Tretter likely headed to short-term IR

JC Tretter appears headed for the injured reserve with a designation to return.

Tretter's agent, Alan Herman, said the Green Bay Packers hadn't told him definitively by Tuesday afternoon what they're going to do with his client, who's expected to miss at least six weeks because of a knee injury.

But all signs point to Tretter going on the IR-return list, which would open up a roster spot but prevent Tretter from playing for eight weeks. He would be eligible to resume practice after six.

NFL teams first were able to start placing players on injured reserve with a recall designation on Tuesday at 3 p.m. (CDT), so any transaction wouldn't show up on the league wire until Wednesday. Each team is able to recall one player.

Tretter, 23, spent all of the offseason program and training camp working as the starting center with the first team offense before suffering a left knee injury in the team's third preseason game against Oakland on Aug. 22.

ESPN Wisconsin reported Tretter likely was going to miss up to six weeks with an impaction fracture. Tretter didn't play in a game during his rookie season after breaking his ankle on the first day of organized team activities.

Rookie Corey Linsley will start at center for the Packers in Thursday's regular-season opener against Seattle. The Packers don't have another natural center on their 53-man roster, but could call up Garth Gerhart from their practice squad or add another offensive lineman.

Presently, fourth-year tackle Derek Sherrod and second-year guard Lane Taylor are the team's only reserve linemen after swing tackle Don Barclay suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament last month.

Tretter would be eligible to play again Nov. 9 against Chicago.

Since it was approved in 2012, the Packers have tabbed running back Cedric Benson and receiver Randall Cobb as injury designations. Benson never played again in 2012, but Cobb returned for last year's regular-season finale in Chicago.

-whodkiew@pressgazettemedia.com and follow him on Twitter @WesHod.