow, who’s been dubbed by one member of the Green Bay Packers as “one of the talks of training camp,” won’t be coming to an end.
That’s because the popular receiver avoided a serious shoulder injury.
Kumerow sustained a sprained SC joint in his shoulder that neither he nor the Packers medical staff views as a serious concern, a source told ESPN on Friday. It is expected to heal relatively quickly with rest and shouldn’t impact Kumerow’s availability for the regular season should he make the roster — something that seemed like a foregone conclusion after his performance in Thursday’s night’s preseason win over the Steelers.
The former Division III standout at UW-Whitewater, who has become a local favorite, sustained the injury when he dove into the end zone on his 82-yard catch-and-run touchdown against Pittsburgh. He caught three passes for 114 yards and the touchdown. Kumerow leads the NFL in preseason receiving yards with 190 and has a pair of touchdowns in as many games.
He’s the son of former first-round pick Eric Kumerow and the first cousin of Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa.
Kumerow has drawn praise from Aaron Rodgers and other veterans in the locker room. Cornerback Tramon Williams called him “one of the talks of training camp.”
The 6-foot-4, long-haired Kumerow, 26, first broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Bengals in 2015. He was cut at the end of training camp in both 2015 and 2016 and last year was released with an ankle injury. The Packers signed him to their practice squad last December.
“From the first time he got here, it’s never been too big for him,” Rodgers said Thursday night. “He continues to make plays, and that’s how you make the squad: You ball out on game day and you do things on special teams when you’re a fringe guy and you give yourself an opportunity, not just for this squad, but for any team watching [No.] 16 on film.”
The Packers sustained two other known injuries on Thursday night: running back Jamaal Williams (ankle) and guard Justin McCray (calf). Coach Mike McCarthy offered no updates on their conditions on Friday, but both players indicated after the game that their injuries were not believed to be serious.
A source said tests showed McCray sustained just a calf contusion that should not keep him out long, if at all.
