The Green Bay Packers are one of the favorites to contend in the NFC. Their run to end the 2023 season put the league on notice. If the Packers can continue that run into the start of the 2024 season, they’ll sky rocket up the ranking boards.
With every team, health will remain a top priority in order to get to the post-season and make a run to the Super Bowl. Today it was announced that one of their newest additions will start the year on the Non-Football Injured List.
The Green Bay Packers Place Rookie On The Non Football Injured List To Start The 2024 Season
According to multiple sources, rookie defensive back Kitan Oladapo has been placed on the Non Football Injury List.
Oladapo, a fifth-round draft pick of the Packers in 2024, is seamingly still recovering from surgery to fix a broken toe. He did not participate in rookie minicamp this year.
Oladapo believed he would be healthy by training camp:
“Broke my toe at the combine and had surgery on it a couple of weeks ago,” Oladapo said. “So, I’m in the boot and hopefully I’ll be good by camp, in August.”
According to the Packers Wire back in May:
Oladapo said his big toe was injured during an on-field drill at the combine in Indianapolis. He worked through the injury at his pro day, participating in position drills, and then had surgery recently.
“Teams knew I was battling through an injury,” Oladapo said. “I went out there and did the best I can.”
Oladapo said he had surgery a week before the draft.
The former Oregon State star played in 46 games and made 39 starts in college. Assumed to be a potential Day 2 pick, Oladapo fell to No. 169 overall in the fifth round, and it’s certainly possible the injury — and recovery timeline — was part of the reason why.
Once healthy, Oladapo should get an opportunity to compete for snaps as a safety next to Xavier McKinney. The Packers also drafted Javon Bullard and Evan Williams, but Oladapo is more of a traditional safety type with nickel linebacker potential.
The injury is an unfortunate thing for a durable collegiate player who was on the field for all 39 games for Oregon State during his final three seasons.
