Lukas Van Ness Found Silver Lining While Recovering From Injured Foot

After missing the last four games, Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness is questionable for Sunday’s game at the Giants.

Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness (90) is carted off the field with a foot injury on Oct. 12 vs. the Bengals. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness channeled his inner Chumbawamba on Friday.

“When you get knocked down, you’ve got to find a way to get back to your feet,” Van Ness said after practice. After missing the last four games with a foot injury, he is questionable for Sunday’s game at the New York Giants.

“It’s been a long five weeks,” Van Ness said.

Van Ness returned to practice this week and was limited participation at practices on Thursday and Friday. Would those limited practice reps be enough for him to feel comfortable playing on Sunday?

He didn’t address that question but instead discussed how he’s grown mentally alongside defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington over the past month.

“I think this has been a really good opportunity for me to sit back from a physical standpoint, but really dive into the mental aspect of the game and just learn and watch and really get a chance (to) evaluate Micah (Parsons) and RG (Rashan Gary) and some of the other guys, and just watch a lot of tape and sit down with Hafley and DC and just get a better understanding of our defense.

“So, from a fundamental knowledge standpoint, I feel like I’m ready to go on the game plan. These are the best my notes have been in weeks. From a physical standpoint, I feel like, even the past couple days, just getting back into practice, I got right back into movement. I feel like I’m moving well, fluid. And once we come to that decision on Sunday, I feel like I’ll be ready to go.”

The team’s first-round pick in 2023, Van Ness has 1.5 sacks this season. His only solo sack came when he sacked Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco and injured his foot on Oct. 12.

“When I came around the corner and I went to wrap up Flacco, I kind of got my foot stepped on and kind of bent it the wrong way,” he said. “Luckily, walked away without needing any surgery. Turned out to be more serious [than expected]. Was ultimately hoping it would be a couple-week thing, and it’s unfortunately turned into we’re on Week 5 now.”

Green Bay Packers defensive ends Micah Parsons (1), Lukas Van Ness (90) and defensive end Rashan Gary pressure Joe Flacco. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Entering the season and following a strong training camp, Van Ness was supposed to start alongside Gary. Instead, the Packers traded for Micah Parsons. The two have hit it off, though – to such an extent that Parsons recently said Van Ness gave him some Hall of Fame vibes.

Parsons said “it’ll be fun” to get Van Ness back on the field. But he’s not going to push him to play this week. 

Actually, it’s the exact opposite.

“Right now, I would say I’m more focused on making sure he’s 100 (percent),” Parsons said. “I’m more so giving him the approach of, ‘I got your back until you can go out there and give us 100 (percent) because we know what you are when you’re at your best. I don’t want you thinking, I don’t want you worried about the foot. I just want you at the best.’

“Y’all seen early on, he’s an incredible player and I’m going to be very excited for him. There’s so many packages we’ve got waiting just to throw in for when he gets back just because what we have, what we’ve seen, other players stepping up, it’s going to be really exciting. Outside of the Cheetah package [with Van Ness, Gary, Parsons and Devonte Wyatt], we’re going to have some other stuff waiting.”

With the excellence of Parsons and Gary and then Kingsley Enagbare stepping up, Green Bay’s defense has been just fine without Van Ness. It will go into Sunday’s game against the Giants ranked seventh in points allowed and coming off a dominant performance in a 10-7 loss to the Eagles.

What Van Ness will add is versatility and more production to the defensive line with his ability to play end and tackle.

“I think Lukas gives us a guy that can line up and play on the outside, he can kick down to a five-technique, he can play the three-technique,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said this week. “He gives you a really versatile piece where you can get in and out of 3-4 spacing and 4-3 spacing without substituting, and I think it gives us a lot of creativity and versatility that we’ve missed a little bit. Hopefully, we get a chance to do that again soon.”

Van Ness is looking forward to that time, as well. After playing in all 34 regular-season games during his first two seasons and the first five games of this season, Van Ness said it’s been a challenge to watch the last four games from the sideline, both at practice and on gamedays.

“You know, injury can be frustrating,” he said. “You know, you come in one day and you’re feeling good, and then the next you’re not. It really just teaches you to just appreciate every day you have in this building and allowed me to take a step back and be appreciative and grateful to be in here every day and being able to play this amazing game of football.

“But it just shows you, it’s like life – when you get knocked down, you’ve got to find a way to get back to your feet and stand up and keep pushing forward. And it’s been a bumpy road. It’s been up and down. But, you know, I’m back on my feet again. I’m feeling healthy, and I’m excited to help this team.”

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The #Packers-Giants injury report is something. While nothing can be taken for granted, there is an enormous opportunity for Green Bay to get back on track. ⬇️https://t.co/Fm20DmhYJm

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) November 14, 2025