Can Christian Kirksey stay healthy?
Christian Kirksey was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2014, but it was during the 2016 and 2017 seasons that he really began to make a name for himself. During those two years, Kirksey would start all 32 games and he had proven to be a versatile player at the inside linebacker position.
Although he’s not an elite coverage linebacker, Cleveland oftentimes asked Kirksey to work in space where he was able to hold his own. On top of that, he was a reliable tackler, got home when asked to blitz, and was a big help against the run.
Unfortunately for Kirksey, the last two seasons have been injury-riddled and as a result, he’s missed far more time than he’s played. In 2018, a hamstring injury would limit Kirksey to only seven games and he ended up playing in just 40 percent of Cleveland’s total defensive snaps. While in 2019 he would miss even more time with a torn labrum that held him to just two games and 10 percent of all defensive snaps.
So obviously from the Green Bay Packers’ perspective, this is a major concern. And even in Mike Pettine’s recent Zoom call with reporters, he acknowledged that this signing was a “risk.” But he also added that it was a risk worth taking.
If Kirksey is able to stay healthy and regain some of his past form, there is the very real possibility that he is an upgrade over Blake Martinez and gives the middle of this defense a much-needed boost.
But in order to do all of that, he must stay healthy.