Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb returns to practice after 'scary' concussion in Chicago

GREEN BAY – Randall Cobb returned to practice Thursday, the first time he had seen the field since suffering a concussion against Chicago on Dec. 16. The 28-year-old receiver said it was one of the scarier injuries he has suffered in his eight-year career because there was a period of time he had no memory of after being hit by Bears safety Eddie Jackson following a 16-yard completion.

Cobb stayed on the field after that big hit from Jackson with four minutes remaining in the Packers’ 24-17 loss to the Bears, but he said he didn’t remember the next three plays or that the drive ended with an interception. He found that out on the team bus leaving Soldier Field.

“I don’t remember anything until I got back to the locker room, so there’s like a 10-minute span where I had amnesia,” Cobb said. “Yeah, it’s pretty scary. Have you ever had a time period where you just don’t remember anything? It’s pretty scary.”

But Cobb was undeterred in terms of returning to finish out this season. The concussion is not something he will dwell on should he suit up Sunday against Detroit.

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“I’ve had a punctured lung. I’ve had a broken leg. I came back and played and not thought about those things,” he said. “I would consider this to be another thing that whenever I take the field, I’m worried about that moment. I’m not worried about what’s happened in the past. Which is hard to do. That’s why we’re the men in the arena. That’s one of my favorite quotes; LeBron (James) always talks about that quote a lot. There’s a reason we do what we do and other people don’t, because we’re able to overcome those thoughts.”

His status for the Lions game remains up in the air as he practiced on a limited basis, but he does hope to play.

“I’m practicing to play football,” he said. “So, obviously, it’s definitely scary but I do love what I do and I’m going to play until I don’t feel like I can play anymore.”

Cobb will become an unrestricted free agent this spring, but he feels that despite suffering a severe hamstring injury that forced him to miss six games and then the concussion, he has plenty left to offer either the Packers or another team.

“I feel like I can still play,” he said. “I watch film of when I have played and been healthy and seen myself move, I feel like I can play. Obviously, I’ve had a few injuries here and there. It’s unfortunate but that’s the reality of it. It’s a bigger scope than me when you talk about this locker room, this organization, this league. It’s moves that are made for different reasons and that’s beyond me. I’ve got to control the part that I can.”

The last time Cobb was in a contract year, he caught 91 passes for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns in a Pro Bowl season in 2014. Now, he’s finishing out the four-year, $40 million deal he signed following that big year.

This season looked like it might follow that same path, as he caught nine passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in the season opener. But due to the injuries and overall offensive inconsistencies when he has been on the field, Cobb has just 37 catches for 356 yards and two scores to date.

Those would be his lowest totals since his last injury-shortened season in 2013.

“I never try to duplicate anything,” he said. “I’ve always tried to be the best me that I can be. Every year is different. Have different challenges, different adversity that you go through. Yeah, definitely this year felt like a storm. It felt like i just couldn’t catch a break. But, that’s part of life. I’ve had storms like this before in my past, from my childhood to high school to college. I’m not just talking about sports, I’m talking about life. And I’ve always found a way out of it. Whether that be with the game of football or whatever, I’m going to attack every day the same way to try to become the best me that I can be.”