Green Bay Packers reveal inactive players vs. Cleveland Browns
As the Green Bay Packers get ready for a Christmas matinee with the Cleveland Browns, they announced their list of inactive players. There aren’t many surprises, though.
Tackle David Bakhtiari, guard/tackle Billy Turner and defensive lineman Kingsley Keke are all out for the Christmas showdown, which kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET.
None of the three players practiced this week and were ruled out for the matchup. Linebacker Ty Summers and wide receiver Malik Taylor were also ruled out on Friday and were placed on injured reserve — meaning they aren’t on the inactive list.
Tight end Dominque Dafney was questionable on the final injury report but will be good to go for the game. He was limited in practice all week with an ankle injury.
The Packers are 11-3 this season and closing in on the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Green Bay Packers activate key contributor in flurry of roster moves
The Green Bay Packers announced several roster moves on Friday afternoon ahead of Saturday afternoon’s home tilt with the Cleveland Browns, including the activation of Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark.
Clark was back at practice on Thursday, according to several reports, and the Packers confirmed that the 26-year-old star has now officially been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Clark was first placed on the COVID-19 list on Dec. 16, forcing him to miss the entirety of last week’s 31-30 win over the Baltimore Ravens. In Clark’s absence, Baltimore managed to rush for 143 yards, including an efficient 70 yards on just 13 carries from running backs.
This season, Clark has been a frequent contributor at nose tackle, amassing 42 total tackles (23 solo stops), four sacks, seven total tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. A first-round NFL Draft pick out of UCLA in 2016, Clark has spent his entire six-year NFL career with the Packers. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2019 and was recently named a Pro Bowler once again this year.
In addition, the Packers made a few other moves, including placing one active player on the reserve/COVID-19 list: Chauncey Rivers. Rivers, a Mississippi State product, was previously on the injured reserve months ago, but on Friday he was moved to the COVID-19 list.
The Packers also elevated offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen from the practice squad to the active roster heading into the Browns game, and Van Lanen will serve as Green Bay’s COVID-19 replacement player. Van Lanen, a sixth-round pick out of Wisconsin in the 2021 NFL Draft, was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for the first time in his young career last week against the Ravens.