The Green Bay Packers’ 2024 season kicked off unusually. In Week 1, they traveled to Brazil to face the Philadelphia Eagles in South America’s first-ever regular season NFL game. That night, the Packers fell 34-29 to the Eagles and suffered another blow, losing quarterback Jordan Love to a sprained MCL for the next two games.
It was a highly entertaining game, with both offenses delivering splash plays and defenses making crucial stops. However, one major downside was the turf condition. Players were frequently slipping during plays, and the condition of the field after the game only highlighted how much better it could have been heading into such a historic matchup.
One Packers defensive lineman underwent foot surgery in January. He also revealed that the injury happened during the São Paulo game.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Kenny Clark underwent a procedure to address a bunion and bone spurs.
"It was really just the turf out there," Clark said. "Like the turf pretty much, yeah."
Clark shared his thoughts on Brazil’s field during USA Today’s "Clubhouse Live" last September, shortly after the game.
"It was trash, man. I've played in snow, I've played in rain, I ain't never played on a surface like that. ... There was like clay coming out of the ground. You got holes in the ground. It was a tough surface to play on."
Clark entered last season coming off a career-high in sacks from 2023. He signed a three-year, $64 million contract extension before the start of the 2024 season with the expectations of being the guy on the interior defensive line. However, he record his lowest overall defensive grade and pass rush grade, generating only 34 pressures—his lowest mark since 2020. While it’s fair to acknowledge that his injury likely impacted his performance, he still played below expectations.
The Packers ranked 27th in pass rush win rate last year. General Manager Brian Gutekunst brought in Barryn Sorell, Collin Oliver, and Warren Brinson to bolster the pass rush. However, the players who were already inside the building need to step up, and a healthy Kenny Clark should provide a much-needed spark on the interior.
