The 2022 season was a tough one for the Green Bay Packers in many facets. But, arguably the biggest loss was that of edge rusher, Rashan Gary. Gary injured his knee in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions and was sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Without him, all of the pass-rushing onus fell on the shoulders of Preston Smith. He did finish the season with 8.5 sacks, but Gary still finished second on the team with 6.0 despite missing nearly half the season.
Looking to address that this offseason, the Packers used their first-round pick on Lukas Van Ness out of Iowa. Van Ness possesses an unrelenting motor and skill set to become an impactful player at the next level. But, it would be unrealistic to expect him to step into a full-time role right off the bat as he didn’t start a single game collegiately.
But, in a rotation, the Iowa product could certainly make some noise. Could that be the role that the team has had for him from the start of the season? A lot of that will depend on the health of Gary, who is trending in the right direction.
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic provided an update on Gary in a recent mailbag piece. His update was a very positive one, as Gary has a good chance of being on the field for the Packers in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears.
“He has been rehabbing extensively on the side at practice and looks like he could get three sacks in a game right now. I’m exaggerating — I understand non-contact rehab is different than rushing the quarterback in an NFL game — but if there’s anyone who can return to elite form after a major injury, it’s Rashan Gary.
“He’s a freak, and he just looks angry when he rehabs. He tore his ACL on Nov. 6. The Packers’ first game is on Sept. 10. That’s more than 10 months, right around the time when we’d expect Gary to return. Don’t be surprised if he’s playing Week 1 in Chicago.”
Getting Gary back in the lineup would be a huge boost for the Packers’ defense. They struggled to consistently get after the quarterback after he went down last season and it had a trickle-down effect on the rest of the unit. With opposing quarterbacks not feeling any pressure, some big performances were put up.
Having a three-headed monster leading their pass rush will put the rest of the defensive unit into place. It will take pressure off of Green Bay’s secondary to play perfectly every snap and not force Joe Berry to have to blitz to create plays in the backfield.
Gary was really coming into his own before the injury, as he had a 9.5-sack season in 2021. He will be motivated to return to form as well entering the final year of his rookie contract.
