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GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It was hard to tell what was bigger on Monday: The cast on Nate Palmer's left hand or the smile on his face. Yes, the Green Bay Packers linebacker practiced with a club-like cast for the first time. No, that's not why he was smiling. Here's why: Less than a year removed from the knee injury that wiped out his entire 2015 season, Palmer is off to a fast starting in his third NFL training camp. So he wasn't about to let a hand injury -- he wouldn't say what it was specifically, but he had his middle and ring fingers splinted together when the cast came off after practice -- prevent him from the opportunity he received Monday. With Clay Matthews sidelined because of knee soreness, Palmer took most of the starter's reps at inside linebacker. Despite the limited use of his hand, the former sixth-round draft pick turned in another good showing. "Since I know that I can't use my left hand, I'm trying to beat people to the spot because I know if I do get locked up it's going to be get hard off the block because I only have one hand," Palmer said. "That's something I tried to focus on today is just beat people to the spot." Palmer said the injury occurred during Saturday's practice after a collision with running back Rajion Neal. He initially thought he dislocated a finger but continued to practice. It was only after practice that he discovered something more serious had happened. He doesn't know how much longer he will have to wear the cast but unlike the one Matthews wore in 2013, when he broke his thumb, Palmer's cast allows him the use of his thumb. "I thought he did a good job working through it," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after Monday's practice. The snaps in practice, especially with the defensive starters, were invaluable for a player who switched from outside linebacker in the final week of the preseason last year. Palmer has moved ahead of Carl Bradford, a fourth-round pick last year who also transitioned from outside linebacker to the inside. Joe Thomas, a practice-squad player last year, and rookie fourth-round pick Jake Ryan also worked some at Matthews' inside linebacker spot, while Andy Mulumba got a good portion of Matthews' snaps on the outside. With one good hand or two, Palmer still plans to battle for a spot. "It's just an inconvenience, but I'll find a way," said Palmer, who played in eight games as a rookie in 2013. "There's always a way to work through your problems. In a couple days, I'll figure out what works and what doesn't work. I'm in a trial-and-error mode right now. I'll continue to talk with Clay and anybody else -- I think Morgan [Burnett] had a club a couple years ago -- so I talked with him, too."
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