Packers linebacker Nick Perry has wrist surgery

There’s a report that Green Bay Packers rookie linebacker Nick Perry had surgery on his left wrist.

WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee said the Packers’ first-round draft choice is expected to go on injured reserve, putting him out for the year. Perry hurt the wrist back in mid-September against Chicago. Since then, he had been wearing a cast on the wrist, but could still play because he had the use of his fingers.

On Monday, coach Mike McCarthy said Perry was getting a second medical opinion. The coach did not say what type of injury it was for and reporters didn’t ask at the time.

Perry has been out since Oct. 14 when he hurt a knee against the Texans in Houston. Since then, the Packers have listed Perry on their injury reports as having both knee and wrist problems.

A team spokesman did not have an immediate word on Perry’s status.

McCarthy will not hold a news conference again until next Monday, when the team returns from its bye week. Perry’s agent says he’ll let the Packers comment on his client’s injuries.

OT Derek Sherrod taken off unable-to-perform list

The Packers have taken offensive tackle Derek Sherrod off the physically-unable-to-perform list.

Sherrod has not played since he broke a leg at Kansas City last December. He can return to practice and the Packers will have three weeks to decide whether to put him on their 53-man roster or place him on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

Sherrod was Green Bay’s top draft pick a year ago.

Also Tuesday, the Packers cut receiver Diondre Berel from their practice squad. He had been on the unit’s injured list for two weeks with a bad hamstring.

Meanwhile, former Packers linebacker Vic So’oto was cut by the Oakland Raiders Tuesday. He was active in four games for the Raiders and had one tackle.

Hawk playing less

Green Bay Packers inside linebacker A.J. Hawk is playing less and producing more.

The Packers decided to use only one inside linebacker instead of two on passing downs this year to speed up the secondary and improve what was the NFL’s worst defense in 2011.

Hawk is the odd man out. He’s playing only about 70 percent of Green Bay’s total snaps on defense, or an average of 15 fewer plays than a season ago.

But Hawk leads the team with 75 tackles after nine games. He’s said to be missing fewer tackles as well.

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers says it’s no surprise that Hawk is playing better. He said role players with limited snaps tend to be fresher as the season goes on, and they get bigger burst off the ball.

Capers also says the Packers are showing more varied defensive packages than a year ago when they had a nickel package with five defensive backs most of the time.

The 6-3 Packers are off this weekend. They will play at Detroit on Nov. 18.

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