Jordan Love had surgery to be ‘feeling good’ going into Packers regular season

Paul Bretl | 8/14/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — After undergoing successful surgery on his left thumb on Tuesday morning, Packers’ quarterback Jordan Love joined the team in Indianapolis for a joint practice with the Colts.

Love, of course, did not participate in the practice but echoed the same sentiments as Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur, saying that he will start working his way back on the practice field next week.

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The injury occurred on Love’s final play of the preseason opener when he hit his hand on a helmet as he was being sacked. Love suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb on the play.

“When it happened, I kind of came to the sideline, didn’t really think too much of it,” Love said after Thursday’s joint practice with the Colts. “As I was sitting there on the sideline just messing with it, that’s when I talked to the trainers and tried to get their feel for it.

“That’s when we went back and did some more evaluation on it. Obviously, didn’t think too much of it at first.”

Love went through a full practice on Monday 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.

Love acknowledged that had this injury happened 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.

“I think with the timeframe that we have right now,” Love said, “finishing up training camp and preseason and heading into the season with the choice to be going into the season 100 percent healthy was definitely the call I wanted to make. Dealing with injuries last year, I wanted to go into this thing feeling good.”

While Love expects to return to the practice field next week, he wasn’t ready to decide whether or not he would take part in the Packers’ joint practice against Seattle.

It wasn’t only Love who the Packers’ offense was without on Thursday, but a number of the team’s top wideouts were sidelined as well, including Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Savion Williams.

The injuries forced the Packers to rely on a number of young pass catchers to go up against the Colts’ first-team defense. As a bystander, Love thought there was some good from the Packers’ offense, but on a day where the Colts’ defense was the clear winner, the joint practice truly tested Green Bay’s youth at the wideout position on Thursday.

“I think for a lot of those guys it’s a great opportunity,” Love said. “Like you said, we got a lot of receivers down right now dealing with injuries. For those guys they look at it as a great opportunity. But I think that’s a test for all those guys. Really test your rules and you’ve been going with a certain offense and now you’re getting thrown in the fire with the ones and things like that. So it tests your understanding of the offense and are you on all the details?

“I think for a couple of those guys, they’ve been making some plays out there and really stepped up and that’s what you want to see. But for everybody, it’s how much do you know? How much more work do you need to put in to understand the offense to get better with only having two more preseason games left? There’s definitely some stuff to clean up and get better at but I think for a lot of those guys it’s a great opportunity.”

Confident Ty’Ron Hopper, playing fast and making plays in Packers’ training camp

Paul Bretl | 8/14/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — We often hear about Year 2 leaps for NFL players who are entering their sophomore seasons. Through three weeks of training camp, Packers’ linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper appears to be making that next step.

“I think it’s a lot to do with confidence,” said linebackers coach Sean Duggan. “He knows what he’s supposed to do, he knows where he’s supposed to fit. So now he’s able to play a little faster, a little more free.”

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Hopper was a third-round pick by the Packers in the 2024 NFL draft out of Missouri. His role defensively last season was small, as he played just 18 snaps over three appearances. However, Hopper was a core special teams contributor, playing 227 snaps across three different phases.

Coming into his second NFL season and having a full offseason to work on his craft, Hopper added roughly 10 pounds of good weight. He played around 228 as a rookie–sometimes lighter–but is now up to 237 and is “packing even more punch.”

“Just getting my body right, honestly,” Hopper said of his offseason. “That was just my priority. Just getting my body right. Just making sure I can hold up for camp and season, so I can be moving good and things like that.”

That added confidence that Hopper is playing with comes from the experience gained over the last year and the reps now under his belt. He’s no longer adjusting to the NFL play speed, and he knows what he needs to do on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis to put himself in the best position to be successful.

There’s also an added comfort level that Hopper has with Jeff Hafley’s defensive scheme and what’s being asked of him. During his time at Missouri, Hopper mostly played the WILL linebacker position, but with the Packers, most of his practice time has come as the MIKE.

Beyond what takes place once the ball is snapped, the MIKE linebacker is in charge of relaying the play call, making sure everyone is set, and calling out any adjustments that are needed.

“I mean, it’s my second year. It’s been coming pretty easily and more natural to me,” Hopper said.

Hopper plays a very physical brand of football. This was on display during Tuesday’s training camp practice, where on a run up the middle by Emanuel Wilson, Hopper popped him at the line of scrimmage, which sent the ball flying through the air. Hopper celebrated the hit, and the defense recovered the fumble.

“He’s a big, physical guy,” added Duggan. “One thing I really respect about him is when he hits you, like he’s going to knock you back. So I think his confidence level and I think he’s playing faster, and that’s starting to show.”

In the Packers’ preseason opener, Hopper saw extended playing time with 35 defensive snaps. He ended up making nine total tackles, including three stops–tied for the ninth-most among linebackers–and he allowed one completion for only five yards.

Although not the be-all, end-all, it is worth noting that Hopper had the seventh-best overall grade from PFF of any linebacker during Week 1 of the preseason.

“I’d say I’m a lot more comfortable and confident,” Hopper said of being in Year 2.

While Hopper is certainly progressing, he still finds himself at a fairly crowded position group. When the Packers’ first-team defense is in nickel, Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker are the two linebackers on the field. When in their base 4-3 look, Isaiah McDuffie comes on the field.

This has left Hopper working almost exclusively with the second team defense, where he is the MIKE linebacker with Isaiah Simmons and Kristian Welch to his left and right.

The Packers continue to cross-train Hopper as well, giving him some outside linebacker reps with the third team defense, so he can fill different roles as needed. But make no mistake about it, Hopper’s primary responsibility has been as the MIKE linebacker.

It’s been a strong start to training camp for Hopper, but an important 10 days are ahead with the Packers have two joint practices and two preseason games in that span.

“I think he’s done a really nice job,” Matt LaFleur said of Hopper’s play. “I think you can really see the growth from one year to the next, and the expectation is that you build upon that each and every day and then when we get to the preseason games, you go out there and do what you’ve been doing in practice.”

While Jordan Love is out, Malik Willis in charge of getting Packers’ offense prepared for Week 1

Paul Bretl | 8/13/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The circumstances in which Malik Willis will have to fill in for Packers’ starting quarterback Jordan Love are far different than the first time he was called upon about 11 months ago.

For one, that first time came during the regular season in a Week 2 matchup with Indianapolis. This time, the Packers are hopeful that Love can return to practice next week.

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In addition to that, when Willis started his first game in Green Bay, he had only been with the Packers for roughly three weeks. He now has almost a full year of being in Matt LaFleur’s offense under his belt.

“I would say a lot,” Willis said of his comfort level in the offense. “I mean, I’ve been here for a year, I got a lot of time in this offseason for the first time. Coming into an offense for a second season in a row, it’s been awesome.”

Love underwent a procedure on his left thumb on Tuesday, and while the injury shouldn’t sideline him long, Willis will be leading the Packers’ first team offense in Thursday’s joint practice with–ironically–the Colts.

As far as what next week holds, when the Packers have a joint practice with Seattle, Love’s status is still up in the air. However, Matt LaFleur did say it’s “highly unlikely” that Love plays in the preseason finale against the Seahawks, which would give Willis another opportunity to start a game.

“Just excited for the opportunity and excited to go out and have some fun, play this game,” Willis said. “I mean, we’re all looking for an opportunity and looked at to be ready for each opportunity that we get, especially when it comes to going out and just running the offense. I feel like that’s what’s most important.

“It’s not about going out and doing anything crazy, it’s about making sure we stay on schedule and we continue to do what we can to make plays.”

Along with not having Love, the Packers are also navigating a few other injuries on offense, mainly at the receiver position. Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks have been sidelined the last several practices, while Savion Williams and Romeo Doubs dropped out of Tuesday’s practice.

As LaFleur acknowledged, there is an added challenge that can come with preparing for the regular season without a number of integral players who make the offense go.

Willis is not only filling in for Love for the time being, but in working with the first-team offense in practices, joint practices, and potentially in preseason games, as the quarterback, he’s going to play a pivotal role in ensuring the offense as a whole is as best prepared as possible for Week 1.

Accomplishing that isn’t about doing anything “crazy,” as Willis put it, but it’s making sure that everyone is operating as efficiently as possible within their respective roles and responsibilities so that the overall offense can operate as one cohesive unit.

“If this team can’t handle one person being down for a couple days, then I think we’re in more trouble than worrying about what I should do,” Willis said. “I think we should be mentally strong enough to go out here and do what we can to execute each play that’s called, within the timing of the play, within the execution of the play and just play ball.

“It’s not a one-person game. It takes all 11 at all times. I know this position that we play gets a lot of added hype or added pressure, but it’s not really about that. It’s about going out and playing ball with all 11 working together.”

Willis has thrown his share of interceptions during training camp, but he’s also been able to move the ball down the field and deliver some impressive throws–two of which took place on Tuesday.

At the defense’s 30-yard line, Willis connected with Luke Musgrave down the left seam for a touchdown. During a third-down period, Willis fired a pass over the middle to Matthew Golden that was just out of the diving reach of linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper.

“We know what Malik is and what we have in Malik,” Josh Jacobs said at his locker. “Obviously for him, it’s just more so a year into this system, more comfortable in the system, you see him make throws, he made a few throws today that was kinda like, ‘Wow.’

“Just him being more comfortable and him being the leader, I think he’s naturally a guy that he puts in the work so I think he’s going to succeed. We have the ultimate confidence in him, so it’s going to be fun to see how he does in this joint practice.”

As injuries mount, Packers must adapt as they continue to prepare for regular season

Paul Bretl | 8/12/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game of football, and right now in the midst of training camp, the Packers are having to navigate a number of them.

“We’re missing a lot of key players that are integral to our success as a football team,” Matt LaFleur said before Tuesday’s practice. “It is what it is. It’s an opportunity for some other guys but we definitely had some injuries strike up at some positions where it’s made us pretty thin.”

Among the players working through injuries is quarterback Jordan Love, who underwent surgery on his left thumb on Tuesday. The hope is that Love can return to practice next week, but he likely won’t be seeing any more preseason action.

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Depth is the hallmark of the Green Bay receiver room, but even that is being put to the test currently. Along with not having Christian Watson (knee) available as he rehabs from a late-season ACL injury, Jayden Reed (foot), and Donatayvion Wicks (calf) have been sidelined in recent practices.

Then during Tuesday’s training camp practice, Savion Williams would drop out at one point, as would Romeo Doubs after colliding with safety Evan Williams on a downfield throw.

Doubs did not speak with reporters afterward, but did confirm that he was good. No further updates have been reported at this time.

As the Packers work through a number of key injuries on the offensive side of the ball, an added challenge that LaFleur and the team face in their preparation for the regular season is figuring out how to hit the ground running with a number of key players sidelined during practices.

“I think that’s something we gotta figure out along the way and I know that we will and we will have a plan for it,” LaFleur said. “We’ve been in similar situations in the past, so you always lean into that. But ultimately you just gotta–every day’s a new day in this league and you just gotta be ready to adapt and adjust.”

Defensively, another position of depth, safety, is going through its own stress test with Xavier McKinney (calf) and Zayne Anderson (knee) sidelined–although Gutekunst believes that McKinney will be available come Week 1.

Cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee) has been out as well, and unlike wide receiver and safety, this is a position where the depth was already in question given the lack of experience behind the starters.

Hobbs’ injury isn’t long-term, but it is missed practice time and valuable reps lost.

“I mean but that’s life in the National Football League,” LaFleur said of the injuries. “You’ve got to adapt, you’ve got to adjust and we’ll try to make the best of it. Just like I’ve said with many of our guys, you never want your guys – you don’t want anybody to miss practice, whether it’s a starter or a backup, it doesn’t matter.

“We want everybody there working on their craft putting in the work to get better. But when somebody’s not there, it’s an opportunity for somebody else, so you’ve just gotta try to look at it glass half full and try to make the best of the situation.”

Some good news on the injury front for the Packers is that Quay Walker has been a steady presence in the team portion of practice this week. Also returning to 11-on-11s on Tuesday were Rasheed Walker, MarShawn Lloyd, and Emanuel Wilson.

LaFleur said on Sunday that the original plan going into the preseason was for the starters to play against New York, participate in only the joint practice against Indianapolis, and then play in both the joint practice and preseason game against Seattle.

That original plan is always subject to change as new information comes in, whether it be injury or performance related.

The balance between wanting to stay healthy and callousing your football team in preparation for the regular season is always a fine line to walk. Ultimately, a key part of that decision is the coaching staff having a pulse on what their team needs.

Injuries or not, an important week and a half is upon the Packers with two joint practices and two preseason games ahead.

“It’s a tough balance,” Gutekunst said, “but at the same time the goals we’re trying to accomplish require work and you’ve gotta play. I think every team’s a little bit different in that regard, but I know this particular team in my opinion needs to play and play together, so the more reps we can get I think the better.

“Injuries are going to happen, that’s part of this. We have to be able to adjust and still move forward, and we will. But whenever guys miss time, it’s never positive, but it’s part of the game and we’re all used to it. It creates opportunities for other guys and when that happens, particularly in the preseason.”

Packers QB Jordan Love undergoing procedure on thumb

Paul Bretl | 8/12/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Prior to Tuesday’s training camp practice, GM Brian Gutekunst announced that Packers quarterback Jordan Love would be having a “little procedure” on his left thumb. It is a ligament issue that Love is working through.

The procedure is expected to take place on Tuesday morning.

Gutekunst added that the hope is that Love can return to practice next week and he “shouldn’t miss any regular season time.”

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The injury happened during the Packers’ preseason opener. On Love’s final play of that game, he was sacked and, in the process, hit his hand on a helmet.

Love was a full participant in Monday’s training camp practice, but did have his left thumb taped up. Afterward, he was seen talking with Matt LaFleur and the training staff.

“I think he had some options with what he could do,” Gutekunst said. “Obviously, you guys saw him out there, he certainly was able to function, but as we looked at all the options and he did as well, the best option I think for him to get back the fastest and feel the best was to do this.

“He wanted to go out there yesterday to kinda see how it felt and once we got through that, we made the decision and he should he should meet us in Indy on Wednesday.”

Unlike the knee injury that Love navigated during the 2024 season, Gutekunst doesn’t believe that the thumb procedure will have any long-term effect on Love.

“No, I don’t think so,” Gutekunst said about the injury affecting Love’s play. “Again, I don’t like any of our guys to miss time. I think it’s important for all our guys to be out there. It certainly affects performance when you’re not out there. At the same time, we’ll get him back in plenty of time. I don’t foresee this affecting him long-term at all.”

While the hope is that Love can return to the practice field next week, Matt LaFleur said it is “highly unlikely” that he plays in the Packers’ preseason finale against Seattle. As far as the joint practice with the Seahawks goes, that is still up in the air.

Along with Love now having to miss some time, the Packers have had several other injuries on the offensive side of the ball to navigate this summer.

MarShawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson, Rasheed Walker, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks either did not participate at all during Monday’s practice or were limited to individual drills. The Packers are also without Christian Watson, and Elgton Jenkins began training camp on the NFI list.

An added challenge that LaFleur and the Packers face in their preparation for the regular season is figuring out how to hit the ground running with a number of key players sidelined during practices.

“I think that’s something we gotta figure out along the way and I know that we will and we will have a plan for it,” LaFleur said. “We’ve been in similar situations in the past, so you always lean into that. But ultimately you just gotta–every day’s a new day in this league and you just gotta be ready to adapt and adjust.”

Fighting for a roster spot, Packers’ WR Mecole Hardman needs quick bounce back in Week 2 of preseason

Paul Bretl | 8/12/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Like many players on this Packers team, wide receiver Mecole Hardman will have to correct the miscues and bounce back quickly following his performance in Green Bay’s preseason opener against the New York Jets.

Hardman saw extended action on offense in this contest, playing 27 snaps with 20 of them coming on passing plays. However, he ended up having just one target the entire night, and it ended up being a dropped pass.

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On special teams, Hardman had two punt return attempts. On the first one, he fielded the kick inside the 10-yard line, failed to make a defender miss, and was brought down.

Backed up near their own end zone, Malik Willis was strip-sacked and the Jets recovered for the touchdown.

On the second punt return attempt, after letting the ball bounce, Hardman didn’t get a friendly hop but still attempted to scoop it up. However, he never gained control of it. The Jets would recover the fumble and their offense would end up getting a field goal out of that possession.

“I just needed to make better decisions,” Hardman said after the game. “I made two bad decisions, so that’s all on me. It happened fast, so you just want to make something happen, or make better decisions.

“At the end of the day, I’ve just got to make better decisions. Ball’s inside the 5, just let it go. You know, stuff I already know. Stuff that I’m aware of. But it’s still the first preseason game. It’s not good to put it on tape, but we’ve got two more games to go out there and make up for it.”

Hardman signed with the Packers this offseason as a free agent. He comes to Green Bay with plenty of big game experience, which includes playing in and winning multiple Super Bowls, along with catching the game-winning touchdown in the 2023 Super Bowl.

But in Green Bay, Hardman is currently fighting for a roster spot with the Packers in what is a crowded receiver room. Contributing on special teams, specifically as a return man, where Hardman has experience and is a former All-Pro, was always going to play an important role in helping him secure a spot on the 53-man.

Wanting to make the big play as a fringe roster player may have contributed to the aggressive decision-making that we saw on Saturday.

“The disappointing thing was, the place that he was inside the 10 — in practice, he’s done a really good job with it,” Rich Bisaccia said on Sunday. “He’s helped our young guys about making a fake away from the catch or being in position to block or letting it go into the end zone.

“So I’m hoping he was just trying to make too big of a play too early, but really the best decision would’ve been make the play that’s there. Make the fair catch on one or let it go and stay away from the one on the ground. So I’m expecting him to respond the right way and come back and have a good week.”

Going back to offseason programs, Hardman has had a knack for making splash plays in practice, particularly during the highly competitive red zone and two-minute periods.

While those plays are great, making the team will come down to day-to-day and down-to-down consistency.

“He’s done a lot of good things,” Matt LaFleur said of Hardman. He’s made a splash play every day, but again, with all, not just Mecole, all these guys, it’s just the level of consistency. I mean, it’s little plays here and there, the level of detail that you need to have in order for us to get more opportunities.

“So, yeah, he’s certainly a playmaker, and we know what type of player he can be as a returner. Just still continuing to, I mean, he’s new to the system, and he’s going to continue to learn and get better and better and better.”

It still remains to be seen whether the Packers will roster five, six, or even seven wide receivers. But if they go with six, Hardman and Malik Heath are likely competing for that final roster spot.

That one performance against the Jets won’t define Hardman’s training camp performance, but rebounding quickly from it will be a must.

“I’ve got to have short-term memory,” Hardman said. “If you let it affect you, you know, it’s going to affect you next week too. So, you’ve got 24 hours to go over it and look at it and after that, just let it go and onto the next game.”

Packers’ safety depth tested; more opportunities for Kitan Oladapo, Omar Brown

Paul Bretl | 8/11/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The depth of the Packers’ safety position is going to be tested at least through the remainder of training camp.

Xavier McKinney is sidelined with a calf injury. Zayne Anderson, who stepped into a starting role when the Packers’ defense is in nickel while McKinney is out, was injured in the team’s preseason opener against the New York Jets.

Matt LaFleur said that Anderson will miss some time, but the injury isn’t long-term.

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So with the Packers down two of their top four players at the safety position, what’s next?

“I look at it as it’s time to develop the other players. That’s our job as coaches,” said defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. “At any position when guys go down, you have to make sure as coaches that we’re developing the next guy, and that’s what we’re doing right now…”We need to bring those young guys along…”We gotta develop those guys.”

With Anderson exiting the Jets’ game fairly early, Kitan Oladapo saw a heavier workload in the preseason opener. He ended up playing 42 snaps on defense, where he recorded three total tackles, along with playing 12 special teams snaps and making a tackle in that phase as well.

“KT is obviously a big safety who can really run,” said defensive backs coach Ryan Downard. “You see when he turns it on he can really go. He’s done a good job with his communication. I’ve spoken about this up here, he’s very smart individual, smart football player, has good instincts. So similar to what you were talking about, this will be a good opportunity for him to get more reps, and the more the better for his development.”

Further stressing the safety position is that cornerback Nate Hobbs is out as well with an injury. If healthy, he could line up in the nickel, with Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine playing outside, while Javon Bullard and Evan Williams played deep at safety.

But without Hobbs, Bullard continues to pull double-duty, lining up at safety and in the nickel. And when Bullard is in the slot, the Packers called upon Oladapo to play alongside Evan Williams during Monday’s training camp practice.

“Communication has to be more crisp,” Oladapo said of working with the ones. “Guys are faster, playing faster, but also it ups your confidence because you have to make a confident call for guys to follow you.”

When working with the second-team defense on Monday, Oladapo came away with an interception off a high throw from Malik Willis.

Omar Brown factors into this equation as well. He is now the next man up at the safety position for the Packers and saw extensive work with the second-team defense on Monday.

While the flashy interceptions will garner the attention, day-to-day consistency is the key to making the final roster.

“He’s doing a good job,” Downard said of Brown. “Obviously the Family Night was a great performance by him, did a great job of capitalizing on the ball in the air opps. He’s gotten better as we go. Each day, he just keeps getting better and better, and I knew that was going to be the case with him arriving when he did.

“All these training camp reps for him are so valuable, so just a matter of consistency and how many days can you string together where you’d doing your job and plussing out on the grade sheet.”

Depth is one of the strengths of the Packers’ safety position–although it is being put to the test right now. With that depth, the competition in this room is extremely high with snaps and roster spots up for grabs.

However, as Downard described, McKinney’s presence has helped cultivate an environment where, even though these players are in a “cut-throat competition,” they’re each more than willing to help and learn from one another.

“We’re all hungry,” Oladapo said of the safety room. “Bull’s hungry. Evan’s hungry. X, Zayne. We all try to push each other, get each other better. Iron sharpens iron. Bull does certain things well, Evan does certain things well, X does certain things well. So, we’re all looking at other guys’ skill-sets.”

Packers’ rookie DE Barryn Sorrell showcases pass rush potential in preseason opener

Paul Bretl | 8/11/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers preseason opener on Saturday against the New York Jets wasn’t only an opportunity for rookied fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell to showcase the progress he’s made and the potential impact that he can have on this team in 2025, but it was also recognizing the long-standing dream he’s had of suiting up and playing in the NFL.

“Man, just the whole experience,” Sorrell said when asked what he’d take away from the game. “This is literally what I dreamed of since I was a kid to be able to play in the NFL and not just to do that but do it at a high level. I’m proud of the way I played tonight. Played for my teammates, played for my community, my coaches, it was a just a great all around experience. The fans here. The Packer Nation it just was a blessing.”

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As head coach Matt LaFleur said in his postgame press conference, the Packers’ performance was “sloppy,” and it was a “humbling” experience. However, one of the bright spots was the play of Sorrell, particularly as a pass rusher.

Sorrell would see extended action, playing 39 snaps in total against the Jets, with 22 coming as a pass rusher. On those reps, he would generate a pair of quarterback pressures and won his matchups against his blocker regularly. Sorrell’s pass rush win rate of 28.6% was tied for the 11th-best mark among defensive ends in Week 1 of the preseason.

“It definitely just shows that I’m trending the right way,” Sorrell said of his performance. “Just trusting my coaches that’s been working with me and helping me push myself to be better. Being able to see everything come alive on game night it definitely gives me some good hopes for the future.”

While the production is always great and that’s the end goal and what every player is working towards, those pressures and the ability to win his one-on-one matchup aren’t what stood out to defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley about Sorrell’s play. What caught Hafley’s attention was Sorrell’s ability to self-correct and make his own adjustments on the fly.

“Here’s what I saw last night,” Hafley recalled on Sunday, “he got better as the game went on. He made mistakes in the game, in the same drive, he was correcting it, which says a lot. Which doesn’t really happen a lot of time for rookie players. He was correcting mistakes and he was fixing his own mistakes fairly quickly, which to me might be the most promising thing.”

Although we didn’t see it during the preseason game, Sorrell provides Hafley with some added versatility along the defensive front. During certain team periods, when it’s more of an obvious passing situation, Sorrell has seen some snaps lined up along the interior as a pass rusher and as one way for Hafley to get three defensive ends on the field.

Against the Jets, most of Sorrell’s snaps came as a traditional edge rusher, but he did have a few snaps where he was shaded over the tackle.

“We’re not putting him at like a true nose or like a true 3-technique,” Hafley said. “There’s certain fronts where he’s getting reduced down and he might play a 5-technique, so he might play with 4-technique, so you might see him head-up on a tackle. If we get in a certain situation, he might slide inside and play a 3-technique, so you might see him on a guard. Just trying to experiment to see what we can do with him right now.”

Given what we’ve seen over the last few weeks of training camp practices, the defensive end rotation for the Packers seems to be pretty well established. Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness have been the starters, while more often than not, JJ Enagbare and Brenton Cox have been the next two players in.

Sorrell started training camp working almost exclusively with the third team defense, but as things have progressed, he’s gotten more opportunities to rotate in with the twos.

The preseason debut for Sorrell certainly showcases the potential he has. However, like any first-year player, he is also still navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump to the NFL level.

“I think he’s a young guy who’s learning how to play the position,” Hafley said. “You got a guy who has pass rush ability. He strains…”He’s tough as we know. His leadership I think he has a chance to be a really good leader down the road. But certainly we need to keep working with him too. It’s early. It’s early for all these guys.”

Jayden Reed sidelined in preseason opener as injuries at WR mount for Packers

Paul Bretl | 8/10/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Most of the Packers’ starters suited up and played in the team’s preseason opener against the New York Jets on Saturday. However, Jayden Reed was not one of them as he was seen on the sidelines in a walking boot.

After the game, head coach Matt LaFleur said that “hopefully” Reed would be available for the Packers’ Week 1 matchup with Detroit. But that’s not necessarily a given either.

“Potentially,” LaFleur said on the possibility of Reed not being ready. “I think anytime you see a guy in a boot, that’s a concern.”

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Reed was dealing with a toe injury early on in training camp. That injury, however, was on the opposite foot from where his current injury exists. The two are unrelated, with the latest injury occurring during a recent practice.

“I mean, just cut wrong off my foot and just a little sore,” Reed said. “Battling a little something.”

Reed didn’t want to put a timeline on his return and whether or not he’d be ready for Week 1.

“I don’t feel like I really even got started, honestly,” Reed said of his training camp performance. “Yeah, if you ask me, I don’t really even think I got started.”

The injuries at the receiver position are continuing to mount for the Packers. Along with Reed being sidelined, Dontayvion Wicks has missed a number of practices with a calf injury, while Savion Williams has been in and out of practices with injuries of his own.

Overall, Romeo Doubs and Matthew Golden have provided Jordan Love with reliable targets and playmaking potential through the air. But in Saturday’s preseason opener, the play from the wide receiver unit as a whole was wildly inconsistent.

The Packers’ four quarterbacks were a combined 10-for-22 passing for 64 yards on the night. Not helping matters were the dropped passes by the Green Bay pass-catchers, which Pro Football Focus counted three of–and that might be low–while as a collective group, the Packers were just 2-for-7 in contested catch situations.

Individually, Malik Heath caught just one of his four targets, Doubs was 0-for-2, while Mecole Hardman was 0-for-1 when the ball came his way.

“For starters,” said Jordan Love after the game, “it’s never fun losing a game like that. You know? Where it just feels like nothing’s going your way and we’re not making any big-time plays. So that’s the tough part. But it’s preseason.

“Like you said, we’ve got guys banged up left and right. So there’s areas we’re going to look at and definitely clean up going forward. And there’s a lot from just pre-snap penalties, post-snap penalties, and just execution as an offense. So there’s going to be a lot of stuff to clean up. But I’m not going to rush to any judgment on a preseason game. I think that’s what it’s there for.”

Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, but as Reed said, it’s about how one responds to that adversity.

 “You’re going to face adversity,” Reed said. “That just happens, and you’ve got to find out how to respond when things—when you face adversity, you’ve just got to find ways to respond to it.”

From graduation to causing disruption, a memorable 48 hours for Packers DT Colby Wooden

Paul Bretl | 8/10/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers’ preseason opener against the New York Jets on Saturday marked the beginning of Colby Wooden’s third NFL season. But before kickoff took place, the day prior, the team held a ceremony for Wooden to celebrate an impressive accomplishment.

Wooden graduated and got his business degree from Auburn University.

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In the midst of training camp and the preseason, Wooden couldn’t make his way back to Auburn to attend graduation. So the University sent him his cap and gown, and the Packers held their own graduation ceremony for him.

In one of the team’s large meeting rooms, coaches, teammates, and Wooden’s mom, Nicole, celebrated Colby.

“I ain’t going to lie, that was electric,” Wooden said at his locker after Saturday’s game. “I’m forever grateful to coach LaFleur for just doing that for me. I feel like that was a cool moment, especially to have my teammates embrace me. That was cool. That was cool.”

When Wooden declared for the NFL draft, he had only three classes remaining to graduate. Prior to his second NFL season with the Packers, Wooden told his mom that he would go back to obtain his degree. This past January, he enrolled in his final three classes and made that commitment come true.

Wooden knew the team was going to have a celebration for him, but he didn’t realize to what extent.

“I knew we was going to have something,” Wooden said, “but I didn’t know to what extent, but they outdid themselves, for sure.”

On the field on Saturday night, it was a “sloppy” and “humbling” performance for the Packers team, as LaFleur put it afterward. But one of the bright spots was the play of Wooden at defensive tackle.

Wooden finished the game with six total tackles, three of which were solo with one for a loss. He also had a pass deflection as well. His playing time often came against the run, where he was able to create a steady push up the middle.

During the pre-draft process prior to the 2023 NFL draft, Wooden measured in at 273 pounds. Getting bigger and stronger as been part of Wooden’s acclimation process to the NFL. Last season, he played in the 280 to 290 range, and now, he’s up to 300 pounds.

As Wooden put it, knowing he had to continue to get stronger and more stout at the point of attack, he hit the gym hard during the offseason, lifting, to help put on good weight.

 “More sturdier and confident in my abilities to affect the game and play the run,” Wooden said of playing heavier. “I was able to use my hands more. I feel like going into this third year, it’s starting to slow down, starting to make sense. I’m starting to see the big picture and that’s good.”

While Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt lead the way at defensive tackle, Wooden has often been rotated in with Karl Brooks as the second unit. He and Nazir Stackhouse have also seen their share of reps together during more run-heavy situations.

In the ultimate team game, winning is all that matters, and what the Packers put on tape on Saturday night was not anywhere near good enough. However, two things can be true at once, and while there are plenty of improvements to be made across the board, it’s also been a good 48 hours for Wooden.

“I mean I did good but at the end of the day, I want a W,” Wooden said. “Regardless of my accolades or what I got individually, it still don’t trump the W. I wanted to win.”

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