Oren Burks ‘excited’ to return to Packers’ practice field

[Cheesehead]

GREEN BAY – As the Packers returned from their extended weekend, the team welcomed linebacker Oren Burks back to the practice field on Monday.


Burks has been out since suffering a pectoral injury during the Packers’ preseason opener against the Houston Texans on Aug. 8.


While the injury didn’t require surgery, the second-year linebacker has had to stay patient while rehabbing and rebuilding the strength back up in his chest muscle.


Burks didn’t offer a timeline for a return to the field but his participation during Monday’s practice was a good first step.


“It was huge,” said Burks after Monday’s non-padded practice. “Just kind of mentally being away from the team a little bit, it was cool to get back out there with the guys. In terms of prognosis, I don’t really know exactly when I’ll be 100 percent but I’m taking it one day at a time and trying to get better.”


While it takes practice reps to get back into football shape, Burks has been able to run throughout the injury. He wore a shoulder harness Monday and confirmed he’ll likely play with it once he is cleared.


The harness reduces some range of motion, but the 6-foot-3, 233-pound linebacker also has past experience using one after sustaining an early-season shoulder injury during his rookie year in 2018.


“I have to be able to do what I do as a linebacker. That’s a lot of chopping and shedding,” Burks said. “If I was a receiver or something, I’d probably be good to go but it’s just the world we live in. It’s moving big human beings. It’s a little bit different.”


A third-round pick out of Vanderbilt last year, Burks played mostly on special teams as a rookie after being sidelined the first four games of the regular season with the shoulder.