Report: Johnny Jolly begins reinstatement process

Some have suggested the Green Bay Packers will be better when they get the slew of players they had on injured reserve back in 2011.

There’s another player on his way back, or so he hopes. Defensive end Johnny Jolly has begun the process to apply for reinstatement after he was forced to sit out this past season for a drug suspension. Jolly was suspended indefinitely.

“We’re in the process of doing it now, and we’re hopeful of that,” Jolly’s agent Brian Overstreet told Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Jolly was busted with codeine in Houston and had to go through the court process. He signed a tender as a restricted free agent last spring. That contract will take effect once he is reinstated, per the report, meaning the Packers will have him for another season if they would like him.

“They’ve been very supportive of him this whole ride,” Overstreet said. “So I’d be surprised if that didn’t happen. But you know, Johnny realizes that he has some responsibilities in this and to make sure that he does that. But they’ve been nothing but supportive of Johnny his entire career, even with this.”

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune