Before Wednesday's practice, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur provided an update on rookie edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton, who exited early from practice on Monday, Aug. 10, and was held out of the preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to an illness.
“He overheated at practice, so obviously you take that very seriously, and he’s working through the protocol to come back,” said LaFleur.
LaFleur also said "hydration" was a contributing factor.
"That's something we take really seriously with our guys, and try to educate them and make sure they are properly hydrated and fueled," LaFleur said.
Fortunately, Dennis-Sutton returned to the field on Wednesday to do individual drills. Before his heat-related illness, the Packers had been
tapping into his versatility, occasionally lining him up along the interior of the defensive line and utilizing him on special teams.
He was ranked 73rd on the consensus big board from Mock Draft Database, but the Packers waited until round four to take him with the 120th overall pick. SI.com draft analyst Justin Melo named Dennis-Sutton as one of the best steals from the 2026 NFL Draft. In four seasons at Penn State, he finished with 23.5 sacks, 34.5 tackles for loss, eight pass defenses, and seven forced fumbles.
Initially, it looked like Dennis-Sutton could be an immediate contributor, but missing more than a week of practice and the preseason opener has prevented him from getting valuable reps.
Wednesday was the final practice before Green Bay travels to Denver for its second preseason game against the Broncos on Friday, making it unlikely that Dennis-Sutton will suit up.
We may have to wait until the preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 28 to see the rookie in action.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton returns to field after heat-related illness
