Despite Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur playing coy about their situations all week, the Packers activated pass-rushers Za’Darius Smith and Whitney Mercilus from the injured reserve on Friday. Smith has been on the injured reserve with a back injury since Week 2 while Mercilus was placed on the list for a bicep injury in Week 11.
Last week, APC wrote about why the return of the two pass-rushers, considering the depth at the position, could very well be more important than the return of cornerback Jaire Alexander or left tackle David Bakhtiari, positions where the Packers have developed quality depth this season.