Despite all the success the Green Bay Packers have been having lately after amassing four wins in a row and overtaking the Chicago Bears for the division lead in the NFC North, defensive end Rashan Gary, who signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension during the 2023 season, has been a disappointment during that stretch and put himself in a vulnerable position with his future in Green Bay hanging in the balance.
Not only has Gary's production dipped in recent weeks, but fellow DE Lukas Van Ness may be in line to make his return in Sunday's game against the 11-2 Denver Broncos. According to ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky, the third-year player out of Iowa was scheduled to take part in Wednesday's practice, per head coach Matt LaFleur. This comes after he briefly returned in the Week 12 win over the Minnesota Vikings, only to be shut down again due to a lingering foot injury.
With Gary struggling and looked at as a potential offseason offload candidate, it makes a lot of sense to dip into his workload a bit to afford Van Ness some more time as Green Bay tries to evaluate how the young, mostly unknown player at this point fits into their future, as his contract is set to expire following the 2026 season.
Potential Return from Lukas Van Ness May Not Be Good for Rashan Gary
Van Ness is currently listed behind Gary at the left defensive end position and has only appeared in six of the team's 13 games so far, recording 11 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss. Through the first eight weeks of the season, the 28-year-old Gary was a force to be reckoned with, accumulating 13 solo tackles and 7.5 sacks, which are still second only to star pass rusher Micah Parsons (12.5). Over the past six games, Gary's production has dipped significantly, with only three quarterback hits, zero sacks, and zero tackles for loss.
As a result, Kingsley Enagbare, who is listed on the depth chart at the right defensive end position, has stepped up admirably after making two key plays in the win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. He has also been much more effective against the run, with nine run stops in the last six games to Gary's seven. Overall, Gary's numbers look respectable, as his Pro Football Focus overall grade (67.1) ranks 52nd, and his 42 pressures are 20th out of 112 qualified edge defenders. However, a lot of that stems from his torrid pace in the first half of the season, which has completely fallen off down the stretch.
If Van Ness can return on Sunday, it would benefit the Packers to give him some more snaps in place of Gary to see where he is after missing so many games. He has never registered more than four sacks in a full-time season (2023), but it is impossible to fully know which defender should get more snaps without putting Van Ness out there and seeing what he can contribute. If Van Ness plays well, it also gives Green Bay more confidence to move on from Gary in the offseason with a clear replacement already there.
It does not help that Enagbare has had a breakout season and, as a result, has taken away a lot of the snaps from Gary, making it clear that he is more than deserving of carving out a role on this talented defense. However, if Van Ness is going to have the same opportunity with his contract set to expire after next season, increasing his snap count is going to be the only way to get a solid read on his performance and see if he is capable enough to be the clear replacement at the position if Gary does not return.