Kenny Clark endured an uncharacteristically disappointing season, leaving Green Bay Packers fans worried about his fit in Jeff Hafley's system or, worse, whether his production would continue to decline.
Clark finally opened up about the struggles he faced, notably a significant injury he suffered in the Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.
"It was a tough year. I had surgery on my foot in January. It was a tough year," said Clark, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Clark revealed that he caught his toe in the turf and continued to battle through the pain all year. How much did it affect him?
"A lot. I hurt it in the Brazil game," said Clark. "It was just the turf out there."
Kenny Clark's reason for disappointing season should cause concern for Packers' NFC North rivals
Clark is healthy and ready for a bounce-back season, and that's bad news for the other three teams in the division.
It starts in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, whose best option to slow Clark down just retired.
The injury explains a lot. Statistically, last season was among Clark's worst. He finished with only one sack, down from 7.5 in 2023. Per Pro Football Focus, his 34 pressures were his lowest total in four years.
And it was supposed to be his best season, having moved away from nose tackle duties into a role that should maximize his pass-rush skill set.
Clark's injury situation explains his decline in production, and that's bad, bad news for the NFC North. If he is healthy and back to his best, look out. He is a three-time Pro Bowler for a reason — despite regularly facing double teams, Clark has made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks over his nearly decade-long NFL career.
We may finally get to see Clark reach his full pass-rush potential in Hafley's system, not to mention the other coaching upgrade the Packers made by hiring new defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington.
Clark's injury explains a lot. Toe issues can slow down even the best pass-rushers, but now fully healthy and entering Year 2 in this system, the Pro Bowler is on a mission to make up for it.