Packers Not Worried About Campbell’s Ankle

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell’s injured ankle should not impact his availability for the Week 1 game vs. the Chicago Bears, general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Friday.

“It’s not something that’s going to be very long. It’s not a long-term thing,” Gutekunst said a day before hosting the New England Patriots for the second preseason game. “You’d like all your guys to be out there, because I think this time of the year is important, but, obviously, he’s a seasoned pro so I don’t think this will hold him back too much.”

Campbell, the team’s leading tackler in 2021 and an integral part of the team’s late-season rally last year, sat out both of the joint practices against the New England Patriots. Following Thursday’s practice, a walking boot and scooter was seen at his locker.

Isaiah McDuffie, a 2021 sixth-round pick who had a strong second season, replaced Campbell in the lineup for both days against the Patriots.

“A guy like Dre, the player, the leader, you hate when something happens,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said on Friday. “I don’t think it’s going to be a massive deal, but he’s going to miss a little bit of time. The positive in that is that the Isaiah McDuffies, the Eric Wilsons, those guys get more reps and reps with the first group.

“So, that’s been positive, especially the last two days. We mixed both those guys in next to Quay the last two days with the Patriots, so it’s been a great opportunity for them. We want Dre back as soon as he can get back but, in the meantime, it’s been great work for the young guys.”

When the Packers drafted Quay Walker last year to pair with the All-Pro Campbell, they hoped they’d have one of the best linebacker tandems in the NFL. That wasn’t quite the case, with Walker going through some rookie growing pains and Campbell missing four games with a knee injury.

So, those hopes moved into this year with the potential of Walker taking a second-year jump and Campbell picking up where he left off upon his return from injury.

“I think we could be one the best in the league,” Walker said at the start of camp. “But it’s easy to say that. We’ve got to go show it. It’s easy to get up there in front of you guys and say what we can be, what we can do. But at the same time, with him healthy and me healthy at the same time, we can be a pretty special tandem, I would say.”

Campbell was an unlikely All-Pro in 2021. Signed during the June minicamp, he finished seventh in the NFL with 145 tackles. He was the only linebacker in the league with 100-plus tackles and at least two sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.

The Packers re-signed him to a five-year, $50 million contract in free agency. Campbell was good; he just wasn’t great. He went from 145 tackles (102 solo) to 96 tackles (56 solo). Even without the injury, he was on a 16-game pace of 118 tackles (69 solo).

However, Campbell’s importance to the defense was evident when he came back from the injury. The Packers promptly won four games in a row to give them a chance for the playoffs entering Week 18. While they lost that game, they didn’t give up more than 20 points in any of the final five games.

That Campbell apparently is sidelined by only a minor injury is obviously good news for a Packers defense that is expected to be the strength of the team.

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