Is Marquez Valdes-Scantling playing tonight vs. Cardinals in Week 8?

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been dealing with a hamstring injury for most of the season. Valdes-Scantling was placed on the IR in Week 4 and was expected to return to the field by Week 8.

With the Green Bay Packers headed to Glendale, Arizona to face the undefeated Arizona Cardinals in Thursday night football, they will be without Davante Adams and Allen Lazard due to the COVID-19 list. For an offense that will already be without some of its key wide receivers, the return of Valdes-Scantling will be much-needed good news.

Is Marquez Valdes-Scantling playing tonight?

On Thursday afternoon, the Packers announced that wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling will not be activated and will also not be playing against the Cardinals.

The Green Bay Packers had hoped that Valdes-Scantling would be activated and he even traveled with the team to Arizona but, just before the 4:00pm EST cut off of activated/not activated players, it appears that Valdes-Scantling won't take the field on Thursday night.

Apparently the Packers don't feel comfortable activating Valdes-Scantling on a short week with the hamstring injury and will wait until Week 9 to hopefully activate him.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling last played in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers. In that game Valdes-Scantling had three catches for 59 yards and one touchdown, but was taken out of the game in the fourth quarter after noticeably being bothered by his hamstring injury. This is the first trip to the IR for Marquez Valdes-Scantling in his four-year NFL career.

Valdes-Scantling, Adams and Lazard are responsible for about 50% of the Green Bay Packers receiving touchdowns, receiving yards and receptions. Leaving quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a tough spot on Thursday night against a Cardinals defense that has helped them to a 7-0 record.

The Green Bay Packers will now rely on Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers as the likely number one and two receivers. The Packers will also have Equanimeous St. Brown and Malik Taylor as wide receiver options. Green Bay can rely on running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon in the passing game as well, something they have run in the past with the offense.