Green Bay Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary has been the team’s best pass rusher for the last three seasons. The former Michigan star has been among the NFL’s best at putting pressure on the quarterback, but he has not been able to have a truly outstanding season or earned Pro Bowl honors. Gary and the Packers are hoping this will be the year he truly breaks out.

Packers DE Rashan Gary and the Start of His Career

The Packers selected Gary in the 2019 NFL Draft with the 12th overall pick. The team brought Gary along slowly in the NFL by design. The team had just signed edge rushers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith as free agents and Gary was making a transition from playing in interior line in college to outside linebacker in the NFL.

Gary did not start a game as a rookie and played just 24 percent of the team’s snaps. He recorded two sacks in limited action but showed flashes of the outstanding athletic ability that made him a first-round draft pick.

Gary showed progress each year, starting four games in 2020 and then 16 games the following season. The 2021 campaign was his best season when he recorded 9.5 sacks and 47 pressures according to pro-football-reference.com. Gary seemed well on his way to becoming a dominant player when it comes to rushing the quarterback.

Gary Suffers a Setback

Gary started the 2022 season as the team’s top pass rusher again. He recorded five sacks in the team’s first four games and was extremely disruptive to opposing pass pockets. But, in Week 9, he suffered a season-ending knee injury. In nine games, Gary recorded six sacks and 17 pressures. But his season was over, and he now faced a long and arduous rehab process on his knee.

One thing that has always been true about Gary is he has a very strong work ethic. Every offseason, he posted video of his workouts on social media, and they were also impressive. Gary worked hard to return from his injury. While many players take almost a year to recover from the type of knee injury Gary suffered, he was back in the lineup for Week 1 of the 2023 season.

Packers DE Rashan Gary and His Return from Injury

Gary surprised many people by being ready for the start of the 2023 campaign. The Packers had him on a play count to not tax his knee too soon. In 2022, Gary was on the field for 70 percent of the Packers defensive snaps. In 2023, that number went down to 53 percent.

Despite seeing limited playing time, Gary finished the season with nine sacks and 30 pressures. He got off to a quick start but did see his sack numbers fade as the season progressed and he seemed to tire as a result of his recovery from injury. In the final six games of the season, Gary recorded just half a sack.

Once he proved he was healthy again, the Packers signed Gary to a long-term extension to keep him in Green Bay for the foreseeable future.

Reasons for Optimism for 2024

There are reasons for optimism heading into the 2024 season. The Packers have moved on from former defensive coordinator, Joe Barry, and replaced him with Jeff Hafley. Hafley has installed a defense that will be more aggressive and less dependent on waiting for the opposing offense to make a mistake.

The Packers will also be playing a four-man front, with Gary moving from outside linebacker to defensive end in the new defense. The team will also blitz more which should give Gary more opportunities to get to the quarterback.

Defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich is excited about Gary’s potential in the new defense. “He’s the engine. He drives it,” Rebrovich said. “It’s what he does. So, from a mentality standpoint, I don’t see any difference [from last year]. Now the good thing is, he’s had a full year of his injury that he’s come back from and we’re taking it day by day just like anything else, and hopefully, we’re wishing for the best for him this upcoming season.”

Now that he’s a year removed from his injury and should be back to full strength, Gary should be ready for a breakout season. The Packers are hoping this means his first double-digit sack season and a potential Pro Bowl berth.

 

 

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