INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 17: Whitney Mercilus #59 of the Houston Texans stands on the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 17, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
In a pleasant surprise for the Green Bay Packers, outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus returned to practice on Thursday and may be available when the playoffs begin.
The Green Bay Packers are getting healthy at the right time and things are potentially about to get even better for head coach Matt LaFleur. That’s because veteran linebacker Whitney Mercilus could be back for the Divisional Round.
Things appear to be trending that way with Mercilus returning to practice on Thursday. Another pass-rusher for the Packers could just what they need to get back to the Super Bowl to complement Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense.
Whitney Mercilus back at Packers practice is great news for Packers
It’s been an up and down year for Mercilus. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder was released by the Texans in October, and then ended up signing with Green Bay. He appeared in four games with the Packers, but then suffered a biceps injury in Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks.
It was originally thought that Mercilus would be out for the rest of the season. Now, it’s looking like he’s got a shot at playing in the Divisional Round next weekend. Luckily for Green Bay, they’ve got a bye for the Wild Card Round after grabbing the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Not only is Mercilus back in the fold, but the Packers could also see Za’Darius Smith in action in the playoffs as well. These would be two big-time additions for Green Bay.
It’s also bad news for the rest of the NFC teams out there who are hoping to try and stun the Packers at Lambeau Field. We’ll see how practice goes for Mercilus in the coming days, but this really is a promising sign for Green Bay’s hopes of getting back to the Super Bowl.