New DT ‘Snacks’ Harrison Could Play Sunday vs. Bears

Claimed off waivers on Wednesday, former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Damon Harrison will practice on Thursday.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Damon Harrison is in Green Bay, will practice on Thursday and potentially play on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

The Packers claimed Harrison off waivers from Seattle on Wednesday. While Harrison said on Twitter that he was “not doing the waiver thing,” the chance to play for a championship contender had him hop on a plane to Green Bay.

“We’ve gone against him many times in my past,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. “I know what he’s all about as a player. He’s always been a problem to block. I know our coaches on the defensive side – Pett (defensive coordinator Mike Pettine), (defensive line coach) Jerry Montgomery – they looked at it. Obviously, Gutey (general manager Brian Gutekunst) was all over it, and our scouting department. That’s a big-time pick up for us, especially this late in the season. That doesn’t happen very often.”

The NFL recently relaxed its COVID rules to allow players like Harrison, who had been going through daily testing in Seattle, to join another team immediately, so as long as the player took a private plane to his new team. Previously, a player had to pass through almost a week’s worth of testing before getting to enter the locker room and begin practicing.

A Pro Bowler in 2016, Harrison was arguably the best run-stopping defensive tackle in the NFL during the prime of his career. In 2019, of 64 interior defensive linemen to play at least 200 run-defending snaps, Harrison finished ninth in ProFootballFocus.com’s run-stop percentage, a metric that essentially measures impact tackles. He ranked No. 1 in five consecutive seasons from 2014 through 2018.

Harrison was scheduled to take a free-agent visit to Green Bay in early October but chose to sign with Seattle. In six games, he had nine tackles – including six vs. the Jets in Week 14. He played a season-high 30 snaps against Washington in Week 15 but was inactive for Week 16. That’s when he asked for his release.

“We’ll see how the week goes,” LaFleur said of the potential of Harrison facing the Bears on Sunday. “I think that’s always hard to ask of somebody. But, then again, you’re dealing with a true pro, a vet that’s been around and seen a lot. It’s just how fast can we get him acclimated to what we’re trying to and what we’re asking him to do. We’re just really happy to have him in the building.”

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