The Packers won’t be seeing a J.C. Tretter comeback if they advance to Super Bowl LI. Green Bay placed the center on IR a day before its NFC title tilt in Atlanta, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
Tretter has not played since the Packers’ seventh game of the season, when he suffered a knee injury. The team kept him on the roster in hopes of a possible return but will now promote rookie wideout Max McCaffrey to its 53-man roster. Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams and Geronimo Allison are considered game-time decisions due to injuries on Sunday.
A third-year center, Tretter started in all seven games he played this season and suffered the knee injury during the Packers’ last trip to Atlanta. At first, this was believed to be fairly minor, but it ended up costing Tretter most of his third season. Mike McCarthy revealed this week Tretter would not have been an option in the Packers-Falcons rematch after undergoing surgery earlier this week. Fellow third-year man Corey Linsley came off the PUP list in November and resumed his role as the team’s starting center, one he’s held for the past three seasons.
The son of Ed McCaffrey and older brother of Christian, Max McCaffrey has not played in a game yet this season. He caught on with the Packers’ practice squad late in the regular season.