Green Bay Packers inside linebacker Sam Barrington is believed to be out for the rest of the season with a foot injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Barrington’s injury puts strain on the run defense, which will be tested over the next two weeks with the Packers facing Marshawn Lynch and Jamaal Charles, as Rapoport notes.
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Barrington had to leave Green Bay’s Week 1 tilt against the Chicago Bears with what was deemed an ankle injury. However, it appeared Barrington sustained the injury a bit lower and it could be shelving him. The third-year linebacker out of South Florida racked up 52 tackles last year, coming on toward the end of the season to become a reliable starter.
With Barrington stepping up, Clay Matthews was able to return to the outside, allowing him more freedom to rush the quarterback. Now, it will be interesting to see if Matthews is moved back inside as he was last year, when Brad Jones was struggling to make plays. If that is the case, Matthews solves the problems on the interior but weakens the pass rush, with Julius Peppers now taking on the lion’s share of the responsibility.
Green Bay has dealt with some injury issues throughout the summer and now into the fall. The Packers watched Pro Bowl receiver Jordy Nelson tear his ACL in the second week of the preseason against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and now it appears Barrington is lost. While a team with Aaron Rodgers at the controls can overcome these losses, the deficiencies are piling up.