| Charles Woodson has been champing at the bit for a return to the Packers D. He'll finally get his chance. (US Presswire) |
Charles Woodson is 36 years old, has spent 15 years in the NFL and missed the Green Bay Packers’ last nine games with a broken collarbone.
He’s also an eight-time Pro Bowler, the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year and quite possibly the key to the Packers beating the Minnesota Vikings in their wild card-round matchup Saturday night at Lambeau Field.
So what does it mean for the Packers to get back Woodson, who was cleared by the team's medical staff this week for the playoffs?
“Just what he’s meant to our defense," coach Mike McCarthy said. "His playmaking ability, his ability to make plays at the line of scrimmage. He’s extremely productive, so I’m just glad to have him back on the field.”
Woodson was a full participant again in practice Wednesday, meaning he’s very likely -- barring any surprise setbacks -- to play this week against the Vikings.
Since breaking his collarbone in a Week 7 win over the St. Louis Rams, Woodson has been shelved. For the past few weeks, he’d said he felt good enough to play, but the medical staff wouldn’t give him the green light. In practice, he’d been relegated to running wide receiver reps with the scout team because he wasn’t allowed to get physical with the rest of the defense.
But, it appears Woodson will be in uniform and ready to retake his role as the leader of the Packers defense against the Vikings.
“I think Charles’ leadership in the locker room is very unique, as far as anybody I’ve been around,” McCarthy said. “He carries a lot of command and respect in the locker room.
“You’re talking about a very diverse player -- a shutdown corner who’s come into our program and played in a whole different system the first three years with all the bump-and-run. Now he’s played three or four positions at a time for us, and as far as a pressure player, his tackling, especially for a veteran, is exceptional. In my opinion, he’s definitely a Hall of Fame-type player.”
Woodson, who before this year hadn’t missed a game due to injury since 2007 and hadn’t missed this many games since 2005, has shown in practice that he’s itching to play.
“Watching ‘Wood’ in the weight room, seeing him on the practice field, he’s like a little kid playing at the playground,” S Morgan Burnett said. “His intensity, that spark he brings, he makes you excited to be out there with him.”
After Woodson went down with his collarbone injury, Burnett became one of the de facto leaders of the secondary. Woodson plays safety in the Packers base 3-4 defense and moves to slot cornerback in their oft-used nickel package.
On Wednesday, Burnett said he didn’t feel like a veteran usurper was breathing down his neck. He cherished having Woodson back on the field.
“With Wood out there, it’s almost like having a coach on the field with you,” Burnett said. “A guy that’s very smart, knows the game, has a lot of experience -- but at the same time, you’ve got to be held accountable on your end. You can’t put everything on one guy because he has to do his job and you have to do yours. We can’t just be like ‘Oh, Wood’s back, Wood’s in control.’"
In past seasons, Woodson has proved himself to be a willing -- if not always effective -- tackler. The Packers need all the happy hitters they can find against Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 409 yards in two games against Green Bay in the regular season.
Woodson is a physical defensive back who’s proved his determination over his long career. The Packers believe he can only help to contain Peterson on the ground this week and improve a defense that has played well against the pass over the last two months.
“We expect him to come out and do what he’s always done and play at a high level,” CB Tramon Williams said. “He helps us in every aspect of the game, just his experience.”
Follow Packers reporter James Carlton on Twitter: @CBSPackers and @jimmycarlton88.