For several long minutes during Sunday’s win over the Washington Redskins, it looked as if Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith had suffered some kind of serious leg injury.
Smith went down after making a tackle, immediately grabbed the back of his left leg and stayed down while trainers assessed the injury. He eventually walked off the field gingerly and was assessed again inside the team’s blue medical tent on the sideline.
Fortunately for the Packers, Smith avoided a significant injury. He returned to the game for the next defensive series and finished the 20-15 win without an issue.
More good news came on Wednesday. The Packers didn’t even list Smith on the team’s first injury report of Week 15, suggesting the issue will have no effect on his ability to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
Smith said after Sunday’s win that he was “ok” after getting cleated in the back of the leg.
The Packers’ top pass-rusher was dominant once again. In fact, he landed on Pro Football Focus’ “Team of the Week” for Week 14 as one of the NFL’s two highest-graded edge rushers. Smith delivered three pressures and three run stops against the Redskins.
All 53 players on the Packers’ roster practiced in some capacity on Wednesday.
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