Packers release defensive lineman Kingsley Keke

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GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers have released defensive lineman Kingsley Keke. The 2019 fifth-round pick from Texas A&M made eight starts this season but hadn’t played at all in their past three games. This move comes as the Packers prepare to host the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC divisional playoff game Saturday night. Keke had 23 tackles, 2½ sacks and a forced fumble in 12 games this season.

49ers-Packers Inactives: LT David Bakhtiari, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling will not play

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Here’s the good news, Packers fans: Cornerback Jaire Alexander, outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus are about to play their first games back from the injured reserve.

Here’s the bad news: Left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) and receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (back) are going to miss the game against the San Francisco 49ers. Bakhtiari was able to play for 27 snaps in the season finale against the Detroit Lions, but did not practice on Tuesday or Thursday due to “load management” according to head coach Matt LaFleur. Unfortunately, it seems like a bigger issue than that as Bakhtiari has once again slipped out of practice and game participation.

Valdes-Scantling hurt his back against Detroit in Week 18 and was unable to practice on Wednesday or Thursday this week. He was officially listed as doubtful coming into this game while Bakhtiari was listed as questionable. The only other player who was given an injury designation on Friday’s finale injury report was Alexander (shoulder) who was listed as question.

It’s also worth noting that the Packers did not activate either defensive lineman that they protected on the practice squad this week or returner David Moore. They will only have four interior linemen available for this game after they waived Kingsley Keke and Jack Heflin this week to make room for the activations of their outside linebackers and Randall Cobb, who has also returned to the 53-man roster. Special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton would not name a starting punt returner when asked about the unit in his press conference this week.

The San Francisco 49ers will be out Ambry Thomas (knee) who has started at cornerback for the team since Week 14. Every other player who is listed as inactive for the 49ers is a healthy scratch.

Full inactives list:

Green Bay Packers expected to have healthy Randall Cobb; statuses of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, David Bakhtiari less promising

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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The last two times the Green Bay Packers were in the playoffs, Randall Cobb had to watch from his couch.

The Packers had moved on from the receiver after the 2018 season, and he spent the next two years with non-playoff teams Dallas in 2019 and Houston in 2020.

When he tore multiple muscles in his abdomen as he caught a touchdown pass 12 weeks into his return to Green Bay this season, he was determined not to be a spectator again. Sure enough, Cobb is expected to return for Saturday’s NFC divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field.

However, even with Cobb’s return, the Packers’ receiving corps might not be at full strength.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling was listed as doubtful because of the back injury he suffered in the regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions. He practiced on Tuesday but then was a nonparticipant the rest of the week.

Cobb said he could have played two weeks ago at Detroit, about five weeks after he underwent surgery.

“The past four years I’ve been watching the playoffs from the couch,” Cobb said, counting the 2017 and ‘18 seasons, when the Packers missed the postseason. “I haven’t seen the playoffs since 2016, so I’m really excited for the opportunity to be out there and help contribute.”

Cobb, who returned to Green Bay last summer via trade from the Texans at the request of Aaron Rodgers, said the low point in his career was the 2019 NFC Championship Game, when the Packers played the 49ers. He said he watched the game alone and didn’t even want his wife, Aiyda, with him during it.

“When I got drafted here, it was right after the Super Bowl,” Cobb said, referring to the Packers’ Super Bowl XLV win. “We went 15-1, I thought we were going that year. Thought we were going in ‘14. Obviously ‘16, the loss in Atlanta, and I haven’t been there since then and I’ve been watching from the couch.

“It was hard. I was definitely in a dark place when they played the 49ers in San Francisco because in my mind, I’m like, ‘Man, they won the year before I got there and they won the year after I left,’ or, ‘They’re getting ready to go the year after I left, so I must’ve been the problem. It must’ve been me.’ So I was definitely in a dark place that year, but I’m just happy to be a part of it, happy to have the opportunity to contribute and to do my part.”

The Packers activated Cobb off injured reserve Thursday. They had a spot open after they released defensive tackle Kingsley Keke a day earlier. The Packers would also need spots for outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith (back) and Whitney Mercilus (biceps), who are attempting to come back from IR. Coach Matt LaFleur left that possibility as questionable.

Cornerback Jaire Alexander, who is on the roster but hasn’t played since his Week 4 shoulder injury, was listed as questionable.

There are other question marks as well.

When left tackle David Bakhtiari played the first 27 snaps of the Week 18 game against the Lions, it was believed to be a precursor to him playing full time when the playoffs started. That might not be a sure thing. Bakhtiari practiced only one day this week – the middle of three practices – and was listed as questionable.

LaFleur was vague about why and about what might have happened in the days since Bakhtiari made his return in the regular-season finale after more than a year away because of ACL surgery.

“He’s working his tail off,” LaFleur said. ‘And we’ll see where he’s at.”

The Packers will have at least one of their two preferred starting tackles. LaFleur said right tackle Billy Turner, who missed the last month of the regular season with a knee injury, has been cleared to play.

New York Jets Flight Connections 01/23/22

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Good morning, Gang Green Nation! The divisional round of the NFL playoffs got off to an interesting start yesterday with two tight games resulting in two upsets. Both #1 seeds are now out of the playoffs, having gone winless in the postseason. That was … unexpected. Today we get two more great games, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Los Angeles Rams, and the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Buffalo Bills. Can the underdogs go 4-0 this weekend? I think it’s quite possible. We’ll find out by the end of the day.

Here are your links to your New York Jets this glorious Sunday in January:

Randy Lange - Inside the Numbers | Season Wrap: Jets Defense

Max Goodman - Evaluating every pick from the New York Jets 2020 NFL Draft class

Max Goodman - NFL Mock Draft: New York Jets Pick Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Washington CB Trent McDuffie

Mike Mitchell - 5 star players the NY Jets could trade for this offseason

Tyler Greenawalt - New York Jets: 9 head-coaching candidates with Gang Green connections

Tyler Greenawalt - New York Jets: The biggest strengths heading into 2022 offseason

Gary Phillips - Jets’ waiver claim for ex-Packers DL Kingsley Keke comes up short

Dylan Tereman - Senior Bowl Offense: Several Playmakers for Mike LaFleur and the National Team

Paul A. Esden Jr. - Former Jets Intern, Raheem Morris, Lands NFL HC Interview With Vikings

Paul A. Esden Jr. - Bucs’ Super Bowl RB, Leonard Fournette, Listed as Name to Watch for Jets

Michael Obermuller - Jets Can Benefit Greatly From Giants Joe Schoen GM Hire

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Enjoy the day everybody.

Packers’ Campbell’s bet on himself pays huge dividends

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Packers’ Campbell’s bet on himself pays huge dividends 2 days ago share facebook twitter reddit link

Green Bay Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell remembers every critical comment he received after fighting through nagging injuries while playing for the Arizona Cardinals last season.

He used it as motivation to become the first Packers inside linebacker to earn

last week, Campbell heard last season that he didn’t look the same, that he was on the back end of his career and that his performance was slipping.

“Everybody just kind of counted me out,” Campbell said Thursday. “I dealt with a lot of stuff last year in Arizona that I never talked about because nobody really cares. At the end of the day, people just care about results. I was just honest with myself. I was injured, I didn’t feel like I played the best but I didn’t feel like I played terrible, but that’s not what everybody else thought. Honestly, I don’t really care about other people’s opinions, but I just knew what was at stake, so I bet on myself, as I always will.”

What a winning bet that was.

Campbell, 28, said he had five or six offers in free agency, but joined the Packers because he considered it the best possible situation for him. The Packers signed him to a one-year, $2 million deal.

Now he has a chance to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since his rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons.

“We wouldn’t be where we’re at without him right now, I’ll tell you that,” wide receiver Davante Adams said.

The Packers’ appreciation of Campbell was evident last week after the All-Pro announcements were made.

Campbell endeared himself even more to his teammates when he responded to the All-Pro honor by thanking them for making him feel important.

“That got to me, it really did,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “The older you get, I think it’s easier to get a little misty from time to time. You can watch an episode of ‘After Life,’ ‘Ted Lasso,’ and find yourself kind of crying to yourself and going, ‘Man, this is really hitting me.’ But that moment definitely got me because it’s so important to myself and our leadership and the culture we’ve tried to create to make guys feel important, to make guys feel special, to make guys feel like they’re a part of something.”

Campbell said that feeling started the first day of training camp.

“I was sitting on the ground stretching and Aaron came up and introduced himself to me,” Campbell said. “At first, I was like, ‘Is he joking? I know who you are.’ It’s little things like that, like, nobody being too big. It’s just a blessing and an honor to be a part of such a historical organization.”

He was the first player since Indianapolis’ Darius Leonard in 2018 to have at least 145 total tackles plus multiple interceptions, sacks and forced fumbles in the same season.

“Since Day 1, I’ve always felt like I was a top-10 backer in this league,” Campbell said. “If people watch the tape, they would’ve seen that themselves.”

Yet he’d never been this productive in his five previous seasons with the Falcons (2016-19) and Cardinals (2020).

Campbell says the change came from how the Packers used him.

“Everybody’s whole question is, ‘What’s so different? How did you just become this elite player all of a sudden?’" Campbell said. “I’ve been the same player my whole career. My job responsibilities have just been different. I’ve never been a true MIKE. I’ve never been put in a position to make plays week in and week out. That was something I was very adamant about coming into the offseason. I was going to sign somewhere that allowed to me to be the guy.

“Like I said, Green Bay allowed me that opportunity and I’m just thankful for it — for them believing in me when a lot of people didn’t.”

NOTES: Packers coach Matt LaFleur said offensive tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) is questionable and wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (back) is doubtful for Saturday’s game. Bakhtiari played 27 snaps in the Packers’ regular-season finale at Detroit, which marked his first game appearance since tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament in practice on Dec. 31, 2020. … The Packers activated WR Randall Cobb from injured reserve, clearing the way for him to play Saturday night. Cobb missed the Packers’ last five regular-season games with a core injury. … LaFleur declined to detail why the Packers released defensive lineman Kingsley Keke, who made eight starts earlier this season. “Sometimes you’ve got to make some tough decisions, and we’re very appreciative of everything he brought to this team and we wish him well,” LaFleur said. “I’m sure he’s going to get another opportunity somewhere, and I hope he takes advantage of it and wish him well.”

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