GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It won't help the Packers this week, when they are short on receivers, but veteran Randall Cobb said Friday he expects to return from the left ankle injury he initially feared was much worse.
"I felt something pop," Cobb said. "And I thought, 'This is the way it ends.' It's nice to have the good news and to know that I'll be able to come back."
Cobb on Saturday was placed on injured reserve, meaning he'll miss at least four weeks. He said Friday that his estimated timeline was two to six weeks.
An emotional Cobb was carted to the locker room with a towel over his head after he suffered the injury Sunday in the loss to the New York Jets. He said he has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.
The Packers (3-3) will be without not only Cobb on Sunday at Washington (2-4) but also fellow receiver Christian Watson, who will miss his second straight game because of a hamstring injury.
Veteran receiver Sammy Watkins was activated off injured reserve Saturday, but was listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Commanders as he continues to heal from a hamstring injury that has caused him to miss four games.
Along with Watkins, that leaves Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, the seldom-used Amari Rodgers and the never-used Samori Toure as the only available receivers on the roster. Toure, a rookie seventh-round pick, has been inactive for every game this season.
While the Packers have had a different leading receiver in each of their six games, Cobb, 32, ranks second on the team in receiving yards (257) and fourth in receptions (18). He led the Packers with seven catches for 99 yards in the Week 5 loss to the New York Giants and had one catch for 8 yards before he was injured against the Jets.
This injury isn't new to Cobb. He said he had the same thing in 2016, when he missed only two starts.
"I missed a couple weeks and then came back for the playoff game against the Giants, the Hail Mary game," Cobb said, referring to the 42-yard touchdown pass he caught at the end of the first half. "Last time I came out of this, three touchdowns against the Giants in the playoff game, so we'll see. Luckily it's not as serious as what it could've been."
The Packers on Saturday also place offensive lineman Jake Hanson on injured reserve with a biceps injury. In another roster move, the team elevated linebacker LaDarius Hamilton from the practice squad.