The Green Bay Packers are anticipating to have edge rusher Za’Darius Smith back for Wednesday’s practice.
Smith has been on injured reserve since September. Packers coach Matt LaFleur is still in wait-and-see mode, but he did say the plan is for Smith to be back and designated for return from injured reserve on Wednesday.
“We’ll see how he comes in on Wednesday, and if we can get him back out on the practice field, then we’ll let him go. I want to temper expectations,” LaFleur said Monday. “Here’s a guy who hasn’t practiced really since before the New Orleans game. We’ll get him back out there, see how he looks, see what type of shape he’s in. If he progresses and checks all the boxes, he’ll be back out on the field.”
Getting Smith back on the practice field is a big step in having him available for the start of the postseason.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network first reported the news that Smith was cleared and nearing a return. After playing in Week 1, Smith had back surgery and was shut down indefinitely.
On Instagram, Smith announced his return with a hype video and the caption “Guess who’s back.”
LaFleur said the focus over the next two weeks is getting the returning players back in football shape and ensuring a seamless transition back into the lineup after long absences. Left tackle David Bakhtiari made his season debut in the season finale, and cornerback Jaire Alexander is closing in a return.
More and more, it’s looking like the Packers will have all three All-Pro players available for the NFC Divisional Round.
Smith, a second-team All-Pro in 2020, produced 26.0 sacks and 60 quarterback hits over 32 games between the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
