Torn Pec Ends Jenkins Season

Cullen Jenkins’ ramped-up offseason workouts were supposed to accomplish two things – improve his performance and keep him off the injury report.

He achieved the former but could not avoid the latter.

The Green Bay Packers’ versatile defensive lineman, who was off to a fast start this season, will miss the rest of the year due to a torn pectoral muscle, according to one of his agents, Brian Levy.

“He’s going to need surgery,” Levy said Tuesday. “So he’s going to have to go on injured reserve.”

Jenkins was injured in the fourth quarter of the 30-21 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday, when he nearly sacked Bucs quarterback Brian Griese. On that play, Griese slipped out of Jenkins’ grasp, and Jenkins remained down on the field while the play went on. He received treatment on the bench and never returned to the game.

The Packers did not make an announcement about Jenkins, nor did they officially place him on injured reserve before the end of league business on Tuesday.

However, they signed Kenneth Pettway, one of two veteran defensive linemen who worked out on Tuesday.

According to the NFL’s internal transaction wire that is not released to the public, the Packers worked out Pettway and Patrick Chukwurah.

The 6-foot-4, 248-pound Pettway played in 17 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars the last two seasons combined.

Pettway, 25, a three-year veteran was with former Jaguars teammate Richard Collier during the Sept. 2 shooting that left Collier paralyzed below the waist. Pettway escaped unharmed in the incident, which took place in the Riverside area of Jacksonville, Fla.

Jenkins could prove tough to replace. After a so-so 2007 season, which came on the heels of a four-year, $15.84 million contract he signed on Feb. 26, 2007, Jenkins was off to the best start of his five-year NFL career.

He was second on the Packers with 2½ sacks and accounted for 10 of their 28 quarterback pressures. He was stout against the run playing defensive end on early downs and easily the best interior pass rusher while playing defensive tackle on passing downs.

“The timing couldn’t be worse,” Levy said. “It’s a big blow, but he’ll come back from this stronger.”

Full Story: PackersNews.com