>>Pakers Coaches, Staff, Players Will Lock Arms Thursday

 

Players, coaches and staff from the Green Bay Packers will lock arms during the national anthem before Thursday night's game against the Chicago Bears, and they are asking fans to do the same in what they say will be a "moment of unification."

 

Players released a statement on Tuesday night. They say the image they hope to portray on Thursday is one of unity.

 

Most of the Packers also locked arms during the anthem before Sunday's game against Cincinnati. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said earlier Tuesday that the Packers love and support the military and others in uniform.

 

He says the players' actions are about "unity and love ... and starting a conversation around something that may be a little bit uncomfortable for people."

 

>>Packers Injuries Piling Up

 

Injuries have hammered away at the offensive line depth of the Green Bay Packers.

 

Left tackle David Bakhtiari and fellow starter at right tackle, Bryan Bulaga, haven't played a game together since the second week of the preseason, a trend that could continue Thursday night against the Chicago Bears .

 

Bakhtiari and Bulaga were limited Tuesday in practice, which was scaled back because of injuries and the short turnaround from the overtime win Sunday against Cincinnati .

 

That both players practiced was key to their prospects for facing the Bears.

 

Bulaga missed the first two games with an injured ankle but started on Sunday. However, he aggravated the injury in the fourth quarter and missed the last 23 snaps.

 

Bakhtiari missed the last two games with a hamstring injury sustained late in the Week 1 win over Seattle.

 

Versatile veteran Don Barclay injured an ankle in the preseason and was placed on injured reserve. Jason Spriggs, a second-round pick last year who was expected to be the swing tackle, injured a hamstring in the opener and was also placed on injured reserve.

 

That left Kyle Murphy, a sixth-round pick last year who played only eight snaps as a rookie, as the top backup.

 

Murphy replaced Bulaga in Week 1 and Bakhtiari in Weeks 2 and 3, but was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday. He played all 70 snaps of the overtime victory against the Bengals despite a foot injury in the fourth quarter.

 

The revolving door has impacted the Aaron Rodgers-led passing attack, even though Rodgers has topped 300 yards in each game this season. Rodgers directed the Packers to the tying drive at the end of regulation and the winning drive in overtime against Cincinnati.