He's fresher. There's less wear, less tear. And of course, sitting out for so long also created an unlimited supply of drive. Ryan Grant was unwanted.
But there is one major disadvantage to being out for so long.
Toward the end of Sunday's 55-7 wipeout of the Tennessee Titans, Grant landed awkwardly on the ball and his helmet smashed into his forehead. At his locker afterward, a deep purple bruise grazed across Grant's forehead. The top of his nose - that area between the eyebrows - was a dark, scarred red.
"I don't have that training camp forehead that's used to it," Grant said. "My forehead's still soft."
Grant hasn't even played enough for those natural helmet grooves to form in his head. No worries. That'll come soon enough. After Sunday, the 30-year-old will keep getting the football. With Alex Green (concussion) sidelined, Grant received the bulk of the carries and responded with 80 yards on 20 carries, two touchdowns and one reception for 34 yards.
Mike McCarthy found a hot hand in 2010 to give the Packers a postseason boost. Maybe Grant is the guy in 2012. Either way, Sunday was verification that Ryan Grant is still the same Ryan Grant.
Which, of course, begs the question. Shouldn't Grant, um, have been here all along? The running back paused.
"The only thing I can do is take care of what I have control over, just make sure I perform," Grant said. "The line all day was very vocal. You can see guys are communicating, guys are fired up. I'm glad to be a part of it. Do I feel like I can do it (at a high level)? Absolutely at a high level."
The Packers were essentially down to their sixth and seventh running backs Sunday. Grant and DuJuan Harris were picked up off the street. And Green Bay scored four rushing touchdowns after managing only five through 14 games. This unlikely duo sustained the balance Green Bay has had for seven weeks now.
Unlike Harris, Grant is no stranger. He's the team's fifth all-time leading rusher.
But he was also supposed to perish by now. Running backs, at the turn of 30, are supposed to fade away. To NFL general managers, they're usually used, abused dead weight. On his first day back with the Packers Dec. 5, Grant insisted he wasn't the typical 30-year-old back.
He missed all of 2010 with a season-ending broken ankle. He shared carries in 2011. And in 2012, other than one month and one carry with the Washington Redskins, he's been out of work.
Against Tennessee, he took one stretch play wide left and cut upfield in a timely fashion for 18 yards. He converted a fourth and 1. He scored touchdowns from 7 and 9 yards out - the second score on a cutback left when he started right. Grant's 20 carries were the most he had received since Dec. 13, 2009, at Chicago.
"I feel good," Grant said. "I'm sure I feel better than a lot of guys who have been running around all year. I'm sure I'll be a little sore after today, but I'm OK."
He'll need some holiday healing. On that final play, Grant had the wind knocked out of him and couldn't breath for a moment. He didn't realize the top of his nose was bleeding until teammates said something. There are also scars on his right arm from last week in Chicago that opened up against the Titans.
This is the kind of workhorse the Packers hoped they were welcoming back - a rugged veteran built for December and January.