Packers’ Matt LaFleur opens up on his true thoughts about Kenny Clark before first showdown since trade to Cowboys
Defensive tackle is a significant piece of Dallas’ defense now.
The Green Bay Packers couldn’t be happier with the early returns from the Micah Parsons trade. The edge defender leads the team with 15 pressures through three weeks and, even playing a limited number of snaps, ranks ninth in the entire league.
But a painful part of the deal was to involve defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who went to the Dallas Cowboys alongside two first-round picks. Clark was the longest-tenured Packers player before the trade, a leader on and off the field.
On Tuesday, ahead of the Packers-Cowboys matchup on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ head coach Matt LaFleur praised Clark’s level of play in his first few games for Dallas.
“He looks really good, like I would expect, like he did when he was here,” LaFleur said. “So, yeah, he’s going to be a handful.”
Kenny Clark was a locker room leader
In his first three games for the Cowboys, Kenny Clark has generated nine pressures and four stops. He’s also shown his alignment versatility, with 85 snaps in the B-gap, 29 over the tackle, five in the A-gap, and even one as an edge rusher.
But beyond the play on the field, LaFleur expressed how impactful Clark was for the rest of the roster as a leader.
“There’s a reason he got a third contract, because not many guys do,” LaFleur added. “You have to play at a certain level, which he certainly has, but you also have to be a certain type of guy. Kenny’s a pro’s pro. I’ve got as much respect for him as anybody I’ve been around in this game in terms of his approach, his team-first mentality, and his willingness to help others and bring guys along. He wasn’t always the most vocal, but when he talked, everybody listened, and they listened for a reason, because they respected what he did.”
Kenny Clark played nine seasons on the Green Bay Packers after being a first-round pick back in 2016. During his time in Green Bay, the interior defensive lineman had 379 pressures, 233 stops, and 35 sacks.
Green Bay Packers News
Cowboys writer provides insights on how life has changed in a post-Micah Parsons world before primetime matchup with Packers
It’ll be a fun ‘Sunday Night Football’ game.
