5 Most Disappointing Packers at Bye Week

Kenny Clark

Kenny Clark has long been a bedrock on the Packers' defensive line, known for his ability to wreck game plans from the inside out. He’s the kind of player who can single-handedly collapse a pocket, opening up lanes for edge rushers to feast.

But this season, Clark has been more a shadow of his former self—a frustrating development for a team that leans heavily on his unique blend of power and quickness.

Through the Packers’ first nine games, his absence on the stat sheet has been glaring. He’s without a sack, a concerning trend given his production last year, when he set a career high with 7.5 sacks. It's not like he's even getting close to the quarterback either. He has just six quarterback pressures and is on track to set a career-low in that category.

Clark's drop-off has had a cascading effect on the defense, disrupting its delicate ecosystem.

Without his usual pressure up the middle, Green Bay’s linebackers and secondary have been left to pick up the slack. Offenses have sensed it, too, exploiting the Packers’ weakened interior with runs that cut straight through a defense built to be stingy.

It’s not just about numbers; it’s about presence. Clark used to command double teams that forced offenses to adjust their entire blocking schemes. Now, his impact is muted, and the Packers' defensive front feels more vulnerable.

This is a guy who, at his best, can swing a game with one disruptive play. But the flashes of dominance have been few and far between, leaving Green Bay with more questions than answers. For the Packers, finding that old Kenny Clark might be the key to stabilizing their defense in the season's second half.