Packers LB Oren Burks Returns to Practice Following Chest Injury
By Jerry Trotta
The Green Bay Packers have a slew of injuries to address ahead of Week 5's NFC North showdown against the Detroit Lions on Monday night. Among the long list of walking wounded is (or was) linebacker Oren Burks, who's been shelved since suffering a pectoral injury during the Pack's preseason opener versus the Texans on Aug. 8.
Well, Green Bay welcomed the return of the 24-year-old sophomore to their practice on Monday, giving him an outside chance to suit up for MNF.
Oren Burks returns to practice field https://t.co/0mraFGiSG2
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 30, 2019
The injury didn't require surgery and the 2018 third-round pick has spent the last month-plus restoring strength in his chest.
Burks declined to comment on his timetable to return to game action but was exuberant to be back on the practice field.
“It was huge,” Burks said to Packers reporter Wes Hodkiewicz on Monday. “Just kind of mentally being away from the team a little bit, it was cool to get back out there with the guys. In terms of prognosis, I don’t really know exactly when I’ll be 100%, but I’m taking it one day at a time and trying to get better.”
#Packers not practicing this morning: WR Davante Adams, RT Bryan Bulaga, CB Kevin King, RB Jamaal Williams (he’s still dancing here), DL Montravius Adams, CB Tony Brown, S Will Redmond.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 30, 2019
LB Oren Burks has a helmet on and is practicing for the first time since Week 1 of preseason.
Burks might need more than a week of practice to get in game shape, but once the Vanderbilt product is deemed good to go, we can expect him to be inserted next to Blake Martinez in the starting lineup.