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Playing with knee and ankle sprains sustained in the season opener, Ferguson took part in the entire practice and said he was able to run full speed. He is still listed as questionable on the team's injury report however and head coach Mike Sherman characterized Ferguson as a "Dreaded Game-Time Decision."
"We'll see how he recovers," Sherman said. "I'm not going to speculate until I see how he handles [Saturday] and [Sunday]."
With Donald Driver already ruled out with a sprained neck, the Packers would be without both of their starting receivers from Week 1 if Ferguson can't play.
Earlier in the week, the third-year receiver was walking with the assistance of crutches. Friday, he was much improved.
"Little sore, little tender, but other than that pretty good," Ferguson said.
Second-year receiver Javon Walker will start against Detroit in place of Driver, with recently re-signed Antonio Freeman waiting in the wings to take Ferguson's place if necessary.
Speaking of Freeman. ... It's amazing what can happen in 20 months.
Freeman spent only one season away from the Packers, but it was enough time for a lot of change -- from the faces in the locker room, to the locker room itself.
"If feels good to be back," Freeman said Friday. "It definitely doesn't feel the same.
"It's like you broke up with your girlfriend, but you get back together a year-and-a-half later. You don't know where she's been, she doesn't know where you've been."
After three days back on the practice field, Freeman says the Packers' offense is coming back to him quickly. The bigger question is in regard to his conditioning.
Although Freeman worked out during the offseason, he didn't attend any mini-camps or training camp and hasn't taken a game rep since January, when the Philadelphia Eagles fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship game.
"Anybody can get up and run," Freeman said. "You can run 3 miles, you can run 20 hills, you can do all those types of training things. But until you get out there with the stop-and-go and have a defensive back bearing down on you, it's not the same."
Freeman said he is preparing to play the entire game Sunday. ...
Also of interest. ...
Having missed the season opener, veteran tight end Wesley Walls believes he can play this weekend against the Detroit Lions.
Listed as questionable on the team's injury report, Walls said he's done his best to simulate game speed during practices this week -- including Friday's session -- and believes his strained hamstring has healed to the point that he can contribute.
"There's not much difference between full speed and three-quarters speed with me," Walls joked.
Fullback Nick Luchey was added to the injury report Friday with a strained calf, which he suffered in practice Thursday. Luchey practiced Friday but was limited, Sherman said.