Packers discovering just how important Devonte Wyatt is to their defense

Devonte Wyatt stepped into a featured role on the Packers defense in 2025. Since a knee injury sidelined him, his importance has only grown more apparent.

The Green Bay Packers always planned for Devonte Wyatt to play a major role in 2025.

A former first-round pick, Wyatt served largely in a rotational role during the first three seasons of his career. He notched just five total starts over that stretch and never cracked 60% of defensive snaps in any game. However, with T.J. Slaton departing in free agency this past offseason and veteran Kenny Clark shifting back to nose tackle, Wyatt finally had the opportunity to secure his spot on the No. 1 defense.

That plan accelerated when the Packers consummated the blockbuster Micah Parsons trade, sending Clark to the Dallas Cowboys as part of the deal.

“We feel pretty confident with the depth that we have there,” head coach Matt LaFleur said during Parsons’ introductory press conference. “I think the growth that we’ve seen from guys like Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, the two rooks inside there, and, obviously, Devonte Wyatt.”

And Wyatt answered the call. In Week 1’s victory over the division-rival Detroit Lions, he played a career high 49 snaps, over 73% of the total for the defense. Just four days later against the Washington Commanders, Wyatt saw even more snaps while generating seven pressures, trailing only Parsons for the most on the team. And in large part thanks to Wyatt’s efforts, the Lions and Commanders combined to rush for less than 100 yards.

At this point in the campaign, the Packers had to feel great about their decisions. Parsons had already paid dividends for the entire defense in limited snaps, and Wyatt looked more than capable of crashing the pocket and holding up against the run, all while handling the heaviest workload of his career.

Then, Wyatt’s breakout season took a sharp turn. During the second quarter of the Packers’ prime-time matchup with the Cowboys, the defensive tackle landed awkwardly while trying to tackle running back Miles Sanders. Wyatt stayed on the ground for several minutes before slowly walking off the field with trainers flanking him on both sides.

More than three weeks later, Wyatt has not yet returned to action. Just as troubling for the Packers, their defense hasn’t looked the same without him anchoring the interior.