Sunday night's Week 6 matchup will bring two familiar faces back to Lambeau Field, with former Green Bay Packers defensive linemen Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary now suiting up for the Dallas Cowboys. Their return adds a reunion storyline to Matt LaFleur and the Packers' upcoming clash with some familiar faces.
Clark and Rashan Gary both spent significant parts of their careers in Green Bay. Clark earned three Pro Bowl selections, while Gary became one of the Packers' most familiar pass rushers. LaFleur expects both former defenders to be highly motivated when they face their old team.
"I expect them to be playing with their hair on fire," commented the Packers head coach via USATODAY's Ryan Wood.
Aug 5, 2022; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers linebacker Tipa Galeai (40), linebacker Rashan Gary (52), defensive lineman Clark (97), defensive lineman Chris Slayton (60), linebacker La'Darius Hamilton (54) and cornerback Kabion Ento (48) participate in drills at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Samantha Madar/Green Bay Press Gazette -USA TODAY NETWORK
Clark's Packers tenure began in 2016, when Green Bay picked the UCLA product in the first round. Over the next nine seasons, he established himself as a key presence on the defensive line and earned three Pro Bowl nods. His time in Green Bay ended in August 2025, as the Packers included him in the major trade with Dallas that sent Micah Parsons to Wisconsin.
Gary's departure came in March 2026, when Green Bay dealt the former Michigan defender to Dallas in exchange for a fourth round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The move closed the book on his seven seasons with the Packers. Clark and Gary shared the field in Green Bay for six years, setting up a reunion with their former teammates in the same game.
Football – NFL – Baltimore Ravens v Dallas Cowboys – Estadio Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – September 27, 2026 Dallas Cowboys' Jaishawn Barham, Quinnen Williams, Otito Ogbonnia, Clark, Rashan Gary and Shemar James look on REUTERS/Sergio Moraes
Green Bay faces a unique challenge against Dallas, as LaFleur looks to take advantage of the Cowboys' defensive vulnerabilities while preparing for two familiar opponents. Clark and Gary know the Packers' personnel and culture from their years with the franchise, making their return to Lambeau Field an intriguing storyline. LaFleur anticipates that both defenders will be eager to make a statement against their former team.
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs, right, appears in a Brown County courtroom on Sept. 10, 2026 in Green Bay, Wis., with his attorney Clarence Duchac III for a hearing. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property charges after an incident in May.
