Packers tight end Josiah Deguara medically cleared after torn ACL

There’s good news for the Green Bay Packers offense as second-year tight end Josiah Deguara takes another significant step to getting back to full strength.

According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Deguara has now been medically cleared and is off the PUP list.

Deguara tore his ACL early last season in the Packers’ victory over the Atlanta Falcons. He had been limited due to injury throughout the first quarter of the season but was impressive in the limited snaps he did get.

Deguara is listed as a tight end but he will really do a bit of everything on offense for the Packers. Whether he’s lined up at fullback and blocking in the run game or out wide catching passes, Deguara can add a lot to the Packers’ offense in 2021.

What perhaps shows Matt LaFleur’s confidence in Deguara is that he started his debut last season against the Minnesota Vikings, and showed his potential early on by blocking two Vikings defenders on the same play.

It’s great timing for Deguara to be fully cleared. There’s still over a month to go until the Packers’ regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints, which means he has plenty of time to get valuable reps under his belt.

Now that he’s fully cleared, Deguara will also be able to play a part in the Packers’ three preseason games later this month. After missing almost a year of football, it will help Deguara to get back out there and get valuable reps in before the regular season begins.

Due to the fact he missed most of his rookie season, Deguara has slipped under the radar. But let’s not forget he was a third-round pick only a year ago and played well in the limited opportunities he had last season.

If Deguara can stay healthy, he could have a breakout second season for the Packers.