De’Vondre Campbell Back at Packers Practice & Expected to Play Sunday
By Paul Bretl
Just before the Green Bay Packers took off for their bye week, linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was placed on the reserve/COVID list.
After being away from the team for most of this week, Campbell was back at practice on Friday, and expectations are that he will start on Sunday against Chicago.
Despite being signed late in the free agency process and to an inexpensive one-year deal, Campbell has been a revelation at linebacker for the Packers.
He’s been a dominant three-down linebacker, filling gaps and making sideline-to-sideline plays against the run. He’s generated eight pressures and a sack as a blitzer, while also allowing just 6.5 yards per catch in coverage.
In fact, he is PFF’s second-highest graded linebacker behind only Dallas’ Micah Parsons, and according to this week’s Dope Sheet, Campbell is one of only four players in the NFL with 95+ tackles, multiple interceptions, and multiple forced fumbles.
Although he has been away from the team for much of the week, Campbell has still been heavily involved in the prep work and a part of all the team meetings.
"“He’s been in all the meetings and all that kind of thing,” LB coach Kirk Olivadotti said via SI. “And then we talked to each other and we’ve watched all the film. We’ve stayed in pretty good communication all week, anyway. It’s definitely different, but I liken it to when a guy kind of needs a break from practice a little bit. It’s very similar except, obviously, the field portion of the stuff. But this isn’t an uncommon situation this time of year in that, you know, you’re getting a guy ready on limited practice reps. That does happen in an NFL season.”"
While there are a number of factors contributing to the Green Bay Packers’ overall success on defense, the do-it-all, Pro Bowl level play of Campbell at the linebacker position has certainly been a key reason.
We should also give Joe Barry and his defensive scheme some credit as well—Barry has spent much of his recent coaching career as a linebackers coach, and this system also does a good job of keeping the linebackers free with its heavy defensive fronts.
Through 12 games, the Packers rank fifth in points per game and seventh in total yards allowed, according to Team Rankings.
On the schedule this week is the Chicago Bears. Two important aspects for this Packers’ defense against the Bears’ offense will be slowing David Montgomery and containing Justin Fields so that he isn’t able to extend plays—two jobs that will require Campbell’s presence.
In a perfect world, you of course want Campbell in the building and on the practice field for the entire week, but as Barry told reporters if there’s one player who will be just fine with some missed time, it’s De’Vondre Campbell.
"“If he’s not in a meeting, he’s in the linebacker room with his iPad in his hand, watching something, studying something,” Barry said via SI. “You never want a guy to be out of the building for 10 days, obviously. Thank goodness part of it was over the bye week, but if there’s a guy that can function without being in the building the last four days when we’ve been back, it’s a type of pro like De’Vondre Campbell just because of the way he prepares and studies and goes about the game.”"