After some concerns last week about the status of new starting inside linebacker Amare Campbell following Tommy Thigpen’s comments to the press, the sophomore linebacker returned to the practice field earlier today.
According to Inside Carolina’s Adam Smith, Campbell participated in practice with a “heavy protective tape job” on the right hand that he broke a couple of weeks ago during camp. Sources initially told Inside Carolina last Sunday that he wasn’t expected to miss any game action and would return to practice “soon”, but Thigpen giving a timeline of two weeks on Thursday and answering “I hope so” when asked if Campbell would play in the season opener raised some concerns about where his rehab was.
Today’s news is extremely positive and may put him ahead of schedule on his return. With a week still remaining until the opener, it feels like there is a good chance that he will be available for the game against Minnesota next Thursday.
The question now becomes how many snaps he will be able to play? Thigpen talked last week about Chazz Surratt playing with a cast during his time as a linebacker with the Tar Heels and followed that by praising the toughness that Campbell plays with. It’s hard to see him playing less than half the snaps if active, but it feels like one of the linebackers that had been working in practice in place of him the last ten days needs to be prepared to play. That group includes Caleb LaVallee, Cade Law, Michael Short and Ashton Woods with LaVallee and Law holding the slight edge over the other two based off what Thigpen said last week.
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