Shortly after the Green Bay Packers’ 27-15 Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions, linebacker Erik Walden was arrested on a Felony Battery charge and awaits court on Monday morning.
The dispute reportedly took place Friday morning at 2:30 am at an apartment complex where the 26-year-old Walden had an altercation with his girlfriend.
If the alleged crime is true, the undefeated Packers (11-0) could be facing some serious problems at the linebacker position where the team has already been stretched low because of injuries.
It’s yet to be determined whether the Packers will suspend Walden for his actions off the field, but if the team is forced to suspend him, they could be facing some depth problems.
In the most recent game with the Lions, fellow linebackers Desmond Bishop and A.J. Hawk both suffered calf strains and are currently questionable for the Packers upcoming match-up with the New York Giants.
Luckily, Green Bay will get Frank Zombo back, but it’s not certain to what extent. Zombo has battled a broken bone in his shoulder and hasn’t played in a game since the Packers week nine win over the Chargers.
So far this season, Walden ranks sixth on the team with 41 tackles and has recorded three sacks.
The Packers defense has improved of late (allowed 16 points per game over last three games), but overall on the season has struggled, most notably in pass coverage where they rank 31st in the NFL while allowing 287.8 yards per game through the air.
Yet the Packers are 11-0 for the first time in franchise history and have won 17 straight games dating back to last season. In week thirteen, the Packers will be facing an offense which is no slouch. The Giants rank fifth in the NFL in passing yards per game with Eli Manning averaging 281.4 yards per game.
Do you think a possible Erik Walden suspension could have a damper on the Packers defense? Or will the Packers keep chugging along like they seem to always do? Let me know by commenting below!
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.