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Packers' Za'Darius Smith feels 'like a new man' after back surgery
Za'Darius Smith tweeted Friday he is back in Green Bay. Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Packers' Za'Darius Smith feels 'like a new man' after back surgery

The Green Bay Packers won their seventh consecutive game to improve to 7-1 on the season via Thursday's exciting 24-21 win at the Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay has gone on this run without having star edge-rusher Za'Darius Smith in the lineup because he is sidelined indefinitely after needing back surgery following the start of the campaign. 

It was reported earlier this month Smith could return at some point either during the regular season or the playoffs, and the two-time Pro Bowl selection tweeted Friday he is back in Green Bay: 

Smith later answered a fan and hinted his recovery is going well: 

According to ESPN stats, Rashan Gary currently leads the Packers with 3.5 sacks on the campaign in Smith's absence. 

It isn't all good news for Packers fans heading into the weekend, however, as it was learned earlier on Friday that starting tight end Robert Tonyan tore his left ACL and is out for the remainder of the season. 

Green Bay now gets some extra rest ahead of a matchup at the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 7. 

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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