Packers safety Darnell Savage scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on a 75-yard interception return last season, but his memories of the 2022 campaign are not overly positive ones.
Savage started the first 57 games he played after being drafted in the first round in 2019, but was benched for several games in the second half of last season. Savage said that was “tough” to take, but he returned to start the final two games of the year and nabbed that interception in a 41-17 Week 17 win over the Vikings that kept the Packers alive heading into the final weekend of the season.
Savage is hoping to build off that late upswing and said he can’t wait to get back out on the field.
“I’m excited. I’m ready to go — like, right now,” Savage said, via the team’s website. “Anxious. Had a long offseason to kind of think about last year, had this kind of bad taste in my mouth for the longest time, so I’m ready to get it out.”
The Packers picked up their option on Savage’s contract for this season, but nothing is set in stone for the safety for 2024 and beyond. That means a full rebound offers benefits for both him and the team this year.
