Rashan Gary’s Return Gives The Green Bay Packers A Lift

Practice had ended for the Green Bay Packers Monday.

And instead of one of the coaches addressing the team, Rashan Gary took center stage.

Nine months and one day after tearing his right ACL, Gary was back on the practice field. And Green Bay’s standout outside linebacker had a heartfelt message for his teammates.

“It’s just me talking, just showing my consideration,” Gary said. “Everybody that was with me, supported me, gave me encouraging moments and words throughout this process, I just appreciate them and thankful for them. That’s it. Just excited to be back.”

Probably not as excited as the Packers are.

Gary suffered his injury on Nov. 6 and began training camp on the physically unable to perform list. He came off the PUP list Monday, then did individual drills during practice.

The Packers will be extremely cautious with Gary to ensure he’s on the field when they head to Chicago for Week 1 on Sept. 10.

“It’s going to be more or less, mostly individual, maybe some of the walkthrough/jog-through,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said of his plan for Gary. “But he’s not going to be in any team.”

When Gary does make it back to the field, he could give Green Bay one of the NFL’s deepest groups of outside linebackers.

From Weeks 1-9 last year, Gary ranked in the top 10 among NFL linebackers in quarterback hits (12, tied for sixth), sacks (six, tied for eighth) and pressures (27, ninth). That followed a breakout 2021 season in which Gary ranked seventh among linebackers in quarterback hits (28) and second in pressures (81).

From the start of 2021 through Nov. 6, 2022, Gary notched an eye-popping 17.5 sacks in a 26-game stretch. Gary had 43 quarterback hits and 18 tackles for loss in that time and was emerging as one of the top defenders in football.

Then, the ultimate nightmare hit when Gary tore his ACL against Detroit in Week 9 last season.

Gary’s recovery has been smoother than most, but his return to the field Monday left him both happy and humbled.

“Words can’t express the feeling of the journey and what I’ve been through,” Gary said. “For those who’ve been around me during these couple months and knowing the hard work that I’ve been putting in, they know. I just want to give all my glory to God.”

Gary joins veteran Preston Smith, rookie first round draft pick Lucas Van Ness, veteran Justin Hollins and second-year man Kingsley Enagbare to give Green Bay a potentially potent pass rush.

Smith had 8.5 sacks and 20 quarterback hits in 2022. Van Ness posted 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss at Iowa last season.

Enagbare had three sacks, five tackles for loss and tied for fifth on the team with eight quarterback hits in 2022. Hollins posted 2.5 sacks, three tackles for losses and four quarterback hits in just six games with Green Bay.

The Packers ranked in a tie for 27^th place in sacks last season with just 34. But with Gary back — and Green Bay’s depth at that position — that number is expected to rise.

“I was just taking it day by day, just trying to check off as many boxes as I can,” Gary said. “I’ve been checking them off, I’ve been staying on track and, boom, it ended up being this time.”