Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said third-year defensive end Lukas Van Ness will need an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of a right foot injury suffered during Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
LaFleur talked with Van Ness briefly post-game and said he doesn’t believe there is a fracture in the foot. The MRI suggests the injury is soft-tissue related.
“I know he’s sore in his foot. I don’t believe there is anything broken or anything like that. We’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on tomorrow,” LaFleur said.
Van Ness, who had a sack of Joe Flacco in the red zone, was carted from the sideline to the locker room without a shoe or sock on his right foot after a play in the fourth quarter.
Van Ness has 1.5 sacks and six quarterback hits in five games this season. He was on the field for 52 percent of the defense’s snaps during the first four games, serving as a versatile third option behind Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary at edge rusher.
Assuming he produced at least two pressures on Sunday, Van Ness now has 15 (or more) through five games. His career high in a season is 22 pressures.
If Van Ness has to miss time, the Packers would likely lean more on fourth-year defensive end Kingsley Enagbare — who has been mentioned as a possible trade target — and rookie Barryn Sorrell, who had a quarterback hit on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers DE Lukas Van Ness to have MRI after injuring foot vs. Bengals
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
