GREEN BAY, Wis. -- One of theories about what’s wrong with the Green Bay Packers offense is the lack of a big-play tight end down the middle of the field.

That was supposed to be what free-agent Jared Cook added.

But Cook hasn’t played since Week 3, when he badly sprained his right ankle against the Lions. Although it’s not a season-ending injury, Cook still hasn’t been cleared to practice.

Exactly a month from the injury, Cook said he’s still not ready to return.

An ankle injury has kept Packers tight end Jared Cook on the sidelines since Week 3. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Sports

“I wish,” Cook said Tuesday.

That wouldn’t bode well for his chance to play in Sunday’s game at Atlanta.

“Unless you know something different than I do,” Cook said.

In Cook’s absence, coach Mike McCarthy turned back to Richard Rodgers, who caught 58 passes last season. In six games this year, Rodgers has nine catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. But in the three games that Cook has missed, Rodgers has just four catches for 28 yards and no touchdowns.

In reporting for a story earlier this month on what’s wrong with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who regularly sees the Packers as a FOX TV analyst, pointed to the lack of a productive tight end as one of the problems with their offense.

“They haven’t had a tight end who can consistently beat guys down the middle of the field,” Aikman said.

Cook missed a good chunk of the preseason while recovering from offseason foot surgery and had just six catches for 53 yards in the two-and-half games before his ankle injury, but both he and Aaron Rodgers said they were just starting to build their chemistry.

Still, Cook’s eventual return could alleviate some of the stress on the Packers receivers, who have had to make up for the lack of a natural running game given the injuries to backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks.

“When it comes to injuries, you just have to be smart,” said Cook, who before this season had missed only five games in his first seven NFL seasons and none since 2012. “You just have to take your time and let it heal. You can’t rush it. It’s terrible the situation that we’re in as a team, as whole right now. It’s tough man, it really is.”