‘Superman’ Gary Makes Impact While Hitting Milestone

Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Rashan Gary returned to team drills on Tuesday and immediately made his mark.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers star Rashan Gary is back. Well, having made his training camp debut on Aug. 7, Gary has been back. And he won’t officially be back until he steps on the field for Week 1 at the Chicago Bears.

But Gary was back in a couple ways at Tuesday’s training camp practice. Gary, who suffered a torn ACL at the Lions on Nov. 6, took part in his first live action since the injury. First, in the one-on-one pass-rushing drill, he beat presumptive starting right tackle Zach Tom with an inside move. Then, he got some snaps in team drills. On one of them, he beat Tom again and might have sacked Jordan Love before Love uncorked a touchdown bomb to Jayden Reed.

“A healthy Rashan Gary is like Superman, in my opinion,” cornerback Jaire Alexander said. “He makes my job easier. A whole lot easier.”

Gary took it all in stride, just like he did when he practiced for the first time a couple weeks ago.

“It’s an honor and privilege to be back out there, and I love how I’m feeling,” Gary said.

Gary wouldn’t commit to being ready for the Bears in 19 days, but this was a big step in that direction. Given Gary’s importance to the team and what might be a blockbuster contract extension on the horizon, being on the field for Week 1 will be an organizational decision.

For Gary’s part, what will it take for him to believe he’s ready?

“Just going out there, being consistent and feeling what I need to feel,” he said. “That’s seeing plays and getting into offense again, just getting back moving football-wise.”

For most players coming back from a major injury, there’s at least a little trepidation before getting through those first few plays. For Gary, who got through his recovery without a hiccup thanks in part to his mom, his return to team drills was a moment but not a milestone.

“I feel like any person who is coming back from an injury that I have is, the No. 1 thing is to get out there and not think about your movements and what you’re doing,” Gary said. “In terms of the mental part, that’s something that I’ve been great at, just getting out there moving how I’ve been moving. Nothing’s changed.”

For a first day of practice, Gary’s impact didn’t change, either. Last season, he had six sacks in the first six games, then added four pressures a week later against Washington. A couple weeks later, an injury sustained during a simple change of direction at Detroit changed the course of the Packers’ season and Gary’s career.

Exactly 289 days later, Gary was back to causing havoc. At this point, it would be a surprise if he’s not on the field in at least some capacity against the Bears.

“It’s big,” he said of Tuesday’s practice. “That’s getting back to playing real football, getting back to moving without thinking, so just being back out there with the defense, feeling that energy, flying around with my guys, it’s no other feeling like it and I’m happy to be back.”

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