GREEN BAY, Wis. — Reinforcements are on the way for the Green Bay Packers’ defensive line.
Jordon Riley, who was signed off the New York Giants’ practice squad late last season, returned to practice for the first time on Wednesday. After appearing in four games for the Packers and registering a pair of tackles, Riley suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in the Dec. 27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He was placed on injured reserve and opened the following season on the team’s physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
Riley was seeing the field more each week as he adapted to then-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme. He played 14, 16, and 23 defensive snaps in his first three games before his injury occurred 11 snaps into his fourth appearance.
Ironically, Riley’s return comes at a convenient time for the Packers, who just lost 33-year-old Javon Hargrave to a torn Achilles in Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bears. Riley is one of four players in Green Bay to tear their Achilles dating back to Dec. 20 of last year, joining John Fitzpatrick, Edgerrin Cooper, and Hargrave.
The Packers have five defensive tackles on the 53-man roster at the moment, but only four of them are healthy. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that it would be “less than ideal” to go into Sunday’s primetime meeting with the Dallas Cowboys with just four healthy defensive tackles.
“We’ll work that throughout the course of the week,” LaFleur said.
Anthony Campbell has missed the last three games while nursing an ankle injury, but he could return this week, too. It’s still only Wednesday, but depending on how the room looks by the end of the week, they may have to elevate David Blay Jr. from the practice squad.
“If he’s ready to go, he’ll be out there,” LaFleur said of Campbell. “If not, we’ll have to get somebody else ready to play.”
With Riley being designated to return, the Packers have a 21-day window—until Nov. 4—where they’ll have to activate him to their 53-man roster. If not, he’ll revert to injured reserve. The Packers will likely provide him with every last day within that window to ramp up, considering the significant nature of his injury. On day No. 13, Riley will be 10 months removed.
Warren Brinson will be an option to bolster the defensive tackle room in the near future, but he’s on injured reserve. He’ll have to miss at least two more games before he’s eligible to return. The soonest he’ll be able to take the field for a regular-season game again will be Oct. 29 when the Packers host the Carolina Panthers.
Zachary Jacobson is the author of The Packer Dispatch. He is entering his 12th season covering the Green Bay Packers after spending seven as the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter @zachjacobson or contact him via email at itszachariahj@gmail.com.