Green Bay Reporter

Packers outside linebacker Rashan Gary was among the few bright spots in Green Bay’s NFC Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but to hear him tell it, he was simply doing what his job description entails.

His performance against San Francisco raised speculation that he’ll emerge as a leader on the Packers defense next season, his fourth in the green and gold, a team issued press release said.

“I’m chipping away day by day, I’m being who I am, and if that’s what’s asked of me, then that’s what I’ll do,” Gary said in a postgame interview on the Packers’ website. “Nothing’s going to change of how I carry myself and how I work."

According to the team, Gary possesses an insatiable desire to learn and grow, which translates to him leaving it all on the field.

Gary recorded four solo tackles and two sacks to cap a year, in which he led the Packers in sacks with 9.5 and ranked seventh in the NFL with 28 QB hits in more than 16 regular-season games.

Position coach Mike Smith believes Gary, a 2019 first-round draft pick, will expand his game.

"It's just crazy how fast time goes by," Smith said on the team’s website. "It's been three years since I've had him, watching him grow and develop into what he is today, and he's still got a lot of growing.”

The 24-year-old Gary admitted that he would like to polish his fundamentals more with push-rush moves, the release said.

He could be found in the film room picking himself apart play by play.

As the Packers’ revolving door will be spinning in the offseason, all eyes will be on Gary, who’s expected to build on his stellar playoff performance.

“The only thing that's going to change is needing to finish where we need to finish,” he said in the release.