GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Nick Perry thought it would be a “beautiful” day when the Green Bay Packers finally activated him from the physically unable to perform list and allowed him to start practicing.
As it turned out, Sunday was even better than that for the Packers outside linebacker.
“Like my dad says, ’It’s an exquisite day,’” Perry said after coming off the PUP list in time to take part in Sunday’s closed practice. “I’m excited just to be out there and just be back with the team and put my best foot forward moving into the season.”
Perry missed the entire offseason program after ankle surgery following last season, and he has battled injuries throughout his career. The Packers have two preseason games remaining - Friday at Oakland and Aug. 30 at Kansas City - but it’s unclear whether Perry will play in either. The Packers practice Monday and Tuesday and will have a light practice Thursday before departing for Oakland.
“I would love to play Friday. That’s not my call, though,” Perry said. “I would love to play just to have an opportunity to go out there and get some real game reps down. But it’s only a couple days of practice this week. I’m just going to see how I feel moving from a day-to-day basis on whether or not I can take on that load. (The Raiders’) field isn’t as great, either. So that might be another reason why they might say, ’Hey, just take it easy, wait for next week.’”
Perry said his ankle bothered him throughout last season, when he registered only seven sacks in the first year of a five-year, $59 million deal that included an $18 million guaranteed signing bonus and came after an 11-sack season in 2016.
He also dealt with a broken hand, which forced him to wear a club cast, and a shoulder injury while playing in only 12 of 16 games. Perry’s ankle became enough of an issue late in the season that he left the team’s must-win game at Carolina because of it.
Perry has no concerns about being ready for the team’s Sept. 9 regular-season opener against Chicago, and that he won’t have any trouble catching up in the Packers’ new defensive system, which has been installed by new coordinator Mike Pettine.
“We’re at a point where I don’t have a choice,” Perry said. “I think I’ll be fine, ultimately. My body is in good shape to handle a (work) load like that. So it’s just a matter of me getting into practice and fully getting a whole practice under my belt and continue to stack those days.
“I think everything else will take care of itself.”
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