Defensive end Jarius Wynn’s doing everything he can to secure a spot in Green Bay’s defensive line rotation.
It might help if he could close his left eye.
Wynn was recently diagnosed with what he called a Bell’s Palsy, according to Paul Imig of FoxSportsWisconsin.com.
“It was kind of scary at first,” Wynn said. “I’m just glad it didn’t get bad.”
Bell’s Palsy is a type of paralysis on the muscles of the face, and Wynn realized he had the problems when out to dinner with teammates.
“I went to the bathroom and I tried to close it and it wouldn’t close,” Wynn said. “So it kind of freaked me out. So I came here (to Lambeau Field) to the training room, and they thought I was playing with them.
“I was like, ‘No, my eye really won’t close.’ They started naming symptoms and they knew what it was. So they sent me to a specialist, and he told me it’s a real mild case.”
Wynn’s wearing a dark visor in his helmet now, but isn’t otherwise limited in practice, as he tries to hang onto a job. He started four games last year, but the Packers have made additions there.
Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez was diagnosed with the condition in 2006, so the hope is that Wynn’s recovery is quick and complete.