The Green Bay Packers have won each of their last three games, all of which came following their Bye Week. Now at 9-3 following their Thanksgiving victory over the Miami Dolphins, the Packers enter the late-season stretch in which they will face each of their three divisional rivals. The Detroit Lions (11-1) lead the NFC North while the Minnesota Vikings (10-2) are one game up on Green Bay in the standings.

Currently the sixth seed in the NFC, the Packers can make a run for higher seeding and even the division title, but there is very little room for error. They will face a tough test on Thursday when they travel to Detroit for their second matchup with the Lions this season.

Detroit won the first game they played 24-14 at Lambeau Field right before Green Bay’s Bye Week. But it looks like the Packers may have a key player back for this second matchup that they did not have in the first.

Jaire Alexander Returned to Practice for the Green Bay Packers

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander has been battling injuries again this year. He missed two games early in the season, including the Packers’ first game against Minnesota, due to a groin injury. He has also missed three of the last four games with a knee injury that he suffered at the end of Green Bay’s win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

When Alexander first hurt his knee, it looked bad from a fan’s perspective. It was considered miraculous that he had not torn his ACL. But he missed the first Lions game and had the Bye Week to heal, and he did start against the Bears in Week 11.

But he could not play for long. He was removed from the game as his knee was still bothering him. It was revealed afterward that the injury was a lot more serious than fans realized.

Alexander is dealing with a torn PCL. The injury has also kept him out of practice for the last couple of weeks.

Thankfully, he returned on Sunday, which was treated like a regular day of practice due to Green Bay having played on Thanksgiving and their next game coming up this Thursday:

#Packers practice: CB Jaire Alexander an WR Romeo Doubs are back. pic.twitter.com/zAba6vUN9U

— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) December 1, 2024

As one can see, wide receiver Romeo Doubs also returned to practice after missing Thanksgiving with a concussion.

While Alexander is not officially active for Thursday, seeing him finally able to practice, even in a limited sense, was a good sign.

Green Bay Packers Fans React to Jaire Alexander Returning to Practice

Even though he has battled injuries, Alexander is still one of the best cornerbacks in the game when he is on the field. In the seven games he has played this season, he is limiting quarterbacks to a 56.7% completion percentage when targeting him to go with an 86.7 passer rating.

With arguably the biggest game of the season thus far coming up on Thursday, fans were ecstatic to see Alexander back on the practice field:

https://t.co/pgpuA22tx9 pic.twitter.com/SffetIWzH5

— 🧀Packers 9-3🧀 (@SeeColes) December 1, 2024

YO GOD IS GOOD https://t.co/E8CQisjzkb

— cooper (@itsCooop) December 1, 2024