Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness returned to the practice field for OTAs on Tuesday after a brief absence from the offseason workout program while dealing with a minor broken thumb injury.
Last week, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Van Ness broke “just the tip” of his thumb. He missed at least one practice open to the media.
Van Ness appeared to have his hand in some kind of protective wrap on Tuesday.
Lukas Van Ness is indeed practicing #Packers pic.twitter.com/glyWcwugOm
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) June 4, 2024
The fact Van Ness could practice without a large protective cast — which is common for broken finger and thumb injuries — is a good sign in terms of the injury being minor.
The Packers also returned veterans Rashan Gary and Preston Smith to OTAs on Tuesday, so the edge rusher group was near full strength as the offseason workout program nears its end.
Van Ness, the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft, produced 4.0 sacks, 10 quarterback hits and eight tackles for loss over 17 regular season games and 365 snaps as a rookie. He will be expected to take a second-year leap — both in production and performance — while playing more snaps at defensive end in 2024.
“I’m excited about Lukas,” LaFleur said. “A lot of times you see those pass rushers take a huge jump from Year 1 to Year 2. He’s a guy who has put in a ton of work. His body looks great. It’s unfortunate he broke his thumb, but he’s getting more time out there. He’s somebody we’re certainly excited about.”
The Packers will hold one more OTA on Thursday, June 6 before a mandatory three-day minicamp begins June 11 and runs through June 13.
