As Keisean Nixon’s role has evolved with Packers, he’s found success and views outside CB no differently

Paul Bretl | 8/21/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Keisean Nixon has made it clear since the 2024 season ended–he wants to play outside cornerback.

One of the superpowers that this Packers’ secondary possesses is the versatility of this unit, which is often on display in practices. Jeff Hafley has disguised coverages and thrown a variety of looks at the Green Bay offense.

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Early on, we saw Nate Hobbs playing both outside and in the slot. When Hobbs was inside, Carrington Valentine came on the field. When Hobbs was outside, Javon Bullard was at the nickel.

However, one of the constants has been Nixon lined up at outside cornerback.

“I just never let anybody put me in a box,” Nixon said at his locker on Tuesday. “My confidence and my skill level has always been there. I just had to find a role to just get to where I want to go. 

“Everything they’ve ever asked me to do I’ve always did it at a high level. That’s just what it was. I’ve always been good at everything I do. That just comes with what God gave me. Now I got the perfect way to show it on the biggest stage this year.”

A year ago at this time, Nixon was the Packers’ nickel cornerback and, along with return man, that was the primary role he filled. But due to injuries at cornerback and Hafley wanting Bullard closer to the line of scrimmage, Nixon moved outside in Week 4, and that ended up being where the majority of his snaps last season came.

Being able to move between the two positions–and sometimes within the same game–speaks to Nixon’s versatility. But with any new position, there can be a learning curve to navigate. As Nixon got more reps, he became more comfortable with his technique and noted that around Thanksgiving, in a matchup against Tyreek Hill, is when his confidence really started to take off.

“He’s competitive,” Hafley said of Nixon. “He can play man coverage, which is important. You have to be able to play man to be on the outside. Because he can run, he can cover, he can change direction, and I like that he’ll tackle.

“He’s a physical guy. Teams are going to try to get your corners 1-on-1 and force them to tackle. And he’s going ot do that. So those are the things I believe he can do and he did.”

While the nickel and outside positions fall under the cornerback umbrella, there are major differences when it comes to lining up at either spot. As Nixon described, things happen a lot more quickly from the nickel.

On the outside, while the cornerback is often going to be on an island, there is more time to react.

Nixon’s offseason work this year, compared to others, didn’t really change, knowing that he would be playing outside corner instead of the nickel. Rather, the reps he’s now banked at the position over the last 10 months have him comfortable in what’s being asked of him, and the game has slowed down.

“In reality, it don’t really switch up, because even when I was playing nickel, most top guys go inside-outside, so I’ve always seen the best players on each team,” Nixon said of his offseason. “I just really hone in on my technique, and my confidence level is just through the roof right now. It doesn’t really matter who’s going to be out there. They’re going to have to see me just like I’ve got to see them.”

To help further his growth and development at outside cornerback, Nixon regularly watches film of the receivers who are on the Packers’ schedule well in advance of when the matchup will take place. He also studies other cornerbacks around the NFL, specifically Denzel Ward and Marshon Lattimore, because of their man coverage and press man coverage abilities.

Since arriving in Green Bay as a free agent, Nixon’s role has continued to evolve from being a flier on the punt coverage team to a return man to starting at the nickel to now being an outside cornerback. And whatever the Packers have asked of him, he’s found success and views playing outside cornerback no differently.

“It’s been a marathon, never been a sprint. Just working every day, just keeping my head down and just being consistent,” Nixon said of his NFL journey. “I didn’t let anybody ever put me in a box in my career. That really helped me because I know confidently in myself and what I can do, and I can do it with the best of them.”

Deja vu? Packers’ LB Kristian Welch making another training camp roster push

Paul Bretl | 8/20/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s deja vu for the Packers and linebacker Kristian Welch. As was the case during 2024 training camp, Welch has again put himself in a position to be in the conversation when it comes to making the initial 53-man roster.

A year ago, Welch was released during roster cutdowns in what Matt LaFleur called a “tough” decision, noting the plays he made throughout the preseason and the improvement Welch had throughout the summer.

Will there be a different outcome for Welch this time around?

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Special teams have been Welch’s calling card throughout his NFL career. Undrafted in 2020 coming out of Iowa, Welch stuck with the Ravens as a rookie because of his ability to help out on special teams. That first season, he played 200 special teams snaps across four of the six different phases.

Giving Welch an upper hand, even as a rookie, was his special teams experience at Iowa–a role he had filled with the team since his freshman year.

“I played special teams in college and the coaching in college helped my transition into the NFL,” Welch said at his locker on Tuesday. “The little nuances and stuff with special teams at the NFL are a little bit different. But I kind of adopted that into my game and kind of just went with it and that has been my role my entire career.”

In his six NFL seasons, Welch has played 1,496 special teams snaps, including 237 with the Packers in 2023. At Iowa, Welch played nearly 500 special teams snaps over his four seasons.

Particularly during this time of the year, that experience very much matters, and is one of the reasons why Welch regularly flashes during the preseason. Over the Packers’ two preseason games this summer, Welch has four solo tackles on only 14 kick or punt coverage snaps.

“It’s a huge advantage,” Welch said of his experience on teams. “I see it a lot, teammates or other opponents, like this dude has never had a punt rep that mattered or he hasn’t rushed a punt in significant playing time. It matters. Let just be real. If you have more playing time and you have those little tools you can put in your bag, it helps you. Absolutely take advantage.”

In a linebacker room where four roster spots are already accounted for between Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Edgerrin Cooper, and Ty’Ron Hopper, special teams is going to be Welch’s path towards playing time and making the roster.

However, while the fifth linebacker likely won’t have any or much of a role on defense, there is a prerequisite that the player must meet on that side of the ball in order to be on the team as well.

When in the game, Welch brings a level of stability to the position. The coaching staff knows what they will get from Welch, and there is absolutely value in that. He knows his role, he positions himself well, is a sound tackler, and often finds himself around the ball.

Most of training camp for Welch has been spent at the WILL or SAM linebacker positions, but against Indianapolis, he played MIKE as well. Again, when it comes to a player’s value and earning a roster spot, the ability to reliably step in at any one of the linebacker positions matters.

“I think he’s an instinctual player,” said linebackers coach Sean Duggan. “I think he does a good job of just playing fast and playing free. He finds ways to the ball, which you know that’s a huge part of it. You judge a linebacker based on how far you are from the ball at the end of the play, so I think he’s done a nice job.”

Competing with Welch for that potential final roster spot at linebacker is Isaiah Simmons. The versatility and athletic abilities that Simmons possesses brings a very unique skill set to both the Green Bay defense and special teams units. However, his preseason performances in particular have been very up and down.

Although perfection in the game of football can’t be obtained, it’s what Welch continues to chase. And even though the preseason is winding down and roster cuts are looming, that isn’t where Welch’s attention is either. Instead, he’s focused on the now, taking training camp one day at a time as he puts his best foot forward each day.

“I think I’m doing some things well. I’m far from perfect,” Welch said. “I’m always chasing perfection. I think a lot of my teammates would agree there with their own play. It’s just continuing to try to find ways to improve. Like I said, I think I’ve done some things well but still not there, right? I’m always trying to be perfect.”

Packers QB Sean Clifford playing with newfound comfort and clarity entering Year 3

Paul Bretl | 8/19/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — For Packers quarterback Sean Clifford, who is embarking on his third NFL season, he is playing with a level of clarity and comfort that he hadn’t experienced during his first two NFL seasons.

“I feel like in the games I’ve gotten into so far, I’ve felt extremely comfortable,” Clifford said after Monday’s practice. “Feel like I’m seeing the field really well and I thought that was on display on Saturday this past weekend.”

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Year 1 for most incoming rookies, especially at the quarterback position, is like drinking water from a firehose between all of the information players are inundated with and the jump in competition.

On the outside, while we often talk about Year 2 leaps, the experience gained by a quarterback in their first NFL season and the knowledge they now have of the offense can come with a downside as well–overthinking.

“Year 1 you’re kind of just out there just running plays,” Clifford said. “Sometimes you don’t know the rhyme or reason and you’re just kind of going out there trying to produce whatever you can.

“Year 2 I think, for me personally and I think for a lot of quarterbacks, it’s a year of overthinking. You know everything now and now you’re thinking too much and it’s going to make you slow on reads, slow to say yes to something.”

A fifth-round pick by the Packers in 2023, Clifford secured the backup quarterback role as a rookie with Green Bay wanting to take a swing at developing the playmaking potential he showcased in his first training camp and during that preseason.

Over Clifford’s first two seasons, we often heard coaches praise him for his resiliency and gamer-like play style. It wasn’t always pretty, but Clifford was often quick to bounce back and often did with a big play.

However, embracing that competition element, GM Brian Gutekunst spent another draft pick on the quarterback position in 2024, selecting Michael Pratt. He and Clifford would compete all summer for the backup role last season, but it came with underwhelming results.

That overthinking that Clifford described led to very up-and-down play. There were still those playmaking flashes, but they felt few and far between. Pratt struggled as well, which prompted Gutekunst to trade for Malik Willis, who took over as the backup.

Clifford was then relegated to the practice squad, while Pratt was released.

This training camp, Clifford finds himself in another competition, this time with Taylor Elgersma. With Jordan Love and Willis at the top of the depth chart, Clifford and Elgersma are competing for the third quarterback role, which could come on the practice squad.

The comfort that Clifford is experiencing in meeting rooms and on the field this summer began during the offseason. Every offseason is different for an NFL player, with what they learned from prior years and how the previous season unfolded dictating what their plan and routine look like.

Clifford believes this past spring, he found the right combination of training, nutrition, and working out–cultivated from his past experiences–that allowed him to have his best offseason to date.

“You’re always trying to make the offseason the best offseason you’ve had. That comes with a bunch of different things. That comes with taking some things out that didn’t work. Adding things that you need to work on and just trying to refine your craft.

“I think that for me, this was the best offseason that I had. I felt like this was the first offseason in my time playing football that I really truly just understood every bit of what I needed to do from nutrition to throwing sessions to weight lifting, speed. I just feel like I got a lot better.”

Against the Colts this past Saturday, Clifford took over for Elgersma on the final possession. With the Packers trailing by three points, Clifford helped orchestrate a 13-play, 68-yard drive that ended with Clifford running it in from 11 yards out.

There wasn’t anything too flashy about the drive. In fact, Clifford was just 1-for-4 passing. But trailing and with a number of young players surrounding him, Clifford was in control and led the charge down the field.

Given those circumstances, that’s another sign of the growth and progress he’s made.

“The way he was really able to take command of that huddle, lead the guys, really speaks to Sean’s approach and his understanding of our system,” said quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion.

As the Packers enter the final week of the preseason, we are just one week away from when final roster decisions have to be made. When it comes to where things stand with this quarterback competition between Elgersma and Clifford, from the outside looking in, it’s a bit of a mystery.

Not unlike Clifford, Mannion was a fringe roster player at the quarterback position during various points of his career. Having been in similar shoes, Mannion’s advice to Clifford has been to ignore the big picture outcome, focus on the day-to-day, and everything else will take care of itself.

“I think what I’ve stressed to Sean in regards to that is really just focus on just day to day improvement and not get caught up in the birds eye view of everything,” Mannion said. “Just focus on a day to day basis, what can I be working on to get better because ultimately that’s going to serve you best in the long run because if you don’t worry about the birds eye picture of everything and you’re taking things that really are outside of your control into consideration, just focus on this day, this week.

“How can I improve? What are the things I need to work on post practice? What do I need to study up a little more on in the meetings? Because ultimately that’s going to get you better and you’re going to be best if you take that approach day in and day out.”

Packers QB Jordan Love returns to practice 6 days after thumb surgery

Paul Bretl | 8/18/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — As was the hope all along, six days after Packers quarterback Jordan Love had surgery on his left thumb, he returned to practice on Monday.

To start each practice, the team goes through a walk-through period. Love did not participate in that portion, with the quarterback having to take snaps from under center or out of shotgun.

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During the 11-on-11 periods, Love didn’t participate in that either for the reasons just mentioned, as his thumb is still on the mend. So, taking the starting snaps during those periods was Malik Willis.

To accommodate Love and ensure that he was getting some valuable reps, Matt LaFleur altered practice a bit, which included having two 7-on-7 periods.

As LaFleur has mentioned before, he’s not a fan of 7-on-7s because there is no pass rush for the quarterback to be mindful of or pocket to navigate. But a unique circumstance calls for a unique solution.

“We’re going to alter some things to allow him to get involved,” LaFleur said on Sunday. “Do my favorite seven-on-seven that I absolutely despise, but in some instances, it’s good. So I’d rather have him do that than just throw on air. So we’ll incorporate some seven-on-seven into practice.”

During the 7-on-7 drills, Love either took the snap off a stool, or when lined up in shotgun, he started with the ball in his hands, so he didn’t have to catch it.

On a very rainy day at Ray Nitschke Field, Love wore a plastic bag over his non-throwing hand to keep the wrap over his thumb dry.

Overall, Love finished the day completing 16-of-24 passes in the 7-on-7 periods. He would throw two interceptions–although one might have been weather-induced, as it appeared the ball sailed on him in the slick conditions–but Love also had two terrific touch passes in the red zone to Matthew Golden for touchdowns.

Love underwent the surgery last Tuesday. He sustained the injury in the preseason opener against the New York Jets after hitting his hand on a helmet while being sacked.

When speaking with reporters at the Packers-Colts joint practice, Love acknowledged that had this injury occurred in the middle of the season, he “probably” wouldn’t have gotten the surgery. But with time still on his side, with the regular season still a few weeks away, Love opted to get the procedure so he could enter the regular season fully healthy.

Last week, LaFleur would say that it was “highly unlikely” that Love plays in the preseason finale against Seattle. As far as the joint practice on Thursday, Love’s availability is still up in the air. The Packers have a padded practice on Tuesday as well.

Rasheed Walker handles left tackle snaps in latest practice as competition with Jordan Morgan heats up

Paul Bretl | 8/18/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — In what was a make-shift practice on Monday for the Packers that included 7-on-7 periods to accommodate Jordan Love as he works his way back from thumb surgery, Rasheed Walker was a full participant for the first time in recent weeks.

Walker had been dealing with a groin injury that kept him sidelined during the Family Night scrimmage and the Packers’ preseason opener against the New York Jets.

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He returned to practice last week, which included participating in the joint practice with Indianapolis, but Walker was limited in those sessions. He then did not play in Green Bay’s second preseason game.

“No one likes having injuries and stuff, but I feel like I play my best and I’m more valuable to the team when I’m healthy, so I had to take some time to get back healthy, and I had a minor injury,” Walker said at this locker on Monday.

“But coming back, I feel like I’ve picked up right where I left off, but when I came back today, I just tried to just be really on top of my stuff to really show myself that I haven’t really dropped off or anything.”

With Aaron Banks sidelined during Monday’s practice, Walker would take all of the left tackle reps while Jordan Morgan played left guard.

We had heard all offseason that there would be an open competition at left tackle, but early on in training camp, that didn’t necessarily materialize. With Elgton Jenkins on the NFI list initially, Morgan saw mostly guard reps while Walker was at left tackle.

However, that changed quickly in recent weeks. Not only has Morgan seen his snaps come with the first team and at left tackle, but he’s made the most of those opportunities as well.

As LaFleur said on Sunday, this is “100%” a competition.

“I just come to work every day and go to work,” Walker said. “That’s all you can do. I’m a team first guy. I’m with the Green Bay Packers, so shoot, I’m gonna come to work every day, do my job.”

Although Walker finds himself in the midst of a competition at left tackle, it’s not as if he’s performed poorly for the Packers. Not to say that there isn’t room for growth, but overall, Walker has provided Green Bay with a steady presence at one of the game’s most important positions, which includes him making 34 starts over the previous two seasons.

Given all of that, for many if they were in Walker’s shoes, it could be easy to be frustrated with the circumstances he finds himself in–competing for a job during a contract year. But that isn’t how Walker views this at all.

“Honestly it’s just a blessing to still be playing football, like I always say,” Walker said. “You have to still be playing with my abilities and stuff and just look at every day as an opportunity, so I feel like I had a good practice today. We gonna watch film. I’m gonna try to get better tomorrow.”

There is not just one week of training camp that remains. The Packers will have a padded practice on Tuesday, a joint practice with Seattle on Thursday, and then their final preseason game on Saturday.

In a perfect world, knowing who the starting left tackle is sooner rather than later can be beneficial when it comes to building chemistry up front. However, as we’ve seen from the Packers before, they certainly aren’t afraid to rotate players in-game during the regular season either.

So just because camp is winding down, that may not mean a decision is near.

“If we think these guys are good enough to be starters, and we just rotate guys I’m comfortable with that,” Adam Stenavich said early on in training camp. “I really don’t care. So we might have, you know, six or seven guys playing in a game consistently. So yeah, again, we’ve got to see how it goes.”

Packers’ trust, confidence in RB Emanuel Wilson hasn’t wavered

Paul Bretl | 8/18/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — In the Packers’ Week 2 preseason matchup with the Colts, running back Emanuel Wilson had a pair of costly miscues in that game. However, one play or one game isn’t going to erode the trust that the Packers have in him.

“With Emanuel, it’s just about being consistent all the time because he’s got it in him,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans on Sunday. “I think last year he might’ve only had one mental error, which for him, that speaks volumes from where he came from his rookie year. So I’m developing a lot more trust in him.”

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Against the Colts, Wilson had a misstep in pass protection that resulted in a sack. Then, as a ball carrier, he fumbled, which the Colts recovered with the offense able to convert that takeaway into three points.

“I just think it was one of those deals where he thought it was a three-step,” Sirmans said of Wilson’s missed block. “He kinda thought the ball was gone and he’s gotta attack the line of scrimmage more because even if you go look at his one-on-ones against the Colts (in the joint practice), I mean, he was really, really solid at that.”

And not to be lost in Wilson’s overall performance, but he was very effective with the ball in his hands, which included averaging 6.6 yards per rush on five carries, along with totaling 32 yards on a catch and run.

As Sirmans mentioned, the miscues that we saw from Wilson on Saturday haven’t been the norm for him. What can be lost in Josh Jacobs’ dominant 2024 season was that Wilson had over 100 rush attempts of his own, and he totaled over 500 yards on the ground.

Since joining the Packers as a rookie in 2023, Wilson has proven to be difficult to bring down, and he packs some big-play abilities. As Sirmans has mentioned previously, in part, what makes Wilson so elusive are his feet and the ability to accelerate, which allows him to change directions on a dime without losing steam.

Last season, Wilson averaged an impressive 4.9 yards per rush, while also scoring four touchdowns. Out of 57 eligible running backs, Wilson ranked eighth in yards per rush. He also forced 28 missed tackles and ranked 24th in PFF’s breakaway rate metric, which measures how often a back generates a run of 15-plus yards.

“I felt good about it,” Wilson said of his play earlier this offseason. “I had an improvement from my rookie year, a lot of improvements that I worked on as far as my pass pro, learning the offense and playing fast; also learning from Josh and the coaches.”

The learning curve for every player making the jump from college to the NFL level is going to vary, but for Wilson, coming from the D-II collegiate level, it was particularly steep.

For one, the playbook under Matt LaFleur is quite robust, but getting opportunities on Sundays at running back, especially for rotational players, isn’t only about what they can do as a ball carrier; they also have to hold their own in the passing game, both as pass catchers and in pass protection.

That last part can often be the most difficult for a young running back, and it was an area for Wilson where significant growth was needed as a rookie, and it’s now an aspect of his game that has grown substantially over the last two years.

“The thing about it is he was actually really good last year,” Sirmans said of Wilson in pass protection. “He didn’t give up any sacks and he was going against some pretty big linebackers that were pressuring against him. So he struggled his first year, but last year he did really well.”

Sirmans continued, “His pass protection is, to me, not an issue. It used to be but after you watched him last year, he didn’t give up any sacks or pressures last year.”

With MarShawn Lloyd sidelined for the time being, Wilson and Chris Brooks will share opportunities in that backup running back role behind Jacobs.

Saturday’s preseason game was a reminder that there is still room for growth in Wilson’s game, but the Packers are confident in his ability to impact the game–on the ground or in passing situations–when called upon.

How Packers may alter practice plans to get QB Jordan Love involved after surgery on thumb

Paul Bretl | 8/18/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s been less than a week since Packers quarterback Jordan Love had surgery on his left thumb. The plan from the start has been for him to return to the practice field this upcoming week, and things still seem to be on that path, with Matt LaFleur hopeful that Love can get on the practice field “in some capacity.”

But what exactly is this week going to look like for Love practice-wise?

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The Packers will hold a closed practice on Monday, and LaFleur would “love” to get Love some reps, but that was still to be determined as of Sunday afternoon. Tuesday will be a padded practice, Wednesday will be a walkthrough, and Thursday will be the joint practice with Seattle.

LaFleur said last week that it is “highly unlikely” that Love plays in the preseason game Saturday against Seattle, while his status for the joint practice is still up in the air.

Whenever Love does return to the practice field, how the Packers go about getting him reps will have to be modified.

“We’re going to alter some things to allow him to get involved,” LaFleur said on Sunday. “Do my favorite seven-on-seven that I absolutely despise, but in some instances, it’s good. So I’d rather have him do that than just throw on air. So we’ll incorporate some seven-on-seven into practice.”

In the 7-on-7 drills, there are no offensive and defensive linemen on the field, except for the center to snap the ball. This is a passing-heavy drill, and the reason LaFleur isn’t a huge fan of it is because it’s unrealistic. Navigating the opposing pass rush is a massive part of playing the quarterback position, and in this drill, that element is non-existent.

Love sustained the thumb injury during the Packers’ preseason opener against the New York Jets. On Love’s final play of the game, his hand hit a helmet as he was being sacked.

Love went through a full practice last week before the surgery with his left thumb taped to see how the injury felt and how it held up throughout the session as part of the evaluation and decision-making process.

When speaking with reporters at the Packers-Colts joint practice, Love acknowledged that had this injury occurred in the middle of the season, he “probably” wouldn’t have gotten the surgery. But with time still on his side, with the regular season still a few weeks away, Love opted to get the procedure so he could enter the regular season fully healthy.

While Love is in the midst of a ramp-up period as he works his way back from the recent surgery, he believes he will be “100 percent healthy” going into the 2025 season.

“I think the main thing is he’s attacking his rehab and following what Flea and Nate are giving him,” said quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion. “In terms of that, he’s been hard at work with that. I think for us it’s just being flexible and finding ways to get him back into the swing of things.

“Again, it’s just all about how can we stimulate him mentally in the meetings and then following what Nate and Flea are giving him and just keep finding ways to work him in as things move forward.”

Packers inexperienced depth along offensive line shows in preseason game vs. Colts

Paul Bretl | 8/16/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Overall, the Packers are in a good position when it comes to their offensive line unit. They currently have a recent first-round pick, Jordan Morgan, competing with a 35-game starter, Rasheed Walker, for the starting left tackle spot.

Morgan could also push Sean Rhyan for playing time at right guard, and Rhyan has appeared in 30 NFL games with 17 starts of his own.

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However, the offensive linemen behind the first six players on the Packers’ depth chart are quite inexperienced, and that showed in the team’s second preseason game against Indianapolis.

Starting up front for the Packers in this game was Morgan at left tackle, followed by Donovan Jennings, Rhyan, Jacob Monk, and Anthony Belton. Jennings, 2024 UDFA, has no regular-season NFL snaps on offense, and neither do Monk, a 2024 fifth-round pick, or Belton, a second-round pick this past April.

According to PFF’s early tracking data, Monk was credited with allowing three quarterback pressures, as was Jennings, and Belton was credited with surrendering two.

To help provide some sort of context around those figures–and keep in mind, a full game wasn’t played–two pressures per contest would total out to 34 on the season. Among all guards in 2024, 34 pressures allowed would have been the 12th-most in the NFL.

But going beyond the pressures, there were the penalties. Belton was flagged five times in the first half alone–including a personal foul penalty–in this preseason game, while Jennings was penalized once. Several of the penalties wiped out positive plays for the offense as well.

“We’ve got to do a better job,” LaFleur said of the penalties. “We coach these guys to line up off the guard so we might have to look at our guards and see their alignment in terms of if they were too far back and then I know he (Belton) had, what, two illegal formations, a holding penalty, a facemask.”

And an unnecessary roughness penalty.

“That’s the one that really bothers me,” LaFleur continued, “because that is, I mean they all bother me, but you can’t be getting personal fouls because that really hurts the team, puts you in a really tough position.”

For Monk and Jennings in particular, these performances come on the heels of what wasn’t the best showing in Week 1 of the preseason, either, against the New York Jets. Belton was penalized twice in that game as well.

With that said, while the offensive line and the offense as a whole did struggle in the first half, that unit was able to rebound a bit in the second half, helping the Packers secure the come-from-behind win.

“We did a much better job in the second half,” LaFleur said. “Guys kinda just dialed in and focused in just making sure that they’re doing all the little things the right way just with their alignments and then focusing on your fundamentals because you’ve got to lean on those in the heat of the action.”

As mentioned, to have six offensive linemen that can be trusted and relied upon like the Packers do is a good spot to be in. But this is a position where injuries frequently occur.

Among the 32 NFL teams last season, only 11 had their most-used offensive line combination play at least 50% of the offensive snaps, according to TruMedia. In fact, over one-third of the NFL’s most frequently used offensive line combinations were on the field together for fewer than 34% of their respective offensive snap totals.

The Packers experienced this themselves in the playoff game against Philadelphia, with Morgan on IR at that point and Elgton Jenkins having to exit the game, which left them relying on Travis Glover and Kadeem Telfort against a mighty Eagles’ defensive front.

From a roster construction standpoint, as recent draft picks, Belton and Monk will make up the seventh and eighth spots on the Packers’ 53-man roster. But that ninth spot on the depth chart is very much up in the air and waiting for someone to seize control of it.

Competing for that roster spot are Kadeem Telfort, Trey Hill, Lecitus Smith, and others.

With six capable linemen, the Packers have a buffer if an injury occurs, but the margins get extremely thin–at least based on what we’ve seen so far this preseason–if we wonder any further down the depth chart.

“It’s just underperforming,” Belton said of his play. “Getting penalties like that, that’s not the standard that I hold myself to. You’ve just got to bounce back from it.”

Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd eager to showcase what he can do a real game setting

Paul Bretl | 8/16/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers’ second-year running back MarShawn Lloyd returned to the team portion of practice earlier in the week after missing time with a groin injury. He then participated in the team’s joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts.

“It feels good,” Lloyd said at his locker following Tuesday’s practice. “It feels really good. Now I’m just stacking days. Just enjoying football.”

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So, will we see Lloyd on the field for Saturday’s preseason game? As of Thursday afternoon, that was still to be determined by Matt LaFleur, depending on how the joint practice went for him. But the plan, according to LaFleur, is for Lloyd to get some reps.

In terms of game action, we’ve seen very little of Lloyd up to this point due to various injuries that he’s had to work through in his first year-plus in the NFL. In the 2024 preseason, Lloyd played just 14 snaps and had only one carry. In the regular season, he played 10 snaps and had six carries on the year.

“I haven’t played football in – it’s been a minute since I played football, pretty much since college really,” Lloyd said early in the week. “I’m excited to play against another team. Just have fun and showcase what I can do. I’m excited.”

Since Lloyd arrived in Green Bay, it’s been easy to spot Lloyd’s burst and explosiveness with the ball in his hands. That juice and change-of-direction ability adds a different element to the Packers’ backfield. LaFleur also believes he can be a threat in the passing game as well.

We saw that big play potential that he packs early on in his return to the practice field this week, when he broke a big up the left side of the field.

“It was really good,” Lloyd said of the play. “I think we ran an outside zone to the left side. I kind of pressed my gap, I saw everything came flowing over. In my peripheral, I saw my back side and I made a cut back side.

“They were doing their job (the defensive ends) but I was just able to go against their leverage and get on the outside of them. I think it was a good glimpse of seeing what I can do after what just recently happened so it was really good to be out there and move how I move.”

Even with the ups and downs that Lloyd has had to navigate since entering the NFL, he’s remained positive through it all. As Lloyd has described, he stays locked into his daily routine to ensure that he continues to progress, and leans on several of the veterans in the Packers’ locker room, including fellow running back Josh Jacobs.

After all that time away from an actual game-setting, Lloyd is chomping at the bit to get back on the football field to showcase what he can do and how he can help this Packers’ offense.

“I love this game,” Lloyd said. “It’s super fun to be out there with my teammates. It’s exciting to be able to go through it, walkthroughs to the practices. It was fun. Same exact feeling, just super excited and eager to stay out there.”

As Packers’ left tackle competition heats up, Jordan Morgan capitalizing on opportunities

Paul Bretl | 8/15/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis — The competition for the Packers’ starting left tackle role is on.

It was delayed initially during training camp while Elgton Jenkins was sidelined, which resulted in Jordan Morgan seeing more snaps at guard with Sean Rhyan at center.

Then, more recently, Rasheed Walker was sidelined with a groin injury, but has returned to the team portion of practice as of late. On Tuesday, he and Morgan were alternating series at left tackle with the ones.

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“I’m just going out there and playing my game,” Jordan Morgan said at his locker on Tuesday. “I’m not going out there every day and thinking ‘oh I gotta beat him now.’ I’m going out there, how am I going to win this rep? How am I going to win this set? How am I going to perform in this team period?

“It’s not like I’m thinking about that all day. It’s really just focusing on my technique and myself. How I can better the team?”

As a rookie in 2024, Morgan ended up competing at right guard with Rhyan for playing time. The two would split reps early on in the regular season, but a shoulder injury would end Morgan’s season prematurely. He ended up appearing in six games, making one start, and playing 186 snaps on offense.

Now back at left tackle, Morgan is where he is most comfortable. This is Morgan’s natural position after all. Of the 2,404 snaps he played in college at Arizona, 2,392 of them came at left tackle.

So the transition from guard to tackle has been mostly smooth, but admittedly, there has been some rust to knock off for Morgan.

“I mean there is a little bit of rust,” Morgan said. “When you go from the inside everything happens quicker to getting out there. Setting you just gotta wait on the guy or they’re quicker outside so you just gotta get used to their speed. Get used to the rushes out there, so just knocking off the rust. But eventually you snap back into it.”

Compared to last offseason, Morgan spent much more time preparing to play tackle this year–knowing that he would be competing with Walker for playing time. But he also continued to cross-train, making sure he got reps at both guard spots as well.

Along with–mostly–being back at left tackle, where Morgan is most comfortable, he’s now also in Year 2 of the Matt LaFleur offense. With that comes added confidence in not only what Morgan’s responsibilities are, but the jobs of those around him. And confident play often leads to faster play.

“Way more comfortable,” Morgan said of the offense. “I mean way more confident out there. I feel really good out there. Everybody tells me that. All the coaches tell me I look confident out there and I feel confident so it adds up.”

The coaching staff was very pleased with what they saw from Morgan during the Packers’ Family Night Scrimmage. He then carried that momentum over to the preseason opener against the New York Jets.

Morgan would see extended action in that game, playing 36 offensive snaps. Of those reps, 23 came in pass protection, where Morgan didn’t allow a sack or even a pressure, according to PFF’s tracking data.

“He’s had a really good camp,” GM Brian Gutekunst said of Morgan. “Played really well on Family Night and I thought he even upped the level in the preseason game. Again, he’s a young player that his best football is going to be ahead of him and he’s still working on some things, but I thought he played really well.”

The high-level play from Morgan has been on display, but as is the case for any young player, it’s about finding that day-to-day and down-to-down consistency. It’s a credit to Lukas Van Ness and the other Green Bay pass rushers, but there are still reps where Morgan ends up out of position.

However, overall, the Packers see an ascending player in Morgan. Two things can be true at once: there can still be things to work on with Green Bay also being bullish about Morgan’s trajectory.

“I think I played good,” Morgan said of his preseason performance. “I mean I could always do better. I’m my hardest critic. I’m going to keep critiquing myself no matter what it is.

“But at the at the end of the day, I think I played solid and there’s a lot of things I can get better at. From punching earlier to firming up the pocket to running off the ball quicker, getting set quicker. A lot of things.”

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