Packers believe poor conditioning led to Preston Smith’s down season in 2020
After delivering a career-high 12 sacks and 55 pressures during his first season in Green Bay, Preston Smith’s numbers dipped to only four sacks and 26 pressures during a disappointing second season with the Packers in 2020.
The team hopes that Smith getting into better shape will lead to a resurgent season in 2021.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers believed that “poor conditioning” and playing above his listed weight of 265 pounds contributed to Smith’s sharp regression in 2020.
To his credit, early returns on his comeback are positive. Outside linebackers coach Mike Smith said his veteran edge rusher looks “leaner” now than he did to start training camp last summer and everyone “can tell” he’s been working hard throughout the offseason.
The pandemic might have played a factor in whatever conditioning or weight gain issues plagued Smith last season. The team had a virtual offseason workout program, training camp was truncated and no preseason games were played before the start of the 2020 season. All players must be accountable for their own bodies, but it’s not hard to see how a significant break in offseason structuring could have at least contributed to Smith’s decline.
Getting the 2019 version of Smith could be a major factor in the Packers taking another step forward on defense.
And he has plenty of incentive to be productive in what could be his final year in Green Bay.
The Packers restructured Smith’s deal this offseason, slashing his pay but providing an opportunity for him to earn back the money through various incentives, with hundreds of thousands of dollars available if Smith reaches certain sack thresholds.
Instead of cutting Smith and moving on after a down season, the Packers came up with a clever financial solution and are providing an opportunity for a rebound alongside Za’Darius Smith, Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark in 2021.
Getting in better shape and shedding any bad weight could give Smith the explosive edge that helped him become a disruptive-play creator for the Packers during his first season in Green Bay.
