GREEN BAY, Wis. — At long last, the Green Bay Packers can finally witness for themselves what Javon Hargrave can bring to the table.
Well, sorta.
The 33-year-old defensive tackle will practice on Sunday for the first time since the start of training camp, but in a limited capacity. Head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed in his pre-practice press conference that Hargrave is one of a couple of players who are coming off injury lists this weekend. The other was running back Chris Brooks.
Hargrave opened training camp with a knee injury that the Packers have been managing, landing him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. He missed the first eight practice sessions, including Friday’s Family Night scrimmage inside Lambeau Field. Brooks, who has solidified himself as the Packers’ third-down running back, has been on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list. LaFleur described both players’ availability as “very limited.”
Hargrave wasn’t looking for a new home for long. Released by the Minnesota Vikings as a cap casualty at the start of the new league year in March, he signed a two-year deal with the Packers worth $23 million to fill a significant void along the defensive line and reunite with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. The Packers had just traded nose tackle Colby Wooden to the Indianapolis Colts for former All-Pro linebacker Zaire Franklin, so Hargrave’s second landing spot within the NFC North in as many years made the most sense.
A former third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hargrave spent four years under Mike Tomlin before signing a three-year deal with the Eagles in the spring of 2020. While in Philadelphia, he spent two of his three seasons there playing under Gannon before he left to become the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Hargrave, meanwhile, signed a four-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers.
It was during his time in Philadelphia that Hargrave was at his best—the hope is that Gannon can restore his play to prominence.
In both seasons playing under Gannon, Hargrave earned Pro Bowl honors and racked up 18.5 sacks in addition to a whopping 129 pressures. General manager Brian Gutekunst is rarely willing to stray away from his tendency of only pursuing free agents on the younger side entering what he believes to be the prime of their careers, so unless he had a change of heart, it may have been Gannon who advocated for the signing.
Hargrave was one of three street free agents signed by the Packers this past spring. They also acquired return specialist Skyy Moore and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste.