Tight end Colt Lyerla’s college career came to an abrupt end last year when he was arrested on drug charges, but the Packers decided to take a flyer that his on-field talent could overcome his off-field red flags.
He may have to wait until 2015 to make that case. Lyerla injured his knee during Saturday night’s practice at Lambeau Field when he was hit by Jarrett Bush after hurdling Jumal Rolle and coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that the rookie would be out for “weeks” while he’s recovering.
“I was just trying to make the most of my opportunity and I got a shot, I got a pass, caught it and had the adrenaline and tried to show a little bit of my athleticism,” Lyerla said, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Missing a few weeks at this point is going to make it almost impossible for Lyerla to make the team out of training camp. They drafted Richard Rodgers in May to go with Andrew Quarless, Ryan Taylor and Brandon Bostick. That likely will leave the Packers with the choice of waiting to stash him on injured reserve or waiving him injured and running the risk of losing him to another team’s waiver claim and it will be a long wait for Lyerla, who hasn’t played a game since early October in 2013, to fully resume his playing career.