New Green Bay Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary denied rumors he needs surgery to repair a shoulder injury.
In a conference call with reporters Thursday night, Gary – who the Packers made the 12th overall pick in the first round – said his shoulder was “110 percent” and stressed there’s no need for surgery, noting he did 26 reps on the bench press at the combine. He also denied the injury is a torn labrum, as had been reported before the draft.
Gary missed three games and played through several others last season with an injury to his right shoulder and didn’t produce at elite levels, finishing with only 3.5 sacks and 7.0 tackles for losses. The injury could have played a role in his lacking production.
The Packers clearly were comfortable with the situation. It’s possible the original report could have been a device used by other teams to get Gary to fall further down the board.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier this week that Gary was dealing with a “labral tear” that was “flagged” by teams during the pre-draft process.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said the team had no long-term concerns about the issue and confirmed surgery wouldn’t be required right away.
