Green Bay Packers rookie linebacker Vic So’oto was a terror in the preseason, but hasn’t been a factor since the season started. After sitting out the team’s first several games with a back injury, So’oto played only one down last week.
That may change this week.
Frank Zombo, who returned for the first time last week, is out again with another injury. Jamari Lattimore is also expected to miss Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury. That leaves Erik Walden and possibly So’oto to try to bolster the Packers lackluster pass rush opposite Clay Matthews.
“Yeah, it’s definitely frustrating,” So’oto said. “But I’ve been on the sideline with ‘KG’ (Kevin Greene), and he’s been coaching me up during the plays that Erik and Clay are playing. So I’ve been able to take mental reps and talk on the sideline.
“I can see things I wouldn’t have saw if I was out there. So it’s just progressing slowly and the mental part clearing up.”
So’oto won’t necessarily be a huge part of the defensive game plan. The Packers seem to want him to make the special teams units first, something he didn’t do in college and has had trouble picking up in the NFL.
The Packers don’t look like they’ll have a choice but to throw So’oto into the mix, though.