Packers coach Mike McCarthy delivered the news on Monday that no Green Bay fan wanted to hear: Rookie safety Morgan Burnett, who's been off to a great start this season, is done for the year with a torn ACL.
The Packers took Burnett in the third round of this year's draft with the hope that he could be a starter as a rookie, and he's exceeded expectations. Burnett has started all four games, intercepted a pass in the Week 2 win over the Bills, and generally looked like the kind of player who can be a starter in the NFL for a decade or more to come. Now Burnett has a long and painful rehab process ahead of him, although he's a tough guy who should make a complete recovery. (In fact, he's tough enough that McCarthy said Burnett played about a dozen more snaps after suffering the torn ACL against the Lions on Sunday.)
But the torn ACL doesn't just end his season, it exposes how big a problem the Packers have at safety right now. Last year's starting strong safety, Atari Bigby, is on the physically unable to perform list and can't return to the field until Week 6, at the earliest. It appears that Charlie Peprah is next in line, but Peprah is hurt, too: He missed the last two games with a thigh injury. After Peprah comes Derrick Martin, and Anthony Levine could be called up from the practice squad.
Bottom line, the Packers have a dicey situation at safety. Opposing offenses will take notice.
With Morgan Burnett Out for Season, Packers Incredibly Thin at Safety
Oct 4, 2010 – 2:07 PM
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