Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Packer Plus
Smith’s return still appears uncertain
Green Bay — Given the improbability of a team with the NFL’s best record getting so much talent back before the playoffs begin, Matt LaFleur knows it could be easy for everyone to get a little overly excited.
The names are thrilling. Za’Darius Smith. David Bakhtiari. Jaire Alexander. Just one of those All-Pro talents could be enough to swing a Super Bowl run. All of them together? Yes, the Green Bay Packers easily could let their imagination run rampant with what might be, instead of focusing on the reality of how much work lies ahead to get there.
Leave it to the Packers’ third-year coach to dump some cold water on everyone’s enthusiasm Monday afternoon. Or at least try.
“I want to kind of temper expectations,” LaFleur said.
LaFleur was specifically speaking about Za’Darius Smith after NFL Network reported Monday morning the two-time Pro Bowler will likely be back when the Packers host the NFC divisional-round playoff game in two weeks at Lambeau Field. But with so much swirling about this Packers roster, he might as well have been referring to the entire team.
Here’s the latest injury news from the Packers coach:
Za’Darius Smith
There’s a reason the Za’Darius Smith news threatened to throw everyone into a tizzy Monday. Of all the top-end talent on the Packers’ roster expected to return imminently, he was not one of them.
Smith has not practiced since before Week 1. He played 18 snaps in the Packers’ opener against the New Orleans Saints in Jacksonville, Florida, recording one tackle. Then he had back surgery shortly after and has not been on the football field since.
Over the past several weeks, Smith has occasionally dropped hints on his social media pages of a possible playoff return. LaFleur said he “anticipates” Smith practicing Wednesday, but he
was cautious about providing any further expectations.
“I just want to be slow to speak,” LaFleur said, “and make sure that he’s here on Wednesday and that everything checks out before I commit to that.”
Smith would join a edge rush that finished just short of having a pair of double-digits sackers. Rashan Gary led the Packers with 91⁄2 sacks in what was a breakout season. Preston Smith finished with 9 sacks in a bounce-back season after his regression in 2020.
Za’Darius Smith has combined for 26 sacks in the past two seasons, becoming a star after the Packers signed him as a free agent from the Baltimore Ravens before the 2019 season.
“If we can get him back on the practice field,” LaFleur said, “then we’ll let him go. But I think I want to kind of temper the expectations. Here’s a guy that hasn’t practiced since week, really, since before the New Orleans game. So we’ll get him back out there and see how he looks, see what type of shape he’s in.
If he progresses and checks all the boxes, then he’ll be back on the field.”
David Bakhtiari, Josh Myers
LaFleur sounded impressed with how both of his returning offensive line starters looked in Detroit.
He said left tackle Bakhtiari did an “outstanding job” playing 27 snaps in the Packers’ finale. In his return from a torn ACL, Bakhtiari allowed no pressures and had a handful of impressive run blocks. LaFleur reported no setbacks with Bakhtiari’s surgically repaired left knee.
“He looked great,” LaFleur said. “He moved well. Certainly, I think there’s no substitute for football shape, and that takes time. But I thought he handled himself very well.”
Myers, like Bakhtiari, must get back into football shape after not playing since Week 6 at Chicago because of a knee injury.
He has an even longer road because unlike Bakhtiari, who has played in three NFC championship games over his eight-year career, Myers is a rookie entering his first playoffs.
“I think you’re looking at just two completely different circumstances,” LaFleur said, “in terms of the number of plays David has played throughout the course of his career versus the number that Josh has. So I would say David probably looked a little further along than Josh, but we’re confident that Josh will get there. I think he’s another guy that just, he’s got to get back into football shape.”
Myers’ return to the offensive line kicked Lucas Patrick from center to right guard, where he replaced rookie Royce Newman. That’s where Patrick, who has started 13 games at center this season, might stay for the playoffs.
LaFleur tabbed Patrick as a playoff starter Monday.
LaFleur said he believes preferred starter Billy Turner will practice this week for the first time since leaving the Packers’ game against Chicago with a knee injury last month. If he practices and the knee feels good, perhaps Turner could be ready in time for the divisional round. If not, Dennis Kelly would start in his place. Kelly has started the past four games with Turner sidelined.
Jaire Alexander
Maybe the most difficult decision on the Packers’ roster awaits at corner.
Alexander appears to be on track for the playoffs. He might have played in Detroit, but wasn’t activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list until late in the week.
His return would give the Packers a strong triumvirate of Alexander, rookie Eric Stokes and the ascending Rasul Douglas. Just one problem: All three corners play on the perimeter, not slot.
“There’s a lot of conversations that are taking place right now,” LaFleur said, “because we have a pretty good problem in that we have some other pretty good players, especially at the corner position. How do you get all these guys out on the grass at the same time, and where are you placing them?”