Tag: Christian Kirksey

Initial indications are that Christian Kirksey’s shoulder injury could keep him out of a few games, a source told ESPN. It’s not season-ending and surgery doesn’t appear necessary, but he’s going to miss some time. Best case is he's out this week for… https://t.co/XMoSm905zG

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) September 28, 2020

The Green Bay Packers will likely be without linebacker Christian Kirksey for at least one game and maybe more.

According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Kirksey’s shoulder injury is likely to keep him out of next week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons and he’s not guaranteed to be ready coming out of the Packers’ Week 5 bye.

Kirksey left Sunday night’s win over the New Orleans Saints with an undisclosed shoulder issue. He played 17 snaps in the first half before departing.

The Packers played Ty Summers, Krys Barnes and Oren Burks at inside linebacker with Kirksey out of the game.

Through three games, Kirksey leads the Packers with 27 total tackles.

The Packers signed Kirksey to replace Blake Martinez at inside linebacker. A former member of the Cleveland Browns, Kirksey missed 23 games the last two seasons due to injuries.

His start in Green Bay has been disappointing. Among the NFL’s 84 qualified inside linebackers (20 percent of defense’s snaps), Kirkey ranks 77th in overall grade at Pro Football Focus after three weeks.

The Packers are already without rookie Kamal Martin, who started the season on IR with a knee injury. Rookie De’Jon Harris is available on the practice squad.

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Green Bay Packers linebacker Christian Kirksey enjoyed a career first on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

For the very first time in his NFL career, Kirksey’s team is 1-0 entering Week 2.

After six straight seasons of suffering through a season-opening loss (or tie) with the Cleveland Browns, Kirksey enjoyed the Packers’ 43-34 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

“It’s my first time ever in my career being 1-0 to start the season,” Kirksey said Wednesday. “I definitely had a kick out of that. So I’m just excited.”

In Cleveland, Kirksey’s team lost five Week 1 games and tied another. The average deficit of the five losses was 15.2 points.

Kirksey’s teams in Week 1, 2014-2020

Year	Opponent	Result	Score
2014	at PIT	L	27-30
2015	at NYJ	L	10-31
2016	at PHI	L	10-29
2017	vs. PIT	L	18-21
2018	vs. PIT	T	21-21
2019	vs. TEN	L	13-43
2020	at MIN	W	43-34

Kirksey led the team in tackles with 12 stops during the Packers’ win over the Vikings.

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A healthy training camp has the Green Bay Packers believing Christian Kirksey can solve at least one longstanding issue at inside linebacker in 2020.

GM Brian Gutekunst said he thinks the veteran linebacker has the “dynamic ability” the Packers have been missing in the middle of the field on defense.

“The fun thing was just how quickly he got up to speed and started leading that defense,” Gutekunst said, via Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com. “He’s a very athletic player. He’s obviously proven a lot in this league. He’s healthy and I think he adds a little bit of dynamic ability that maybe we’ve been missing for a little while.”

The Packers signed Kirksey, who spent his first six seasons with the Cleveland Browns, to a two-year deal in March. He’ll lead the Packers defense after replacing Blake Martinez as the top inside linebacker for Mike Pettine.

The Packers hope Kirksey can cover more ground in the run game and be a better player in the passing game.

The image of San Francisco 49ers running back Raheem Mostert slicing through the Packers defense with speed during the NFC title game remains hard to shake, but in Kirksey, the Packers might have a player who can move better side to side and creating more splash plays attacking forward.

Andy Herman of Packer Report said Kirksey was “all over the field all camp long” this summer, potentially providing a preview of what the Packers will get in their new linebacker in 2020.

Kirksey’s testing numbers don’t suggest a dynamic player, but measurables don’t always tell the whole story, especially at linebacker. If the Packers feel that Kirksey can play fast, the testing numbers won’t really matter.

Kirksey, who missed 23 games to injury the last two seasons, might be one of the Packers’ most important players in 2020. He needs to provide a tangible improvement at a position that has haunted the Packers for years.

Gutekunst, Pettine and coach Matt LaFleur have talked him up all summer. Now, he must prove that “dynamic ability” on the field, starting Sunday against Dalvin Cook and the Minnesota Vikings.

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Green & gold looks good on @Kirko58! 🔥#GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/cUoduKwsYy

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 1, 2020

You don’t have to wait until Week 1 to get a look at new Green Bay Packers linebacker Christian Kirksey in the green and gold.

The Packers provided a first look at Kirksey in his new uniform on Saturday.

Kirksey, who played his first six seasons in Cleveland with the Browns, signed a two-year deal to join the Packers in March. He’ll replace Blake Martinez, who left for New York, as the team’s new inside linebacker.

Kirksey is keeping the No. 58, the same number he wore with the Browns.

The photo, done inside Lambeau Field, helps confirms that Kirksey passed three COVID-19 tests over the previous four days and was allowed entry into the facility.

The Packers are expecting Kirksey to provide an athletic, three-down option in the middle of Mike Pettine’s defense. Kirksey has experience in the system, having played two years for Pettine in Cleveland, potentially easing the transition to Green Bay’s defense.

The lead photo of this photo is a uniform swap done by Wisconsin-based graphic designer Mitch Pantzke completed after Kirksey signed with the Packers.

The Packers also provided first looks at rookies Jordan Love, A.J. Dillon and Josiah Deguara on Friday.

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A familiarity with Mike Pettine’s defense from their time together in Cleveland has allowed Green Bay Packers linebacker Christian Kirksey to enjoy a seamless transition to his new team’s defensive scheme.

Kirksey, who joined the Packers on a two-year deal in free agency, played for Pettine – then the head coach of the Browns – during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, his first two in the NFL.

It didn’t take long for Kirksey to start reconnecting the dots within the scheme.

“As soon as I opened the playbook, I was so familiar with it,” Kirksey said during a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday.

Kirksey said there have been some minor tweaks here and there, mostly in the terminology, but much of Pettine’s scheme remains similar or at least familiar, allowing the former Browns linebacker to get up to speed quickly in Green Bay.

“For the most part, I’m getting it,” Kirksey said. “I hit the ground running.”

Kirksey hasn’t met with coaches or teammates in person thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but his two years of experience with Pettine provided the background necessary to re-digest the scheme in a hurry during a virtual offseason.

Also, the presence of Pettine gave the Packers a big advantage in signing Kirksey, who was released by the Browns after missing 23 games the last two seasons.

“When I went on my visit to Green Bay, I felt right at home because I already had a relationship with him,” Kirksey said.

Kirksey confirmed his pectoral muscle is healed and said he’s now motivated to prove to himself and the rest of the NFL that he’s still “one of the best linebackers in the league.”

During the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Kirksey produced 286 total tackles – second in the NFL only to Seattle’s Bobby Wagner. He added 17 tackles for losses, eight pass breakups, six sacks and 13 quarterback hits.

Kirksey said he’ll bring a “versatile” linebacker to the Packers defense who is capable of making plays against the run and pass.

Last month, Pettine said Kirksey already had a “head start” on learning the defense. Head coach Matt LaFleur said he was “super impressed” with how Kirksey was picking up everything during virtual meetings.

The seventh-year veteran will replace Blake Martinez, who departed in free agency, as the team’s top inside linebacker. The Packers need Kirksey to get up to speed and truly hit the ground running. Given their history, and the difficulties of this offseason, it’s possible Kirksey and Pettine were the perfect match.

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The Cleveland Browns won exactly 24 games during the six seasons with linebacker Christian Kirksey on the roster.

Needless to say, Kirksey – who signed a two-year deal to join the Green Bay Packers in March – is excited about a chance to finally play for a franchise with a recent history of winning.

The Packers swept the NFC North, finished 13-3, beat the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round and advanced to the NFC title game in 2019, all things Kirksey has never experienced as a professional.

“I’m excited to be a part of that. I’ve never been a part of that in my six years in the league. I’ve never even had a winning season in my career,” Kirksey said during a Zoom conference call on Wednesday. “Just to get on Zoom and be a part of a team meeting and see a head coach come in here and say, ‘We were undefeated in our division, and we’re going to be the hunted.’ I got excited. I was revved up because I get to be a part of that.”

The closest the Browns got to a winning season with Kirksey was 2018 when Cleveland finished 7-8-1 and ended up third in the AFC North. They finished dead last in the division each of Kirksey’s first four seasons in the NFL and won exactly one game – going 1-31 overall – during a two-year stretch between 2016 and 2017. Over the last six seasons, the Browns were 24-71-1, with four different head coaches and five different leading passers.

A revolving door at quarterback certainly contributed to Cleveland’s inability to compete. In Green Bay, two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers helps provide Kirksey with the most stable quarterback situation of his NFL career, even if first-round pick Jordan Love complicates the Packers’ long-term future of the position.

“Me coming into Green Bay and actually seeing Aaron Rodgers, who has been there, who I was watching when I was a kid. Him winning games and them winning the Super Bowl, going to the NFC championship,” Kirksey said. “I’m just excited.”

Kirksey said he felt “right at home” during his visit to Green Bay in March, noting his experience with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and the small-town feel of Green Bay.

The winning culture was another big selling point. The Packers have been to the postseason eight of the last 10 years, winning six division titles and a Super Bowl since 2009.

Kirksey, who missed 23 games the last two years with injuries, compared his winding path to Green Bay to a “Cinderella story.”

“I got cut and got picked up by a great team,” Kirksey said. “It couldn’t have happened in a better way, as far as, almost like a Cinderella story. I get hurt, the next thing I know, I’m signing a deal with the Green Bay Packers. I’m excited about it.”

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Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur only needed a couple weeks of virtual meetings to understand why Mike Pettine, his defensive coordinator, is so excited about the addition of veteran linebacker Christian Kirksey.

The Packers signed Kirksey, who played for Pettine for two years in Cleveland, to a two-year deal just before the coronavirus pandemic wrecked most of the NFL’s offseason.

LaFleur said he’s been “super impressed” with Kirksey during the team’s offseason meetings, which have all been conducted virtually.

“Really, really fortunate to get a guy, especially considering the circumstances of this offseason, to get a guy that’s been in this system in Christian Kirksey,” LaFleur said during a conference call last month. “I’ve been super impressed with him. You can tell he’s a pro. He knows what’s going on already, and we’ve only been meeting for a couple of weeks.”

Kirksey played 32 games in Pettine’s defense during his first two NFL seasons, providing a baseline of understanding in the scheme as he enters his first season in Green Bay. LaFleur and the Packers believe Kirksey’s prior experience in the defense will help him transition easier without the aid of a traditional offseason.

While other newcomers must learn an entirely new system during virtual meetings, providing significant mental hurdles, Kirksey at least has a prior history with the coach and the scheme and plenty of experience playing linebacker at the NFL level (73 games, 54 starts).

The Packers might not have to worry about Kirksey falling behind as training camp near, an important factor considering he’ll be the team’s top inside linebacker in 2020.

Pettine is counting on Kirksey to elevate the defense and provide an improvement over Blake Martinez, who departed in free agency. He sees Kirksey as a “really good player” with “great leadership ability,” making him well worth the risk after back-to-back seasons ruined by injury.

“He already has a head start on learning the system with him being drafted when I was in Cleveland,” Pettine said. “Certainly, it’s a risk when you look at it, but it was a risk we were more than willing to take. We’re excited about it.”

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The Green Bay Packers believe free-agent addition Christian Kirksey was worth the risk associated with the veteran linebacker after he missed 23 games to injury during the last two seasons.

Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said the team weighed the risk factors on the injury side against all the positives of Kirksey as a player and leader and determined signing him to a two-year deal was the right move.

“Very excited about the signing,” Pettine said during a conference call with reporters on Friday. “Just going through the medical part of it, and talking to our people, they didn’t think it was anything long term, and he’s never been a guy that’s been injury prone. Obviously, that’s a concern when you see the amount of time he’s missed, but overall, it’s a great signing for us for a lot of reasons.”

Kirksey, who spent his first six seasons with the Cleveland Browns, suffered a season-ending hamstring injury and missed nine games in 2018. A year later, he played in just two games before needing season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. Altogether, Kirksey missed 23 of a possible 32 games, prompting the Browns to release him.

However, Kirksey played all 64 possible games during his first four NFL seasons and was healthy throughout his four years at Iowa.

The Packers think they’ve bargain shopped for a difference-making player who is both a leader in the locker room and a veteran of Pettine’s defense. Kirksey, a third-round pick of the Browns in 2014, played two years (2014-15) under Pettine, then the head coach in Cleveland.

“We’re not just bringing a really good player into the room, but this is a guy that has great leadership ability,” Pettine said. “He already has a head start on learning the system with him being drafted when I was in Cleveland. Certainly, it’s a risk when you look at it, but it was a risk we were more than willing to take. We’re excited about it.”

Kirksey is expected to replace Blake Martinez, who signed a new deal with the New York Giants, as the Packers’ top inside linebacker.

Over his first four seasons in the NFL, Kirksey produced 269 tackles, 27 tackles for losses, 11.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and 11 pass breakups.

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