The Good, Bad And Ugly From Day 10 Of Packers' Training Camp

Forbes

5 days ago

Quay Walker and Tucker Kraft returned.
Nate Hobbs was out with a knee injury that could sideline him a month.
And Jordan Love had a terrific day.
Those were the biggest takeaways from the Green Bay Packers' 10th training camp practice held on a beautiful Tuesday where temperatures were in the upper-70s.
Green Bay's first preseason game is Saturday at 7 p.m. against the visiting New York Jets.
Here's the good, bad and ugly from Tuesday's practice.THE GOOD
STARTERS WILL PLAY?: Quarterback Jordan Love and Green Bay's starters will all play against the Jets on Saturday.
'Well, they're football players, so everybody's got to go into it expecting to play,' Packers coach Matt LaFleur said.
Love played in the preseason opener at Cleveland last season, where he went 2-for-2 for 63 yards, a touchdown and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. The highlight was a 65-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks.
Love exited after just one series in that Browns game, though, and didn't play in the final two preseason games
LaFleur was asked if he'd have a similar plan in place for Love this year.
'We'll see,' LaFleur said. 'However I'm feeling in the moment. I just told all these guys just get ready to play football. Whenever we're ready to play you, we'll play you.'
Former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't play in the preseason during the second half of his time in Green Bay. After Rodgers was traded before the 2023 season, though, LaFleur knew that Love — a first-time starter — needed exhibition games to get ready for the regular season.
LaFleur liked how that worked out in 2023 and 2024 and will maintain that path in 2025.
LET THERE BE LOVE: Quarterback Jordan Love, who's been sharp all summer, had one of his better practices.
Love and Romeo Doubs hooked up on a 46-yard TD on a post route. Doubs beat safeties Evan Williams and Javon Bullard on the play.
Love hit Jayden Reed for 23 yards on an out route against Bullard. And Love found Matthew Golden working against Keisean Nixon for 20 yards.
WELCOME BACK: Linebacker Quay Walker did 11-on-11 work for the first time in training camp.
Walker had offseason ankle surgery and was being brought back slowly.
'He is the quarterback of the defense,' Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Walker. So, anytime you're missing that piece, that's a big piece. Not that we don't feel like we have other guys capable of doing that – we certainly feel good about that, and I think those guys have done a nice job – but we know what type of player Quay is and the level that he can play at. I thought there was a stretch last season where he was playing some really good football. He was getting more comfortable within our scheme, what we were asking him to do, and he was playing at a high level. So, it's been a while since he's played football, so he needs to get back ingrained into that. Obviously, the more reps he gets, the more comfortable I think he'll feel and the better he'll play.
KRAFT RETURNS: Tight end Tucker Kraft, who missed Saturday's Family Night Scrimmage with a groin injury, returned to practice.
THIS AND THAT: Brandon McManus drilled 57- and 56-yard field goals to continue to his remarkable summer. McManus did have just his second miss of camp — hitting the uprights from 53 yards out — and is now 44-of-46 on all kicks this summer (95.7%). … Mecole Hardman hauled in a 15-yard TD pass from No. 2 quarterback Malik Willis after a double move against Kalen King. … With Rasheed Walker out (groin), left tackle Jordan Morgan had a solid day. During 1-on-1 drills, Morgan stopped Lukas Van Ness twice and Kingsley Enagbare once. … King, a seventh round draft pick in 2024 who spent last season on the practice squad, broke up a screen pass for Malik Heath. … Micah Robinson broke up a pass for Julian Hicks. … The Packers signed offensive lineman Lecitus Smith after waiving wideout Sam Brown Jr.THE BAD
FROM THE INFIRMARY: The biggest injury news was cornerback Nate Hobbs will miss the rest of the preseason after having surgery Aug. 2 for a partial meniscus tear (see below).
Others that didn't practice included: running backs MarShawn Lloyd (groin) and Emanuel Wilson, offensive linemen Rasheed Walker (groin) and Travis Glover (shoulder), wideout Dontayvion Wicks, cornerback Kamal Hadden (hip) and defensive lineman Arron Mosby (groin).
THIS AND THAT: Center Elgton Jenkins had his first bad snap of camp, sailing a shotgun snap over the head of Jordan Love. …THE UGLY
Green Bay cornerback Nate Hobbs underwent knee surgery on Aug. 2to repair a partial meniscus tear. Sports Illustrated was first to report the news.
Hobbs, who signed a four-year, $48 million free agent contract with the Packers in March, is expected to miss the remainder of training camp, but could be back for the season opener against Detroit on Sept. 7.
'I'm not going to put a timetable on it, but unfortunately he had to have something cleaned up,' Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday. 'We're hoping to get him back here sooner than later.'
Hobbs missed six games with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 and 16 in the last three seasons due to a bevy of injuries.
Cornerback is undoubtedly the thinnest position on Green Bay's roster.
Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are the projected starters with Hobbs out. The top reserves are an inexperienced group that includes Kalen King, Micah Robinson, Bo Melton and Kamal Hadden, along with Corey Ballentine, who played in Green Bay from 2022-'24, then resigned with the Packers on Monday.