The Packers have been looking for a solution at inside linebacker for a while now, without any great answers. Their search got tougher over the weekend when Sam Barrington injured his foot.
Barrington will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury after the Packers placed him on season-ending IR on Tuesday. Barrington took over the starting job in Week 13 last year and kept it throughout the playoffs and into Week 1 this season. He called the defensive plays and said the unit was "my defense" at one point this offseason, although he was wary of others "crowning" him.
Nate Palmer replaced Barrington in Sunday's win over the Bears, and figures to be first in line for snaps. The team also drafted Jake Ryan in the fourth round out of Michigan, and he figures to get more snaps now. The team continues to use Clay Matthews on the inside and out, and this injury should ensure that Matthews is needed on the inside throughout the season.
