eddie lacy.jpg

Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy carries the ball during an NFL game against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 25, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis.

(AP Photo)

Injured Green Bay running back Eddie Lacy is staying involved with the Packers as he recovers after ankle surgery.

Green Bay running backs coach Ben Sirmans said the former Alabama standout attends meetings when he's not in rehab, even though he knows it's a long shot that he can make it back on the field this season.

The Packers put Lacy on injured reserve last month. Each NFL team can bring back one player from IR each season, and at this point, that option remains open for Green Bay.

"I think with him, he knows it's a long stretch for him," Sirmans said. "Who knows what can happen? If we do well enough, we get into the playoffs, we start making a run, and if he's physically able, who knows? I guess it all depends on how his rehab goes."

Prayers up fa the kid. I'll be back. 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/odxaOuHh2J — Eddie Lacy (@Lil_Eazy_Ana_42) October 26, 2016

Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy wants Lacy to stay involved with the team.

"I think it's important for any player, especially Eddie Lacy," McCarthy told reporters at his Friday press conference. "When these players go on IR, that's a tough spot to be in. Obviously, the No. 1 focus is to get them healthy, the right care -- and I don't think anybody does it better than us, in my opinion - and, frankly, to keep them involved. I think it's a natural reaction once a player gets hurt, they don't feel they're as involved in the locker room and all those things. So we've always been proactive in keeping those guys part of the football team. I think it's important for Eddie to feel that way and make sure we take care of him."

It's also helps the team to have Lacy involved, McCarthy said.

"It's a great benefit," McCarthy said. "Just think of the structure of the running-back room. Every position room has a structure, a culture. You always talk about the culture of your locker room, the culture of the classroom environment. Your best player in the room is injured, so you take him out of the room, it obviously changes the dynamics, but also the experience, the interaction, the communication. I look at what (injured wide receiver) Jordy Nelson did last year for those receivers just to be there every day and to be part of it. From a coaching perspective, you need to try to elevate those guys a little bit so they can contribute and help the younger players. Eddie Lacy has a lot to offer. He's played a lot of football, he's a very smart, instinctive football player and he's a great asset for our young running backs."

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Right now, that could be "our young running back" because the Packers have only one healthy running back on their roster - rookie Don Jackson from Nevada - although they also have a rookie running back on their practice squad, former Daleville High School and Troy standout Brandon Burks.

With No. 2 running back James Starks going down with a knee injury before Lacy, the Packers had to elevate Jackson from the practice squad on Oct. 20, the same day that Lacy went on IR, and use wide receivers Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb at running back.

Starks has returned to practice on a limited basis, but with Lacy and Starks out the past two games, Green Bay has taken a couple of losses to drop to 4-4 for the season heading into Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans.

On Oct. 9, Lacy was enjoying what Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy called his "best game this year" with 81 yards on 11 carries against the New York Giants when linebacker Keenan Robinson landed on his left ankle on his second carry of the second half. After limping to the bench, Lacy did not return to the game.

Lacy came back to run for 65 yards on 17 carries against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 16, but that was purely guts and the effort landed him on injured reserve.

Lacy had rushed for 360 yards on 71 carries and caught four passes for 28 yards this season when he went out. Lacy was a 1,000-yard rusher in his first two NFL seasons.

In his NFL career, Lacy has run for 3,435 yards and 23 touchdowns on 788 carries and caught 101 passes for 900 yards and six touchdowns since joining Green Bay in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.