Kenny Clark has been one of the main bright spots for the Green Bay Packers this season. Even though they are set to miss the playoffs for the second straight season, Clark has shown them that they have a legitimate star as the cornerstone of their defense on the line.
Unfortunately for Clark and the Packers, his breakout season is coming to an end prematurely. According to a report from Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Packers have placed Clark on injured reserve. The report does state that no surgery is expected to be needed to fix Clark's injured elbow.
Green Bay has seen their defense show some promise this year. There are still plenty of areas that will need to improve moving forward, but they are on the right track to being a legitimately dangerous defense.
Clark will finish his 2018 NFL season with 55 total tackles to go along with 6.0 sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and three defended passes.
At just 23 years old, Clark is one of the bright young stars on the defensive line in the NFL. He is a massive presence for the Packers at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds. Green Bay will need Clark to continue developing and take on an even bigger leadership role in 2019 to help get the team back on track.
All of that being said, Clark being shut down is not due to his injury getting worse. There is simply no reason for the Packers to continue playing one of their young stars when they have been eliminated from playoff contention.