Two other starters injured Friday night against the Jets, linebacker Rey Maualuga (knee) and Taylor Mays (head), also are expected back this week, with Taylor possibly returning as early as today.
But the timetable is considerably longer for defensive end Carlos Dunlap, who is expected to miss four weeks with a knee injury.
“It is what it is, and now I have to do what I got to do to get back on the field,” Dunlap said. “They’re not going to let me go back out there until I am fully prepared. It’s one of those situations where you have to do a lot to get back out there and now I have to do it.”
When asked if he had set a goal for a return date, Dunlap said “A week earlier than they tell me.”
The injury occurred when Dunlap was pursing Jets wide receiver Patrick Turner and another player fell and clipped his knee. He said he initially feared the worst.
“Obviously you’re frustrated at first,” he said. “Being able to walk off on my own was a big thing for me. I didn’t want to be carted off.”
This marks the third year in a row Dunlap will miss significant time in the preseason. He missed two preseason games and two regular-season games as a rookie in 2010 with a strained knee, and he sat out all four preseason games last year with a foot injury.
As a result of his first two years, Dunlap followed a workout program in the offseason specifically designed to prevent injuries in addition to the regular lifting program.
“You can do all you want to prepare and prevent injuries, but you can’t prevent all of them,” he said. “I feel like I am fully prepared for the ones I can control, but it is still the game of football. There’s things that happen, and now I have to do what I have to do to get back out there.”
Benson returning
Former Bengals running back Cedric Benson signed a one-year contract with Green Bay on Sunday, which means he will get to face his former team Aug. 23 when the Packers visit Paul Brown Stadium for a preseason game.
Benson played four seasons with the Bengals from 2008-11, rushing for at least 1,000 yards in each of the last three. He ranks fifth on the team’s all-time rushing list with 4,176 yards.
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