The Green Bay Packers are four weeks into the 2025 NFL season and will have a bye in Week 5, but help from injury lists could be coming ahead of the team’s Week 6 visit from the Cincinnati Bengals.

Matt LaFleur’s team has five players eligible to return — or have their 21-day practice windows opened — after four games. Three missed all of training camp and began the season on the physically unable to perofm list, while two others started the regular season on injured reserve but were designated for return.

The Packers released Brant Banks on Tuesday, clearing another roster spot, so Brian Gutekunst’s has two open spots to work with over the next several days and into next week. And remember, being designated for return simply opens up the player’s practice window, which allows the player to practice while not counting against the active roster. Each player would need to be activated to the 53-man roster to play.

Here is who eligible for the Packers:

• WR Christian Watson (PUP): The Packers probably want to ease him back into the flow of practice and may use his entire 21-day practice window before activating him, but Watson — who tore his ACL in the regular season finale last January — will immediately provide a big deep threat, a capable perimeter blocker and another legitimate weapon in the passing game once he’s ready to go. Matt LaFleur said the Packers were still discussing if Watson’s practice window would be opened to start Week 6.
• RB MarShawn Lloyd (IR-DFR): The explosive but injury-plagued running back injured his hamstring in the preseason and began the season on injured reserve. Could Lloyd help provide a spark in the run game? His quickness to the line of scrimmage could help an offensive line struggling to maintain blocks. The Packers do have three running backs active in Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks, so the numbers get tricky once Lloyd returns.
• OL Jacob Monk (IR-DFR): His return from a hamstring injury could come at an ideal time considering all the injuries along the offensive line. He can play center and guard in a pinch. It’s possible the Packers would release Donovan Jennings to make room for Monk, a 2024 fifth-round pick.
• DE Collin Oliver (PUP): His hamstring injury cost him all of training camp. The Packers don’t have a strong need at either defensive end or linebacker, but giving him the full 21-day practice window — especially considering he missed all of camp — would provide a ramp-up period and time for the Packers to find him a roster spot. Oliver is an elite athlete who could be a special teams weapon early in his career.
• OL John Williams (PUP): It’s unclear if Williams is close to ready for football activities after needing an operation to fix a back injury this summer. Like Oliver, he would need a full 21-day ramp-up period to get back into football shape, especially as a rookie who missed so much time to start his first season.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers have 5 players eligible to come off PUP or IR entering bye week