The Green Bay Packers are more than pleased to have Aaron Rodgers back, but they are worried about the status of one of their All-Pro defensive players. Edge rusher Za'Darius Smith has been dealing with a back injury, having last practiced with the team a week ago. Since, he's been on the shelf and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur knows how concerning that is for his team.

“That’s a great question. I’m not quite sure when we’ll get Z back,” LaFleur said, via Packers Wire. “He’s injured right now. I know he wants to be out there, but we’re going to be smart with him. He’s a big-time player for us. Yeah, it definitely is a concern.”

LaFleur also discussed his possible availability for the season opener and if this injury could affect it:

“It could, potentially,” the Packers coach said.

Za'Darius Smith has been a beast for Green Bay, registering a team-high 26 sacks across the last five seasons. He has 12.5 of them in 2020 alone. The Packers take on the New Orleans Saints on September 12th, which gives  Smith a couple of more weeks to rehab and hopefully get back to full strength. If he's not able to suit up, the Packers will likely roll out Preston Smith and Rashan Gary at the outside linebackers positions.