Packers Reinstate Essential Defensive Player Before Matchup with Chiefs
The Green Bay Packers have garnered back-to-back wins and are now tracking towards playoff contention, rendering their Week 13 encounter with the Kansas City Chiefs crucial.
In preparation, the Packers have reinstated Darnell Savage from the injured reserve list on Saturday, as announced on the team's official site. Subsequently, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the safety is set to participate in the Sunday game on December 3 at Lambeau Field.
"Set for Sunday's game, S Darnell Savage has been moved to the 53-man roster by the #Packers," Rapoport included in a tweet on Saturday.
Savage, who had a promising start to the year before a calf injury in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders, is returning to form. After re-injuring himself post-bye week in a game against the Denver Broncos, Savage has been on the sidelines for the past five matchups.
The Packers signaled Savage's potential return from IR a fortnight ago, with the safety resuming practice throughout the week, making his activation an anticipated move.
Savage, the Packers' first-round pick of 2019, entered his fifth season under heightened expectations, following his team's decision to exercise a $7.9 million fifth-year option post-2021 season, building on his initial four-year, $12.5 million rookie deal.
Despite previous seasons falling short of expectations, Savage's performance this year, especially against the run, earned him high marks from Pro Football Focus. His leadership qualities have also been a rallying point for the team, anticipating that his comeback will notably strengthen the Packers' defense.
Head coach Matt LaFleur, on Friday, praised Savage's deep understanding of the team's strategies and his communication skills, adding, "He brings a breadth of experience and a significant range to our play. That has been his hallmark."
In other team updates, the Packers will be without running back Aaron Jones for the second consecutive game due to a knee injury, prompting the team to promote James Robinson from the practice squad. Jones' knee issue, sustained in the Week 11 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, is the latest in a series of setbacks for him this season, including an earlier hamstring strain.
With Robinson's promotion and the sidelining of Emmanuel Wilson due to a shoulder injury, AJ Dillon has been the sole fully fit running back for the Packers, highlighting the importance of Robinson's role in the upcoming game against the Chiefs.
| POLL | ||
3 DECEMBRE | 44 ANSWERS Packers Reinstate Essential Defensive Player Before Matchup with Chiefs Are the Packers the best team in the NFC North? | ||
| Yes | 9 | 20.5 % |
| No | 35 | 79.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
