Following Wednesday's encouraging injury report that listed Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness (foot) as a participant in practice, head coach Matt LaFleur was not entirely convinced on Thursday that Van Ness will make his return for Sunday's road clash with the 11-2 Denver Broncos.
"He looked good," LaFleur said, per Jason B. Hirschhorn, award-winning writer and co-founder of The Leap. "We'll see how he responds today and give him a little bit more and see where he's at."
Despite the optimism, LaFleur said it's "very questionable at this point" whether Van Ness is over the injury hump, though, which raises some doubt regarding his status for Sunday's game. If a potential return is not in the cards this week for Van Ness, other pass rushers like rookie Barryn Sorrell will be counted on to step up and earn some additional playing time.
With Lukas Van Ness' Return in Doubt, Other Pass Rushers Have a Chance to Impress
Van Ness is listed behind Gary on Green Bay's depth chart at the left DE position and has recorded 11 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three tackles for loss in the six games he has appeared in. He made a brief return in the Week 12 win over the Minnesota Vikings, but has been out of action since as he continues to battle a lingering foot injury. That has opened the door for someone like Sorrell, who would presumably be the odd man out if Van Ness were to return.
After posting the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade (67.8) among Packers defenders in the win over the Chicago Bears and earning one quarterback pressure in 11 snaps, Sorrell showed what he is capable of and proved that he is deserving of seeing an increase from the eight snaps per game he had been averaging the last five contests.
On the opposite side of the defensive line is Kingsley Enagbare, who is second on the depth chart behind Micah Parsons, who leads the team in sacks (12.5). Enagbare made two key plays in the win over the Bears and has emerged as one of Green Bay's top defenders, especially in critical situations. While a potential return from Van Ness should not get in the way of his breakout, another week on the sidelines would only give Enagbare more snaps and opportunities to impress in defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley's scheme.
As the weekend approaches, Van Ness' status will become clearer and provide a better indication of what this pass rush could look like on Sunday. As of Thursday, his outlook is not the most encouraging, which should only free up more snaps for other players on the front like Sorrell and Enagbare.
Although Enagbare has proven he is deserving of the increased workload, whether Van Ness plays or not, this could be another huge opportunity for the rookie Sorrell as he tries to prove the Week 14 performance was no fluke and that he can hold his own when given the chance.