GREEN BAY, Wis. — After leaving Saturday's exhibition win over the Indianapolis Colts, rookie defensive end Barryn Sorrell shouldn't be out of the Green Bay Packers' pass-rushing rotation for too long.
The fourth-round pick left the game with a knee injury after making a tackle on punt coverage. According to ESPN, the former Texas Longhorn sustained a sprained medial collateral ligament that shouldn't keep him on the shelf for more than a few weeks. This is significant because the Packers were faced—and still are, though, the chances are slim—with the possibility of having to place Sorrell on injured reserve to begin the regular season, sidelining him for at least the first four games. It doesn't appear like that will be the case, as Sorrell avoided a significant injury.
Head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that the Packers were going to evaluate Sorrell's knee once the team returns to Green Bay. A day later, he confirmed that Sorrell would have to miss some time.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
The Packers have a joint practice with the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday before hosting them at Lambeau Field on Saturday for the preseason finale. The three-game exhibition slate is going to culminate with Sorrell having only played in the opener against the New York Jets. He contributed to 39 snaps on defense, totaling two pressures in 22 pass rushes and sharing the team lead with Kingsley Enagbare. Against the Colts, Sorrell didn't have the opportunity to enter the game on defense as his injury occurred relatively early; he logged just three snaps on special teams.
Sans Sorrell and with Collin Oliver, the Packers' fifth-round pick, still on the physically unable to perform list, it'll be Brenton Cox Jr. and Enagbare as the second-team unit behind starting defensive ends Lukas Van Ness and Rashan Gary, barring an unforeseen change between now and final roster cut-downs.
As of right now, half of the Packers' eight-man draft class are currently hindered by injuries. In addition to Sorrell, Oliver and offensive lineman John Williams have remained on the physically unable to perform list throughout training camp, while wide receiver Savion Williams has made sporadic appearances with a myriad of injuries. He's currently dealing with a hamstring injury and hasn't played in either of the Packers' two preseason contests.
Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 11th season covering theGreen Bay Packers. He is a member of thePro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter@zacobson or contact him via email atitszachariahj@gmail.com