The Green Bay Packers do not play their Wild Card Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles until Sunday afternoon. However, several of their former players are on teams that are playing their own NFL Playoff games on Saturday.
JK Scott, their former punter, currently plays against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Pittsburgh Steelers have three former Packers players on their defense: Montravius Adams, Dean Lowry, and Preston Smith.
However, just one of those former Green Bay defenders will be suiting up for Pittsburgh on Saturday night.
Former Green Bay Packers Defenders Preston Smith and Dean Lowry Will Not Play for the Pittsburgh Steelers vs the Baltimore Ravens
According to the Steelers’ X (formerly Twitter) account, both Smith and Lowry are healthy scratches for Pittsburgh on Saturday night as they take on the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round:
Inactives for #PITvsBAL ⤵️ @UPMCSportsMed
📝: https://t.co/T43YXnQg3s pic.twitter.com/lwemTRzFL5
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 11, 2025
Smith was traded to the Steelers earlier this year per his request. After registering just 2.5 sacks for Green Bay in nine games, he asked for a change of scenery as he felt like he was not a good fit in Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 defense.
Unfortunately, it does not appear that he was a good fit in the Steelers’ 3-4 defense either. In eight games, Smith registered just 2.0 sacks. He was also a healthy scratch in Pittsburgh’s Week 17 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Lowry, who signed with the Steelers as a free agent after spending the 2023 NFL season with the Minnesota Vikings, has played 12 games for Pittsburgh this year. He has just 1.0 sacks.
He was inactive for the first two games of the season, their Week 14 game, and each of their final two games of the season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Defense Has Received Great Contributions from Former Wisconsin Badgers
While the Steelers will not get much contribution from their former Packers players, they do have several former Wisconsin Badgers defenders that play big roles on their defense.
Of course, the most notable of these is TJ Watt, who had 11.5 sacks this year while leading the NFL with six forced fumbles. Keeanu Benton has emerged as one of Pittsburgh’s most important defensive linemen and has 36 tackles (1.0 sacks) and an interception this year.
Nick Herbig, like Benton, is in his second season with the Steelers after they drafted him in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In 13 games this season, he has 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.
And, of course, the Steelers are led on offense by former Badgers quarterback Russell Wilson.
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