<
        >

          NFL Nation

          No more bench time expected for cornerback Sam Shields

          • Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterDec 10, 2014, 06:50 PM ET
            Close
              Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
            Follow on X

          GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Apparently no one wants to use the B-word around cornerback Sam Shields, but it would be far-fetched to call his early departure from Monday night's win over the Atlanta Falcons anything other than a benching.

          Green Bay Packers Mike McCarthy called it a rotation, but that would have required Shields to re-enter the game. Instead, he watched the final 21 defensive plays from the sideline.

          Davon House finish the game in his place, leaving Shields on the bench.

          "There was a lot going through my head," Shields said Wednesday. "It was frustration. You don't want to be on the sideline. Coach made the decision. He made a good decision [to] put House in there. House made some great plays. I'll be ready for Buffalo."

          It was a tough spot for Shields, who got only a few reps in practicing leading up to the game. Those snaps came the day before the game, when Shields was finally cleared from the concussion he sustained in the previous game against the New England Patriots. He had to treat pregame warmups like a mini-practice to make up for the all the time he missed during the week.

          "I needed a couple reps," Shields said. "That probably would've helped out. It happens. I was in there. I got back on the field [and] that was the most important part."

          Shields wasn't solely to blame for Julio Jones' 11-catch, 259-yard day. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Shields allowed three of Jones' catches for 66 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

          Even if House wasn't dealing with a shoulder injury, the Packers weren't planning to permanently bench Shields, their $39 million cornerback who signed a four-year contract in March. Shields was not listed on this week's injury report, while House missed practice Wednesday and might be a long shot to play Sunday at Buffalo.

          "He's a young player, and he's our guy," McCarthy said of Shields on Tuesday.

          Shields said it's a non-issue going forward.

          "I talked to my coaches; we talked about it and moved on," he said. "But they weren't like, 'You're benched, you suck.' It wasn't like that. They felt it was time for House to get in there. They were being cautious about my head."