GREEN BAY — Matt LaFleur stopped short Tuesday of flat-out naming rookie second-round draft pick Anthony Belton as the Green Bay Packers’ new starting right guard, but all signs point to Belton being the guy — instead of 2024 first-round draft pick Jordan Morgan — in the lineup for Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Detroit Lions. 

“We’ll see where we’re at. We’ll go through our preparation,” LaFleur replied when asked whether Belton would start against the Lions after taking over at the position during the second half of Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings.

“But I thought he came in there and he did a great job. I thought he showed the physicality and the strain that we’re looking for at that position. Obviously, he’s a big man. [For his] first time playing guard, all in all, I thought he did a pretty good job.”

Morgan, who became the starting right guard when Sean Rhyan moved to center after Elgton Jenkins suffered a fractured left lower leg in the team’s Nov. 10 loss to Philadelphia, started against the Vikings in what was supposed to be a series-by-series rotation.

But the coaches stuck with Belton in the second half and ended the rotation. Belton played 46 of the Packers’ 45 of the Packers’ 66 offensive snaps, while Morgan played 21.

“I thought he went out there and competed — a lot of things to clean up, but for the most part I liked his physicality and I like what he brought to the offense,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said Tuesday evening. “I felt he did a pretty nice job creating movement at the line of scrimmage and in the run game just being physical overall, for sure.”

The 6-foot-6, 336-pound Belton spent training camp working exclusively at tackle, but in recent weeks after he recovered from an early-season ankle injury, Stenavich and offensive line coach Luke Butkus began cross-training him at guard.

“Watching him play earlier this year before he hurt his ankle, we just saw what we had there and what we liked,” Stenavich said. “He obviously got injured, so it kind of set him back, but it was a move that we wanted to eventually do and give him a shot there, and I thought he did a nice job of answering.”

Asked if he thinks Belton’s future is at guard, Stenavich replied, “I think it’s just the best fit for the time being. I wouldn’t say that’s going to be his position long-term. But I think right now just playing there and getting those reps, I think that’s a good fit for him.”

As for Morgan, who has said from the beginning that he would prefer playing left tackle, Stenavich said it is up to him to “keep competing” for another opportunity.

“Just like any young player going through your ups and downs, trying to find your best spot,” Stenavich said. “We’re going to keep working him in there and he’s going to be a good player for us.”

Reed ready? 

As is the case with every Thursday game after a Sunday game, the Packers aren’t actually practicing this week, opting for walkthroughs and meetings instead. But had they practiced, the team estimated that wide receiver Jayden Reed would have been a limited participant on both Monday and Tuesday.

On Friday, the Packers opened Reed’s 21-day practice window to return from injured reserve, as Reed practiced for the first time since suffering the collarbone injury in the team’s Sept. 11 win over Washington.

Although he took part only in individual drill work that day, Reed, the Packers’ leading receiver in 2023 and 2024, said at the time that he believed he could get up to speed quickly and be ready to play sooner rather than later.

On Tuesday, Stenavich sounded like he agreed with Reed.

“As long as he feels good and confident, I’m sure he can go out there in some capacity and help us for sure,” Stenavich said.

The Packers would have to activate Reed off IR and create a spot for him on the active 53-man roster in order for him to play against the Lions. Giving him a full week of practice next week before the team’s Dec. 7 game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field would make more sense.

“There’s always going to be a little bit of just a re-acclimation, I would say, in terms of return to play,” LaFleur said. “But, he’s a great competitor. Certainly [we] can feed off his playmaking ability and the energy that he brings, not only to our offense but our football team.”

Asked if it’s possible Reed will play in Detroit, LaFleur replied, “You’ll find out Thursday at noon.”

Health watch

Defensive end Lukas Van Ness (foot), defensive tackle Karl Brooks (ankle), and wide receiver Savion Williams (foot) — all three of whom played against the Vikings last Sunday — were estimated as non-participants in practice Tuesday.

Williams continues to wear an orthopedic walking boot around the facility but has managed to play limited snaps in each of the last two games. Brooks started against the Vikings but only played four snaps, while Van Ness saw action after missing the previous five games and only played six snaps.

LaFleur said he didn’t want to call Van Ness’ action a “setback” in his recovery but admitted, “We were all thinking he’d be further along than he is. And unfortunately, he’s where he’s at.”

Two players dealing with the after effects of neck stingers — cornerback Keisean Nixon, who sustained his against the Vikings, and middle linebacker Quay Walker, who suffered his against the New York Giants the previous week and was inactive against the Vikings — were both limited participants but it’s unclear if they’ll be able to play Thursday.

“I mean, a lot of these guys are making progress. Unfortunately, you’re kind of up against it when you’re talking about a Thursday [game],” LaFleur said. “We’ll see where they’re at. Obviously, [Nixon] is a guy that we would absolutely give up ‘til game time to see if he can go.”

Running back Josh Jacobs, who didn’t play against the Vikings because of a bone bruise in his knee suffered against the Giants, had said last week that if he sat out the Vikings game, he’d be good to go for the Lions. LaFleur was unwilling to say the same thing so definitively.

“We’ll see how he responds. I mean, we didn’t have a full practice. Everything was [a] walkthrough today,” LaFleur said. “So we’ll just see kind of how he’s feeling on game day.”

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