If you were wondering why Kenny Clark had a miserable 2024 season it’s not because he’s washed just yet. Diving deeper, it actually was a lingering toe issue that he injured Week 1 in Brazil that was never addressed. He played the rest of the season with the persistent toe injury and ended up getting surgery at the end of the year to correct a bunion, per The Athletic.
“It was a tough year for me,” said Clark, h/t The Athletic. “Every step and the toe is busting. It’s something you’ve got to deal with, but it is what it is. That’s done. I got the surgery done and yeah, we’re moving forward.”
Clark is just 29 years old, despite being a nine-year vet. For Green Bay’s sake, hopefully this helps him return to his old form. The last thing the Packers need is a defensive lineman out as they reach a level of urgency to remain a top team in the NFC.
Green Bay had a top 10 defense last year, including having the 10th most team sacks in the NFL with 45. Their defense was largely why they were able to be as dominant as they were. They fell off at the end of the year, but were still one of the best defenses in the NFL. That was with an injured Clark.
Clark isn’t a full participant in practice yet, but is planning to be back when training camp starts. If his injury lingers through this year, it could be a damper on a team that’s in a championship or bust mindset.
Kenny Clark’s injury update makes Matt LaFleur’s recent move a critical one as Packers move toward contenders
Matt LaFleur teased the idea of a new defensive strategy that now makes a lot of sense with Clark’s latest update. LaFleur mentioned that Lukas Van Ness would situationally move from the edge to an interior defensive line, specifically in passing situations. Knowing that Clark might not be ready or 100 percent, this feels like a contingency plan to fill that gap.
Van Ness is an edge rusher by trade, but he could see some success on the interior, too. He’s had a lackluster start to his NFL career, with just seven sacks in his first two seasons. Now only is LaFleur making one last ditch effort to get the most from his former first-round pick, but it could be a long term solution to getting more production from the interior defensive line.
It’s hard to simply replace Clark and his production and it will be equally challenging for Van Ness learning a new position. But if they Packers can benefit from Van Ness’s new position, maybe it can be an optimistic outlook for this defense.
This was a defense that was one of the best in the NFL. From generating pressure in the passing game to forcing turnovers, this Packers defense can’t afford to regress. That’s why Van Ness moving to defensive tackle is a plus.
And if Clark still needs more time to recover or get back to game readiness, it could be the only solution the Packers have to keep their defense competitive.