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.

The Packers also announced that they’ve moved two players to the injured reserve in linebacker Ty Summers and wide receiver Malik Taylor. Summers has been with the Packers since being selected in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft, contributing mostly on special teams, and Taylor — after spending one season on the Packers’ practice squad — had his first full season on the active roster in 2020.