Austin Allen Speaks On Replacing Tyler Davis

Green Bay Packers supporters had a lot to grin about after their preseason triumph against the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday. However, one of the most significant drawbacks of the Packers’ otherwise impressive preseason debut was the loss of tight end Tyler Davis to a season-ending knee injury.

Davis had to be taken off the field after a notable performance against the Bengals that featured two receptions and a touchdown. Green Bay’s greatest fears were fulfilled when it was discovered that Davis’ season had been cut short due to a ruptured ACL.

This is a big setback for the team, prompting an impassioned response from head coach Matt LaFleur:

“Unfortunately, that’s going to be a pretty significant injury,” LaFleur said after the game, via Bill Huber of Packer Central. “My heart hurts for him. He’s been a key contributor to our success over the last couple years, whether it’s on teams or carving out a role in our offense, and he’s the consummate professional. He’s a great teammate, just a great human and we’re going to miss him.”

Davis and the Packers are in an undoubtedly bad predicament. The bright side is that this might give a chance for incoming second-year tight end Austin Allen.

In the midst of Davis’ season-ending opportunity, Allen seems to have a chance to make the final 53-man roster for the future season. The 24-year-old isn’t happy about his teammate’s injuries, but he also realizes that these are simply the breaks of the game:

“It’s a crazy business,” Allen says, via Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com. “Whether you get released, say I get released tomorrow and I get picked up by someone else tomorrow, it’s a whole new playbook. You’ve just got to brace yourself, you’ve got to submerge yourself in the playbook and do whatever you can. This is an opportunity where you get more reps. I’ve just got to submerge myself in the opportunity.”

For his part, however, Allen is just wishing all the best for Davis on his road to recovery. According to the young TE, Davis has played an integral role in his fledgling career:

“He’s such a good teammate,” he said, “such a positive role model for me.”