Not only will the Green Bay Packers not face quarterback Brock Purdy on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, but Jordan Love’s offense will see plenty of new faces when they line up against the 49ers defense on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
As noted by Matt Barrows of The Athletic, of the 11 starters on the 49ers defense from last year’s NFC Divisional Round showdown, only two are expected to start Sunday: linebacker Fred Warner and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir.
Edge rusher Nick Bosa (injury), cornerback Charvarius Ward (personal reason) and defensive lineman Keith Givens (injury) are out. Defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and cornerback Ambry Thomas are on injured reserve. Defensive lineman Arik Armstead, edge rusher Chase Young and safety Logan Ryan are no longer on the roster. Tashaun Gipson. who was promoted from the practice squad, is no longer a starter.
Edge rusher Randy Gregory, linebacker Oren Burks and defensive linemen Javon Kinlaw and Sebastian Joseph-Day, who all played 10 or more snaps on defense vs. the Packers last January, are also with other teams or a free agent.
Of the 16 players who played at least 10 defensive snaps for the 49ers last January, only three are expected to play on Sunday — Warner, Lenoir and Gipson.
Greenlaw intercepted Love twice. Bosa had five quarterback hits. Gregory and Kinlaw had tackles for losses. Ward broke up a pass. None will play for the 49ers on Sunday.
New starters include edge rusher Leonard Floyd, defensive tackle Maliek Collins, former Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and rookies Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha.
The 49ers are allowing 22.2 points per game in 2024, way up from 17.5 a year ago.
Can Love and the Packers take advantage of all the new faces on Sunday at Lambeau Field?
