GREEN BAY, Wis. _ The Green Bay Packers could be without starting outside linebacker Nick Perry for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Perry, the team's best edge rusher, is scheduled to have surgery on his injured hand, according to coach Mike McCarthy, and the length of his absence will not be determined until after the procedure.
"I don't know the details on Nick Perry's hand," McCarthy said during his Thursday news conference. "He's actually scheduled for surgery, so that's something that we'll continue to work through. There will be more information for you down the road."
It's the second time in as many years that Perry will undergo surgery on an injured hand. Perry broke his left hand last season and missed two weeks before taking the field in a club, which he wore during the playoff push and incorporated into his sack celebrations.
Perry had four sacks in five games while wearing the club and finished with a team-high 11 sacks. The Packers rewarded him with a five-year, $60 million contract during the offseason.
"He's a violent football player," McCarthy said. "He's physical, he plays the game the right way. If you look at his play style, I mean that's really part of his game, the violence that he plays with, with his hands."
Given the injury to Perry, the return of Ahmad Brooks could not come at a better time for the Packers, who are already thin at the outside linebacker position.
Brooks suffered a concussion in the regular-season opener and missed last week's game against the Atlanta Falcons. He returned to practice Wednesday and was a full participant.
"Great to have him back," McCarthy said. "I think he's a great fit for what we're doing. I really like the way I got to see him in practice going into the opener in Seattle. So his role will definitely be bigger this week."
If Perry is unable to play against the Bengals, defensive coordinator Dom Capers would likely deploy Brooks and Clay Matthews as his top two edge rushers. Matthews had begun the season rushing from the left side with Perry on the right, but there's a chance he returns to his natural position this weekend.
Brooks spent the majority of his career in San Francisco rushing from the left.
"You're talking about an excellent player in this league for a long time," McCarthy said of Brooks. "But as far as playing outside linebacker, playing the elephant, he has the ability to play both."
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