Rashan Gary injury update: Packers' top pass rusher suffers ACL tear vs. Lions

Jacob Camenker

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Rashan Gary injury update: Packers' top pass rusher suffers ACL tear vs. Lions image

The Packers suffered their fifth consecutive loss in Week 9 via their 15-9 defeat at the hands of the Lions, but the bad news didn't stop there.

Green Bay has also lost one of its best defensive players for the season.

Rashan Gary suffered a non-contact knee injury while chasing a screen pass on the Packers' first defensive play of the second half. He exited the game and did not return.

And on Monday, it was revealed that Gary's injury was, in fact, serious.

IYER: Aaron Rodgers, Matt LaFleur share blame for fade in NFC playoff picture

Rashan Gary injury update

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Gary has suffered a torn ACL that will cost him the rest of the season. The fourth-year veteran is having an MRI to determine if he has suffered "additional damage."

Gary, 24, had been on pace for a career year before the injury, as he had logged six sacks and 35 pressures in nine games. The rest of the Packers have 11 total sacks, and nobody has more than 3.5 individually (Preston Smith).

Gary will be a big loss for a Packers defense that can ill afford it. The team was already thin at the edge rush spot after releasing Za'Darius Smith during the 2022 NFL offseason. Now, the Packers will have to role with fifth-round rookie Kingsley Enagbare as their starter across from Preston Smith while third-year veteran Jonathan Garvin provides depth at the position.

MORE: How Aaron Rodgers' unprecedented red-zone struggles are hurting Green Bay

Even worse, Gary wasn't the only Packers player to suffer an injury in Sunday's loss. Three starters — Aaron Jones, Romeo Doubs and Eric Stokes — left Detroit in walking boots, with the latter two were on crutches. Their statuses have yet to be determined.

But as it stands, the Packers (3-6) are facing an uphill battle as they look to make a playoff push. They are within one game of the No. 7 seed in the NFC but it will take them a lot to overcome their injuries and poor play as Matt LaFleur faces his first major adversity as Green Bay's head coach.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.