Latest news with #NateHobbs
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Safety Xavier McKinney could miss rest of camp with calf injury, Packers secondary dealt another setback
Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney didn't participate in practice Thursday because of a calf issue that's been bothering him. He indicated the injury could sideline him the rest of training camp, telling reporters Thursday that he doesn't expect to play in the preseason but will be ready for Week 1. "Obviously glad that we caught it when we caught it, so just kind of trying to take it slow and then the build-up, obviously," McKinney said, according to ESPN. "But I'll be ready when it's time to go, for sure." McKinney explained that the injury had been "lingering" over time. "And that's really all it really was," he said, per ESPN. While McKinney is confident he'll be on the field for the Packers' regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7, his absence in camp won't go unnoticed. He's an instrumental piece of a Green Bay secondary that's already down cornerback Nate Hobbs, who underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his knee and is expected to miss the rest of camp. Hobbs, too, is targeting a Week 1 return. Hobbs was one of the Packers' biggest free agent acquisitions this offseason. Green Bay signed him to a four-year, $48 million deal in March. After spending four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, the University of Illinois product is now a projected starter at outside corner in Green Bay. McKinney, on the other hand, was a splash free agent addition last year. That's when the Packers brought him in on a four-year, $67 million contract. He made good on that deal in 2024, ranking second in the NFL last season with eight interceptions. McKinney, 26, established a leadership role in the back end of a defense coordinated by Jeff Hafley and rounded out the year tied for fourth on the team with 88 total tackles. He led all Packers players last year with 11 passes defended. McKinney previously played for the New York Giants, who selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft. During his final season with the Giants, McKinney racked up a career-high 116 total tackles. He picked off nine passes in 46 games with the Giants. After dealing with injuries earlier in his career, McKinney has started 17 games each of the past two seasons. He still has a chance to do that in 2025 — that is, if he recovers in time from his current calf issue.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Injuries are piling up at NFL camps but pros who recover right keep rolling
Injuries are piling up at NFL camps but pros who recover right keep rolling originally appeared on The Sporting News It's a tale as old as the NFL itself. As the new season approaches - players get injured. The training camps are heating up, and the bodies are breaking under the pressure. Green Bay has already seen cornerback Nate Hobbs go down with a meniscus tear. He'll miss the entire preseason. Kenneth Walker III sat out Monday with a sore foot, and rookie center Olu Oluwatimi was also sidelined. In Washington, Deebo Samuel left practice early with a finger issue, while Brandon Coleman limped off with a leg injury. The Chiefs had Xavier Worthy enter concussion protocol. He was cleared only after fluid was drained from his head. And in Las Vegas, Lonnie Johnson Jr. had to be carted off after a mock game. It's not bad luck. This is the phase of camp where the difference between pushing through and falling behind often comes down to recovery. Some teams are taking a harder approach. The Jets brought back full contact one-on-one tackle drills, something that has been missing from league practices for more than ten years. Braelon Allen thrived in that setup. But staying healthy in that environment means recovering like a pro. That's where most players slip. They train hard, but they don't always recover hard. 'Pro athletes don't treat recovery like a luxury,' said Adam Cardona, founder of Elite Healers Sports Massage. 'They treat it like training. Most regular athletes skip that part, then wonder why they're still sore on Monday.' The smart ones are building recovery into their daily schedule. That includes massage, contrast therapy, sleep tracking, mobility work, and nervous system resets. It's not just to feel good. It's to stay on the field. Because the truth is, most of these injuries aren't freak plays. They're what happens when recovery gets skipped. And once you fall behind in camp, it's hard to catch up. Read More!
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers get news that puts uncomfortable spotlight on roster strategy at premium position group
Packers get news that puts uncomfortable spotlight on roster strategy at premium position group originally appeared on A to Z Sports. The Green Bay Packers are already facing the tough reality of a suboptimal plan. Already thin at cornerback, the defense will be without the biggest addition of the offseason for the rest of training camp and preseason. According to Bill Huber from Sports Illustrated, Nate Hobbs had to go through a minor knee surgery and is expected to miss about three weeks of action, so he can be ready for the Week 1 game against the Detroit Lions."The procedure was more preventative than anything. Hobbs might have been able to play through it all season with no troubles. But, with Week 1 more than a month away – the Packers will host the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7 – Hobbs and the team opted to take care of things now to ensure he'll not only be ready for the season but be able to get through the season." The idea of protecting Hobbs now that games are meaningless is smart, but it's also unfortunate that the new player will miss most of his first training camp with the Packers. The problem, and which shows the fragility of the Packers plan at cornerback, is that Hobbs has a significant injury history. Over the past three seasons, he has missed 16 games, mostly due to ankle issues. When the team cut Jaire Alexander exactly because of his injury history, that is especially a the Packers gave Nate Hobbs a four-year, $48 million deal in free agency back in March, the perception was that the player had suffered multiple injuries due to his physicality. And he has shown that in practice—to the point where the coaching staff had to ask him to slow down."There's obviously a balance to a lot of things, but we're trying to become a certain kind of football team that can win, go deep into the playoffs, so there's a certain kind of physicality that you have to have," general manager Brian Gutekunst said last week. "And Nate Hobbs brings all that. That's why we brought him here. And it's very important that all our guys have that kind of edge to them. You want to make good decisions while you're going through camp and keeping guys healthy. At the same time, it's hard. We're asking these guys to fly around, be physical in plays and to back off. Sometimes it's not easy." Depth issues The Packers are banking on cornerback being a weak-link system, since there isn't a top cornerback in the group. But without Hobbs, the risk of having a weak-link on the field becomes greater. Right now, the starters would be Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine, with safety Javon Bullard in the slot, but there's little margin for error room also had seventh-round rookie Micah Robinson, practice squad holdovers Kamal Hadden and Kalen King, converted wide receiver Bo Melton, Isaiah Dunn, and rookie free agents Tyron Herring, Garnett Hollis, and Johnathan Baldwin. On Monday, the Packers also signed back Corey Ballentine and waived Gregory story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs expected to miss rest of training camp with knee injury: Report
Green Bay Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs is expected to miss the rest of training camp after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear, ESPN reported Tuesday. He could return in time for the Packers' regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 7, per ESPN. "I'm not going to put a timetable on it," head coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday of Hobbs' knee injury. "But unfortunately he had to have something cleaned up. We're hoping to get him back here sooner than later." Hobbs, 26, was one of the Packers' biggest free agent acquisitions this offseason. They signed him to a four-year, $48 million deal in March. He spent his first four seasons in the league with the Las Vegas Raiders, who took him in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. Hobbs has played at least 550 defensive snaps in each of his four NFL seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. He's mostly played inside corner, with 304 of his 554 defensive snaps last season taking place in the slot, per PFF. But the Packers see him as a starting outside corner opposite of Keisean Nixon. In Hobbs' absence, third-year defensive back Carrington Valentine and veteran Corey Ballentine — who played in 37 games for the Packers between 2022-24 — are options for Green Bay at the position. The team re-signed Ballentine on Monday. This isn't the first time Hobbs has been sidelined during his NFL career. He's been out for a combined 16 games over the past three seasons because of ankle and hand injuries and illness. Unfortunately for the Packers, they're used to injuries foiling their plans at cornerback. Back in June, Green Bay moved on from Jaire Alexander after seven seasons. Although Alexander earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods in 2020 and 2022, he's struggled to stay on the field. In each of the past two seasons, Alexander has played in just seven games. He wound up reuniting with his Louisville teammate, quarterback Lamar Jackson, in Baltimore. There's still a chance Hobbs plays a full slate of games for the Packers this season. But before his first game action in Green Bay, he's already recovering from a procedure.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Packers Suffer Brutal Injury Update Before Preseason Opener
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Green Bay Packers are set to play their first preseason game on Saturday evening at Lambeau Field against the New York Jets. Unfortunately, they have received a brutal injury update about one of their key defensive starters. Nate Hobbs was signed in NFL free agency to a four-year, $48 million contract. He was brought in to be a big part of replacing Jaire Alexander. A new update has shared that Hobbs has undergone knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shared the report from Rob Demovsky about Hobbs on Tuesday afternoon. Read more: 49ers Land Surprising Odds in Micah Parsons Trade Sweepstakes "Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs underwent knee surgery over the weekend to repair a meniscus tear, sources told @RobDemovsky, but he could be back for the regular-season opener Sept. 7 against the Lions," Schefter wrote on X. Nate Hobbs #39 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on from the field during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons at Allegiant Stadium on December 16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nate Hobbs #39 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on from the field during an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons at Allegiant Stadium on December 16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo byWhat's Next for the Green Bay Packers After Nate Hobbs' Injury? Losing Hobbs is a devastating blow for the Packers' defense. They were already questionable at the cornerback position after letting Alexander go. Now, Green Bay could be a team to watch for a late-offseason move for a defensive back. In free agency, there are still some good options available. The Packers could consider signing veteran free agent Stephon Gilmore. Two other options could be Asante Samuel Jr. and Rasul Douglas. Brian Gutekunst might choose to see what he has in the group that's left. With Hobbs potentially being able to come back for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay might roll the dice on their current room. Read more: Chiefs Reveal Concerning Update on Patrick Mahomes' Weapon Outside of Hobbs, the Packers have Carrington Valentine, Keisean Nixon, Kamal Hadden, Corey Ballentine, Micah Robinson, Javon Bullard, Kalen King, and Bo Melton fighting for spots on the roster. Last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Hobbs played in 11 games. He racked up 49 total tackles to go along with an interception and five defended passes. Only time will tell what Hobbs' status for Week 1 will be. More updates will come available as time passes and he rehabs from the surgery. Hopefully, there will be no setbacks and Hobbs can back on the field to face the NFC North rival Lions. In the meantime, Green Bay has a decision to make about whether or not to sign another cornerback. For more on the Green Bay Packers and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
