The Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs caused outside linebacker Kingsley Enagbare to go down with an injury, but the team has not released the exact diagnosis.
When the Packers faced the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round last week, Enagbare, who head coach Matt LaFleur had mentioned as a player with a season-ending injury, was still listed on the 53-man roster instead of being placed on injured reserve.
When Enagbare spoke with the media in the locker room on Monday, he confirmed to them that he had an ACL tear.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network stated last week that the Packers were afraid of the same problem.
Enagbare, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, claims that the pass-rusher thought his knee injury was only a bone bruise at first, which is why he played one more play at AT&T Stadium before leaving the field.
I don’t think this is going to be too big of a setback, Enagbare told the media.
Rashan Gary, an outside linebacker who plays at the same position as Enagbare, suffered an ACL tear on November 6, 2022. It wasn’t until December 10th of this season that Gary was a full-time starter for the Packers.
In the event that Enagbare’s injury follows a similar path, it is likely that he will not return to full strength until approximately December of 2024.
Nevertheless, the possibility of playing on a pitch count could expedite his return to the field.
The team’s three outside linebacker contributors—Gary, Preston Smith, and first-round selection Lukas Van Ness—should be returning for the upcoming campaign.
Undrafted rookie Brenton Cox Jr., who was a healthy scratch against the 49ers and moved up the depth chart to make room for practice squad member Keshawn Banks, is the only other outside linebacker on the 53-man roster.
The Packers may want to increase competition for the fourth outside linebacker spot come 2024, so don’t be shocked if they take a late-round swing in April for an outside linebacker.
Recall that when it comes to how frequently the team’s preferred, healthy players are substituted off the game, outside linebacker and defensive linemen are the most rotated positions on the field.
