Packers training camp notebook: Observations, notes from Day 2

Paul Bretl | 7/24/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Day 2 of Packers’ training camp practice is in the books. Coming off of Day 1 on Wednesday, Matt LaFleur was mostly pleased with what he saw from his team.

“I thought yesterday was pretty clean,” LaFleur said before Thursday’s practice. “I thought our guys did a good job of competing, but also taking care of one another, because ultimately, we needed everybody healthy for us to be at our best.

“So I thought there were a couple situations where you’re always stressed and staying away from the quarterback in those passing, passing plays. There were a couple that were, you know, a little too close to the QB, but I thought by and large, our guys did a good job of competing, getting the work in, but also taking care of one another.”

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Now, let’s open the notebook and talk about Day 2.

Injury updates: Quay Walker was removed from the PUP list after passing his physical. However, there will be a ramp-up period for him. On Thursday, he went through walkthroughs, but Matt LaFleur didn’t want to put a timeline on when he will fully be back in the mix.

No changes to the starting offensive line unit. Just as we saw on Wednesday, with Elgton Jenkins out, the Packers starting offensive line configuration was made up of Rasheed Walke at left tackle, followed by Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Jordan Morgan, and Zach Tom. While we heard all offseason about a competition at left tackle, Walker has taken the majority of those first-team reps, while Morgan is at right guard. Perhaps that changes when Jenkins is back in the mix and Rhyan goes back to guard.

Other offensive line notes: The second unit was mostly the same as well. Anthony Belton was at left tackle, and next to him were Donovan Jennings, Jacob Monk, Travis Glover, and Kadeem Telfort. With the third team offense, Belton was the right tackle as the Packers cross-train him at both positions.

“It’s been good,” Belton said of playing right tackle. “Just being able to be versatile. The more I can do the better. But it’s good. I’m learning both positions. It’s definitely different but it’s a good problem to have.”

Hold on, one more offensive line note: The Packers must think highly of Glover or are trying to get a better idea of what they have in him. When Banks had to step out for some plays, Glover took over at left guard with the first team offense. During the move the ball period at the end, Monk got some snaps there as well. The Packers are cross-training Monk at both center and guard positions.

“My main goal, just like last year when I got thrown in the playoff game,” Glover said after practice, “is to go re-earn they trust. So every time I get in there, no matter 1s, 2s, 3s, just go out there and play, earn the trust of my teammates of my teammates and the coaches, all the way upstairs … just go out there and work. I don’t really think too much in to it.”

A lot of movement in the secondary. I’ve said before that the versatility the Packers have on the back end can be a superpower for that unit. Initially in nickel, we saw Nate Hobbs and Keisean Nixon on the outside with Javon Bullard in the slot, along with Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams deep. Then there were times where Hobbs moved to nickel, Carrington Valentine was outside, and either Bullard or Williams lined up next to McKinney. There is a ton of mixing and matching potential with this unit.

Getting a better look at the cornerback depth: As the third outside cornerback, Valentine sees snaps with the second defense. Often opposite of him today was Kamal Hadden, while Kalen King got nickel reps with the second unit. Bo Melton was at outside cornerback with the third defense for the start of practice, but during the move the ball period to end the day, he spent some time with the twos.

“That’s the big part right now,” Melton said of learning the playbook on defense. “That’s why I’m staying primarily at corner, because I’ve got to learn the defense. There’s a lot of defensive calls, I’ve got to get used to it. Like I said, I know the offense, I’ve been here going on three years, so I know what’s going on [over there]. So it’s just getting used to it.”

Other defensive starters: The starting defensive line unit remained steady with Lukas Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt, Kenny Clark, and Rashan Gary. At linebacker, Isaiah McDuffie and Edgerrin Cooper were the nickel linebackers, with Isaiah Simmons filling the strong-side role in the base 4-3 look.

Other lineup notes on defense: The second linebacker unit was made up of Ty’Ron Hopper as the Mike with Simmons and Kristian Welch along with him. As said yesterday, Hopper is strictly seeing snaps at middle linebacker, so with McDuffie in the mix, we won’t see Hopper with the ones right now. Zayne Anderson and Kitan Oladapo seem locked into the fourth and fifth safety spots on the depth chart.

Taylor Elgersma gets more reps. As LaFleur has pointed out, getting four quarterbacks the required practice reps isn’t easy. So, given what we’ve seen the first two days, it looks like Elgersma and Sean Clifford are alternating who gets the QB3 reps.

End of half two-minute period: The first, second, and third team defenses won each of these competitive periods. On Malik Willis’ first snap, his pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage by Simmons and picked off by Valentine. Jordan Love and the starting offense picked up an initial first down, but a short gain, an incomplete pass, and a pass breakup by Nate Hobbs ended that drive. On the second play of Elgersma’s possession, he threw a pick over the middle to safety Omar Brown.

“He can run,” Josh Jacobs said of Isaiah Simmons. “He’s kind of a unicorn at that position. He can run. We can put him out on guys in the slot, he can cover guys. Really, I just can’t wait to see him in pads. I want to see how physical he is. I’ve played against him a couple times so I know what kind of player he is, but it’s different when you see it on a day-to-day basis.”

Speaking of Nate Hobbs, he’s had a few pass breakups during the first two practices. As many of his teammates have described, he is an intense competitor, and you see that on the field. The Packers are also putting his versatility to good use.

“He’s done a great job,” LaFleur said of Hobbs. “You can really see the guy’s a competitor, and that’s why we loved him on tape. He’s tough. And he was primarily a nickel with the Raiders, and so it’s been pretty cool to watch him come in, played a lot more outside corner, but also we know what he can do if we want to put him inside.”

What about the wide receivers? Mecole Hardman had some first-team reps today. We saw Matthew Golden’s ability in space on display as well. On a quick out, he caught the pass, put his foot in the ground, cut back towards the middle of the field, making a defender miss, and then accelerated past another defender. As a third-round pick, Savion Williams will be on the team, but hasn’t been rotated in with the other starters yet. Of note, he was wearing a red non-contact jersey during offseason programs, so perhaps he’s playing a bit of catch-up.

“Just explosiveness, first and foremost,” Evan Williams said of Golden. “He’s a guy that you go one-on-one, you give him any one-on-one opportunity, he’s a guy that is going to often get open, and you saw that today. He’s not only getting open, getting the ball, but making a man miss post-catch. It’s pretty unique trait for a lot of guys in this league.”

Warren Brinson and Barryn Sorrell saw a few snaps towards the end of practice with the second team defense. They’re practice time has mostly come with the third unit. Sorrell was also lined up at tackle during the obvious passing situation.

Move the ball period: Love was 3-for-5 on his pass attempts. One of the incompletions had home run potential with Josh Jacobs running what looked like a deep post, but Love overthrew him. On the final play, it looked like Van Ness might have had a sack in a real game, but Love bought time and connected with Golden over the middle.

Willis, on his attempt, went 3-for-5 as well. He had the opportunity to generate a big play down the right sideline, but Williams couldn’t quite haul in the contested catch. All three of Willis’ completions were closer to the line of scrimmage.

Elgersma was 0-for-3. It looked like he and Sam Brown Jr. may not have been on the same page on the first attempt. Then, Jamon Johnson had a nice pass breakup on a crossing route, and the last incompletion was an overthrow.

Lastly, Clifford did get an attempt during this portion of practice. The first pass was to Will Sheppard on what looked like a drop and the second play like was a sack, but Clifford bought time and completed the throw to Corelius Johnson.

Packers hope to have Elgton Jenkins back sooner than later as he navigates back issue and position change

Paul Bretl | 7/23/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Off to the side during the Packers’ first training camp practice was left guard turned center Elgton Jenkins.

Instead of taking part in the practice, Jenkins is beginning camp on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list, with what GM Brian Gutekunst said is a back injury.

“He’s working through a back thing, and again, hopefully, he’ll be out there soon as well,” Gutekunst said prior to Wednesday’s practice. “All these guys need as many reps as they can get, obviously Elgton probably less than most, but getting him out there will be important.”

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However, Jenkins’ working through the back injury perhaps isn’t the only thing that has to be navigated at this time–his current contract situation might have to be addressed at this time as well.

This offseason, Jenkins was not at voluntary OTAs and while he was at mandatory minicamp, he did not participate in any of those practices.

As was reported by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky back in May, Jenkins doesn’t necessarily mind the switch to center, but he would like more financial stability with that move.

Jenkins still has two years remaining on his four-year, $68 million extension that he signed late in the 2022 season. However, none of the money remaining on his deal is guaranteed, which makes it very easy for the Packers to move on from him next offseason if that’s what they were to choose.

“Elgton hasn’t missed anything mandatory for us,” Gutekunst said. “He’s here and he’s working through a back thing. Contractually, listen, there’s all kind of guys on our team and throughout the National Football League that would like different circumstances with that, so that’s normal. It’s just a part of the National Football League, but Elgton’s always done right by us. We’ve always done right by him.”

The center position isn’t foreign to Jenkins by any means. During his final two seasons at Mississippi State, that’s where he started and played over 1,700 snaps. While not his primary position with the Packers, Jenkins has nearly 400 snaps at center during his time in Green Bay, not to mention that he’s played the next-door guard position at a high level for much of his career.

Compared to many players, Jenkins probably doesn’t need the same amount of time to acclimate to the somewhat new position. He’s familiar with the role and knows Matt LaFleur’s offense inside and out.

But with that said, there’s still a learning curve involved, if not so much for Jenkins, for Jordan Love, who has to become familiar with how Jenkins snaps the ball.

“It’s just one of those things that every time it’s somebody different,” Love said about the quarterback-center exchange. “The ball just kinda comes back different ways especially shotgun snaps, so it’s one of those things we practice it every day with the quarterback-center exchange and getting snaps with a bunch of a different guys.

“Anybody that you might be in there with at practice they roll through and a lot of guys rotate in, so you just want to have a nice feel of what it feels like from different guys, make sure the consistency is there.”

While what happens post-snap–did the lineman make his block or not–is what the center is ultimately evaluated on, their responsibilities begin before the ball is even snapped.

Along with the quarterback, the center is the only player to touch the ball on every play, and it’s their job pre-snap to call out protections, identify any blitzers, make necessary adjustments, and ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to their respective blocking duties.

There is also something to be said for value in familiarity when building a cohesive offensive line. At the end of the day, the play call is the play call and each blocker has their own responsibility.

But at a position group where the sum of the parts are greater than any one individual, knowing how the lineman next to you will respond or move in certain situations can impact how other linemen respond to the play within the confines what their respective job duties are.

“I think the rapport when you talk about your offensive line is critical,” said Matt LaFleur. “Especially when you talk about the center position. I think a lot of times it can often be overlook in regards to all the nuances that position entails. You are the guy making all the calls.

“Obviously, you touch the ball on every play. The only other guy other than the quarterback that touches the ball on every play and there’s nothing more important than that. So just the ability for really the entire offense to get off on the snap count, a lot of that rests on the shoulder of the center.”

Jenkins not being on the practice field early on in training camp isn’t going to doom or define the Packers’ season offensively. However, to state the obvious, the sooner he can get back on the field, the better, and Gutekunst believes that will occur once Jenkins has worked through his back injury.

“We’re excited to see him kind of move into this new position because we really do think he has an opportunity to really help our football team,” Gutekunst said. “And certainly, (he) played center in college and he was excellent at it. Our football team needs as many reps with him out there as possible, but we’ve got to get through this back thing first.”

Packers training camp observations: Emptying the notebook on Day 1

Paul Bretl | 7/23/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Well, we made it. Packers training camp is back and that also means our daily training camp notebook dump has returned as well.

Not only today, but throughout the offseason, it’s been clear that this Packers’ team is very aware of the potential that they have entering the 2025 season. But in order to get to where this team wants to go, the message from Matt LaFleur is that no one can skip any steps to getting there.

“I think we’re capable of doing some really good things,” LaFleur said before Wednesday’s practice. “But we gotta be willing to do the work…Are you willing to do all the little things that it takes because it takes a lot to get even to that point to reach the postseason.

“I mean, we got a really tough division, we got a really tough schedule and that’s the National Football League. But you gotta do all the little things.”

With the first practice in the books, here are my notes from the pre-practice press conferences and the practice itself.

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GM Brian Gutekunst is “very excited” about getting the Zach Tom extension completed. That move was “important for the Packers to get done.” Gutekunst mentioned how reliable Tom has been at right tackle, and similarly, LaFleur mentioned his steadiness at the position.

“I pride myself on going out there and giving it my all,” Zach Tom said after practice. “I give my best every week. Yeah, for sure. It’s nice to know that they believe in me and now it’s just time to go out there and show it.”

What about Elgton Jenkins? Jenkins is beginning training camp on the non-football injury (NFI) list. While there seems to be contract unknowns surrounding Jenkins, who is being asked to move to center with no guarantees remaining on the two years he has left on his deal, Gutekunst says that Jenkins is on the NFI list because of a back injury that he’s working through.

“Elgton hasn’t missed anything mandatory for us,” Gutekunst said. “He’s here and he’s working through a back thing. Contractually, listen, there’s all kind of guys on our team and throughout the National Football League that would like different circumstances with that, so that’s normal. It’s just a part of the National Football League, but Elgton’s always done right by us. We’ve always done right by him. We’re excited to see him kind of move into this new position because we really do think he has an opportunity to really help our football team.”

Gutekunst added that, while Jenkins has center experience, getting as many reps as possible is still important.

Other injury notes: Quay Walker was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Gutekunst said that he had a “cleanup” surgery over the offseason and reiterated that the team would like Walker around “for a number of years.”

For rookie John Williams, “it will be a little bit of time” before he is available due to a back injury. Collin Oliver may take a few weeks before he is available. Christian Watson is continuing to rehab, which as Gutekusnst said, is going “great.”

“He’s a freak,” Gutekunst said. “So he did a run test the other day and looked great. Again, it’s an ACL and it’s his second one, so we’re going to take our time with him. I’m sure there’s going to be a time where he’s really pressing to get out there, but he’s doing great.”

Who was starting on the offensive line? While there is a competition at left tackle, Rasheed Walker took the initial first-team reps. I wasn’t counting every rep he got there compared to Jordan Morgan, but Walker had more left tackle opportunities with the ones.

With Morgan, the Packers are continuing to cross-train him at right guard, where he took some snaps with the starters, while Sean Rhyan was covering at center with Jenkins out. Then, of course, Aaron Banks was at left guard and Tom at right tackle.

“Sheedo has started a lot of games there,” Gutekunst said. “He’s got a lot of experience, so there’s a comfort level there with him. Jordan, I think in his time last year, he was playing really, really well and he had a really good spring. But it’s an open competition. And certainly, when you’ve got 37 starts under you belt, there’s a comfort level there that something would have to overtake that I would think.”

Of note along the offensive line, when Morgan did move to left tackle, Travis Glover got some right guard reps with the starters. The second offensive line unit consisted of Anthony Belton at left tackle, followed by Donovan Jennings, Jacob Monk, Glover, and Kadeem Telfort.

During the individual portion of practice, with obviously being in the early going, the second and third levels of the defense were prioritizing alignments, assignments, and communication against a variety of different personnel groupings.

The starting defense was made up of Lukas Van Ness and Rashan Gary at defensive end. Devonte Wyatt and Kenny Clark at tackle. The linebackers in nickel were Isaiah McDuffie and Edgerrin Cooper, while Isaiah Simmons, who Josh Jacobs called a “unicorn” came in when in base while Walker is out. Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs were outside, Javon Bullard in the nickel, with Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams deep.

When Hobbs moved to the nickel, Bullard got some reps at deep safety next to McKinney. We are going to see a lot of rotating in this secondary. Jeff Hafley has the ability to really vary looks and customize personnel groupings with the different skill sets he has to work with.

Bo Melton has fully shifted to the cornerback position and made a number change, now wearing No. 16. He was frequently with the second defense, lining up opposite of Carrington Valentine. Kamal Hadden got some opportunities with Valentine as well.

“We know what he is as a wide receiver and I think it just gives him the best opportunity moving forward regards to if he can really carve out a role in that spot,” said Matt LaFleur.

A lot can change, but going back to offseason programs, the defensive line rotations have been very consistent. As mentioned above, those four players are the starters, and the second unit has steadily consisted of JJ Enagbare, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, and Brenton Cox.

The second linebacker unit was made up of Kristian Welch, Ty’Ron Hopper, and Simmons. The Packers have been working Hopper exclusively at the middle linebacker spot this offseason.

“I think it’s just to continue to evolve and try to put the guys in the best position possible,” LaFleur said of Jeff Hafley’s defense in Year 2. “It takes everybody. It’s not just on him. It’s the players. It’s the other coaches. It’s all of us, myself, to continue to push and try to get and have an even better version of what we were last year. I thought our defense progressively got a lot better throughout the course of the season. But it’s always hard to replicate. That is the expectation.”

No surprise here, but Brandon McManus was 6-for-6 on the day. A far cry from what we saw this time a year ago in training camp at the kicker position.

MarShawn Lloyd was getting his share of RB2 reps behind Josh Jacobs, and on one run to the outside, showcased that burst he has by putting his foot in the ground and turning upfield. He also does a really good job of running behind his pads. Chris Brooks, who fills a do-it-all role got some snaps behind–and at times with–Jacobs as well. We saw the running backs active in the passing game.

More lineup notes: After McKinney, Bullard, and Williams, Kitan Oladapo and Zayne Anderson were the second set of safeties on the field. Kalen King was with the third defense, and we saw a fair amount of John FitzPatrick as the second tight end with the ones–don’t worry, Luke Musgrave did as well. But FitzPatrick can perhaps add another blocking presence alongside Tucker Kraft.

What about the wide receivers? As we do, we saw a steady rotation among this group. Regularly getting snaps with Jordan Love were Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Matthew Golden, and Malik Heath saw some opportunities also. Mecole Hardman was with the twos during the red zone period. There are a lot of receivers here who need reps, so as of now, I wouldn’t read a ton into who is where–it’s about getting snaps.

Red zone: From around the 10 yard line, Love completed 3-of-5 passes, with all three receptions going for touchdowns. Malik Willis was 3-for-3 on passes, with two going for scores. He was “sacked” on one play by Wooden and Barryn Sorrell when no one was open. Sean Clifford was 1-for-2 with a touchdown. Taylor Elgersma didn’t get any red zone reps.

“Always the biggest thing is consistency,” said Jordan Love of his offseason focus. “There’s moments in games where you have a play dialed up versus a perfect kind of defense you want, and sometime you don’t hit on those plays, whether it’s the footwork, missing a throw, maybe being a tick late on the read.

“Just those little things that keep you up at night, like man, that was an easy one, I wish I would’ve hit that. Just finding ways to hit those plays, whatever it is, being as consistent as possible and not having those moments of regret on plays is my biggest mindset.”

An important Year 3 ahead for Jordan Love and Packers’ offense

Paul Bretl | 7/22/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Sure, on paper, Jordan Love’s numbers in his second season as the Packers’ starting quarterback weren’t what they were the year before. However, Love doesn’t believe that he or the team took a step backwards either.

“I mean, what is a step back is what I’d ask? You know what I mean?” Love said to a question about his performance in 2024. “Everybody has different opinions, things like that. You gotta block that stuff out. It’s all about the goals of the team at the end of the day. I’d say we won more games than we did the year before. That’s why I ask people what is a step back?

“Like I said, everybody has opinions, things like that. Try to block that out and focus on doing me and being the best player I can be, like I’ve talked about and go forward. But at the end of the day, personal stats, things like that, that’s all in the back. You gotta focus on the goals of the team, first and foremost.”

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As head coach Matt LaFleur often says, the quarterback often gets too much of the credit when things are going well and too much of the blame when things are going poorly. Outside of Love’s control, there are several reasons why his production wasn’t the same.

For one, he was dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of two games. Love also exited the game against Jacksonville early, as well as the team’s Week 18 matchup with Chicago.

For some added context, Love threw 154 fewer passes in 2024 compared to 2023, which of course, is going to hurt his production.

But in addition to that, inconsistency at the receiver position also played a role. The Packers, as a team, were among the league leaders in dropped passes. Mistimed or wrong routes were too often an occurrence, and at times, the receivers struggled to create consistent separation in their one-on-one matchups.

“That’s really the whole part of the offense we need to keep growing, keep finding that consistent just being on the same page with each other, every play,” Love said. “There’s a couple plays we’ll have some good body language I’m able to read and understand where they’re going to be at, and there’s sometimes where we’re just not on the same page.

“That just comes with reps, being on the same page, and going through different things, seeing different looks with everything we do. Every rep we get is very valuable in that, and that’s going to be the test for us this year is how close can we get, how much can we be on the same page.”

The injury that Love dealt with was a factor in last season’s performance and the overall numbers. The play of his wide receivers were a factor as well. All of that is true. What’s up for interpretation, however, is what percentage of the pie those factors played in determining how the season unfolded–and ultimately ended–for Love and the Packers’ offense as a whole.

While yes, as Love mentions, the Packers did win more games in 2024 than they did in 2023, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters most. But Green Bay also ended the season on a three-game losing streak and were eliminated in the NFC Wildcard round after being on the cusp of going to the NFC Championship game the year prior.

Rather than ending the season and going into the postseason operating as one of the best offenses in football, as was the case in 2023, the Packers found themselves sputtering in 2024. Making sure that doesn’t happen again begins with Love, he is the quarterback after all, but it’ll take a group effort and more consistency overall.

“There’s a lot of things,” said Love when asked what he’s worked on this offseason. “Right now, when we’re just passing and catching, it’s just trying to be as consistent as possible with accuracy, ball placement, things like that, the timing of my feet, timing up with the routes, trying to marry all that stuff up.

“It’s always a little different when you go routes vs. air and then you start getting back into team and seven-on-seven routes where you’ve got defense out there. Just try to be as consistent as possible with accuracy and all those little things until we start going more live reps.”

An added emphasis for Love this offseason has also been on being a more vocal leader. Love’s leadership on this Packers team has never been in question. He’s well-respected, and when he speaks, the team listens. But now, as he enters his third season as the starter, LaFleur wants more of that from Love, and his teammates have already noticed a difference.

On the practice field during OTAs and minicamp, there’s only so much that can be gleaned. But with that said, Love looked incredibly crisp this spring, and he was operating the offense at a very high level during the few competitive periods.

Love obviously shoulders a lot of responsibility as the quarterback when it comes to the play of the Packers’ offense, but there has to be proper balance around him as well. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, what we saw from the Packers late in the 2023 season has to be closer to the norm than what we saw down the stretch in 2024.

“For him, it’s consistency in everything he does,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich about Love. “Improving accuracy, improving his footwork, and just really taking command of another step in the offense. One thing, we talked with all these guys, doing a great job communicating with each other, quarterback to receiver, quarterback to O-line, and just making sure everyone’s on the same page with each other, not necessarily coach to player but player to player.

“I think that’s where you get the best teams is those player-led teams where guys are really on the same page out on the field, for sure.”

Packers and OT Zach Tom agree to a multi-year, $88 million extension prior to training camp

Paul Bretl | 7/21/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Prior to the first training camp practice, the Packers have reportedly agreed to an extension with right tackle Zach Tom.

Tom, who was entering the final year of his rookie deal, is signing a four-year extension worth $88 million, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Included is a $30.2 million signing bonus. Demovsky adds that the signing bonus figure is believed to be the largest signing bonus ever of an offensive lineman.

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A year ago at this time, Tom was sidelined as he recovered from a pectoral injury. However, that ended up being just a footnote on his 2024 season, as Tom returned to the practice field before training camp ended last summer and ended up playing 1,134 total offensive snaps.

“Credit to the training staff, strength staff, everybody,” said Tom of his recovery last season. “And credit to me, not to toot my own horn.”

Tom later added, “Honestly, once I came back, I mean, it wasn’t perfect, but you’re just playing football. You’re trying to, at least. I try not to think about injuries because everybody’s going through something.”

With Tom navigating the pec injury for much of the offseason and then experiencing an expedited ramp-up period in order to be ready for Week 1, he did notice at times last year where his “technique might have suffered” as he worked his pec injury back to full strength.

However, even so, Tom continued to play like one of the better right tackles in the NFL. He would finish the 2024 season ranked 18th among all offensive tackles in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric, which measures how often a lineman is able to hold their block for 2.5 seconds or longer.

In the run game, Tom had the third-highest run-blocking grade of any offensive tackle in football, according to PFF.

Like any competitor, he wants to be viewed as one of the best at his position, and this recent payday will certainly help with that. But more important than what the outside voices are saying, Tom is focused on winning games and what those inside the Packers’ building have to say.

“Absolutely,” said Tom about wanting to be viewed as a top right tackle. “It’s not like I set a goal to be the 10th-best tackle in the league. Obviously, I want to be the best. Absolutely, it’s nice to get recognition out there But, at this position, you’re not always going to get recognized.

“So I don’t really take what people on the outside are saying too seriously. I’m more so worried about what people on the inside are saying. But I just wanna win at this point.”

Now with a full offseason behind him, Tom is well past the pec injury, and he was able to participate in the on-field portion of offseason programs, which was something he was unable to do last year.

“I think the biggest thing is just confidence with an injury like that,” Tom said. “And I think that’s the thing I’ve been working on this year, even in the weight room, just pushing weight with it.”

Given Tom’s level of play, an extension always seems to be a matter of when and not if. But even as these conversations unfolded behind the scenes between the Packers and Tom’s agent, Tom’s focus has continued to be on being more consistent in his fourth NFL season as he strives to be the best at his position.

“I would just say consistency,” Tom said about what the next step for him is. “Being a guy that can set the tone during games, being a guy that you can really rely on to block those edge rushers – those elite edge rushers – one-on-one, take them out of the game. But, yeah, that’s the next step for me, for sure. Just being a guy that you know is going to get it done out there.”

As good as 2024 was for Packers RB Josh Jacobs, there’s more out there for him in 2025

Paul Bretl | 7/21/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — As productive and impactful as running back Josh Jacobs was during his first season with the Packers, he believes that there is a lot more out there for him in 2025.

“I had like 300-some yards called back, but not only that, there were a few plays where I had some one-on-ones where if I made a person miss or broke that tackle, it was the difference between a 20-yard gain and a 60-yard gain,” Jacobs said during OTAs. “So them little things like that, I feel like that’s what makes people elite. So that’s the thing I’ve tried to come in the offseason and work on.”

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Jacobs finished the 17-game regular season rushing for 1,329 yards, which was the sixth-most in football. He was also third in yards after contact and fourth in missed tackles forced, according to PFF.

But going beyond the production, Jacobs’ impact went beyond his own column on the stat sheet. With Jordan Love navigating a knee injury early on in the season and overall inconsistency from the wide receiver position, the Packers leaned heavily into Jacobs and the running game. This included shifting their running style from being an often outside zone-heavy running team to a more power approach to suit Jacobs’ play style.

“It’s like everybody says, the guy is a dawg, not just in the way he carries the ball, but also just his presence,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans. “It’s one of the things that we talk about in our room, being around really good running backs, they have a presence about them on the field that kind of permeates throughout the team through their game play as well as when they’re in the locker room.”

Jacobs would carry the ball 301 times during the regular season, the sixth-highest mark in the NFL. As a team, the Packers’ 30.6 rush attempts per game in 2024 ranked fifth.

Even for Jacobs, who is accustomed to a heavy workload, those 301 carries were the second-most of his career in a season. However, he entered the offseason feeling great with a focus on conditioning being “the biggest thing” that Jacobs prioritized.

“My body felt great, man,” Jacobs said of the offseason. “I didn’t go into the offseason really battling anything into the offseason really battling anything, really, so I would say last year or maybe another year was probably the best I felt after a season. So I feel pretty good.”

So as good as last season was for Jacobs and the Packers running game, where are the areas of opportunity for greater growth?

As Jacobs described, there were specific plays where he failed to make a defender miss or break a tackle that would have resulted in a much bigger run. But also a key part of this equation is the play of the offensive line.

While Jacobs’ numbers are certainly impressive and the run-blocking from the offensive line unit was typically sound, what the Packers didn’t do a lot of last season, relative to the number of carries Jacobs had, was generate explosive runs.

By PFF’s breakaway rate metric, which measures how often a back generated a run of 15 or more yards, Jacobs ranked 32nd in that category. Another way to look at it is 78% of Jacobs’ total rushing yards came after contact. For some context, Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry were in the 55% to 60% range.

These stats aren’t about Jacobs either, but more so it’s about the offensive line being able to consistently get Jacobs beyond the line of scrimmage cleanly and to the second level, where his ability to make defenders miss can then generate those explosive runs.

“I tell people all the time,” Jacobs said, “if you take a good back and you give him space, that’s what separates a lot of people. Like, if I’m getting touched three yards [downfield] and I only have to worry about a linebacker or a safety, I’m going to win a lot more of those than I lose.

“So I think that’s the difference. Obviously Saquon, a special player like him with an elite line, it’s like, it’s just going to make you look crazy [great], you know? So obviously we’re chasing that right now and we’re going to see how it plays out.”

To help accomplish this, the Packers have bulked up the interior of their offensive line by signing Aaron Banks in free agency and moving Elgton Jenkins to center. Those two, along with Sean Rhyan at right guard, give the Packers some real people-movers inside.

Naturally, all eyes will be on Love, the wide receivers, and the passing game, but Jacobs and the running game are going to continue to play a huge role in making things go on offense. Jacobs’ impact is twofold; it’s not only the production he brings to the table, but when an offense has a strong running game to lean on, it keeps them ahead of the sticks, out of predictable passing situations, and can open opportunities through the air.

Oftentimes for an offense, overall consistency starts with how effective that unit is in the run game.

“With this type of locker room, where we’ve got pieces all over the board, offense and defense, it just makes that urgency get a little bit more intense, because the only thing that can really stop us is us,” Jacobs said. “If we lock in on the things we need to do, if we put the work in, then we’ll reap the benefits.”

A tale of two halves for Packers WR Jayden Reed in 2024, who looks to maximize opportunities in 2025

Paul Bretl | 7/17/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The 2024 season was a tale of two halves for Packers’ wide receiver Jayden Reed.

From Week 1-9, Reed caught 36 of his 47 targets for 620 yards and did so at a hefty 17.2 yards per catch. He also had three touchdowns and rushed for 110 yards with another score.

However, from Weeks 10 through 17, Reed’s production declined. In eight games, he saw just 28 targets, catching 19 of those passes at 12.5 yards per attempt with three touchdowns. He had only 237 total receiving yards, three touchdowns, and 53 rushing yards.

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So what changed so drastically? Well, as always, there are several factors in play. As Matt LaFleur described earlier this offseason at the NFL Owners Meetings, Reed was banged up for much of the second half.

“It definitely started off hot,” LaFleur said of Reed’s 2024 season. “It’s a long season, and there’s ebbs and flows with every season. I think there was a point in time about midway through where he got a little bit banged up. Nothing serious, just the overall pounding, I would say, and I think it definitely took a little bit of a toll.”

But in addition to that, and by LaFleur’s own admission, he and the coaching staff could have done a better job of putting Reed in advantageous situations more often.

“I also think that we could have done better from a staff perspective of trying to put him in some more advantageous situations where he could have produced those numbers, because he’s an explosive player and he’s one of those guys that you want to get the ball to, no doubt about it,” LaFleur added.

When it was all said and done, Reed had still put together a productive season. He was second on the team in targets, first in receptions, and first in yards with 903. In the playoffs, he averaged over 15 yards per catch, and his six touchdowns were the second-most on the Packers as well.

However, while the overall numbers look good, also contributing to Reed’s second-half dip in production were dropped passes. Although the dropped passes by Dontayvion Wicks garnered a lot of attention, by PFF’s tracking data, Reed actually finished the season with more drops. In fact, Reed’s 10 dropped passes on the year were the second-most in the NFL among wideouts.

That, the second half dropoff in production, along with the Packers losing their final three games, left the feeling that there was a lot left out there last season for Reed.

“Like I said, every day I’m on the JUGS machine, so hopefully I minimize my drops,” Reed said during OTAs. “That’s more opps for me. That’s more plays made. Other than that, man, I’m just dialing in that playbook so I know what I’m doing and when I go out there, I can play fast. So I think that’s most important and then everything else take care of itself.”

More consistency from the Packers’ wide receiver position as a whole is needed this season. To increase the competition in that room, which then hopefully elevates the overall level of play, GM Brian Gutekunst made two early-round additions in the NFL draft, selecting Matthew Golden in Round 1 and Savion Williams in Round 3.

Not long after the draft, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Drew Rosenhaus, Reed’s agent, reached out to the Packers to clarify what his status was and would be with the team moving forward. Reed would say that many “misinterpreted” that.

“As long as, at the end of the day, we end out on top and we win, that’s all that matters,” Reed said. “I’m not the type to care about targets. I really don’t care about it. I could have two targets. If we win, I don’t care, you know what I’m saying? That’s just how I look at things.

“I’m a very unselfish person. Whenever anybody fall, I try to be the first person around to pick ’em up. I try to pick players up when they got they head down, so yeah, that’s just what kind of player I am.”

On what is still a young Packers’ team, a priority for LaFleur this offseason has been to make sure that they are developing leaders. Reed, and the wide receiver room as a whole, have “taken it to heart,” as LaFleur put it.

One example of this, brought up by passing game coordinator Jason Vrable, is Reed standing behind Golden during his practice reps to then provide him with pointers.

“I’ve been really impressed with our veterans taking these guys under their wings and kind of showing them the way and really helping them, coaching them,” said LaFleur of the receivers. “That’s one of the emphasis of this offseason, I would say, is just trying to make sure that we’re developing leaders. Especially when you have a younger team, you want to make sure that you have leaders. Those guys have taken it to heart. Jayden’s been instrumental.”

Along with prioritizing time on the JUGS machine this offseason, Reed has also spent some time working out with Romeo Doubs, and the entire offseason, he was with Wicks, specifically trying to pick up any tips and tricks from a route-running perspective that he can implement into his own game.

The additions of Mecole Hardman, who can handle punt return duties, along with Williams, who can be utilized as the jet sweep or motion man, could take those responsibilities off of Reed’s plate, which could then reduce the number of hits he takes over the course of a season and hopefully keep him healthy.

While it’s a cliche to say, perhaps the biggest strength of this Packers’ receiver room is in its numbers. With so much depth and a variety of skill sets, it really allows LaFleur to customize the game plan each week based on what each opponent does and how they should be attacked schematically.

The downside to that, however, is that targets and opportunities can vary greatly from week to week as they depend on who the opponent is and how they defend the Green Bay offense. The Packers aren’t going to go away from this approach, but at the same time, there shouldn’t be games where Reed is forgotten about either. He’s shown he can be a high-volume target, and he brings playmaking potential to the offense.

“I just think we’ve got a lot of playmakers in the room and on any given day, anybody can go off,” Reed said. “All that wide receiver one stuff, I don’t look at it as that. It’s like we’ve got a lot of different playmakers in the room that can make plays and at the end of the day, it’s about a team coming together and getting a job done and winning.

“So all that stuff, I don’t take that stuff too much seriously, I just think we’ve got a lot of young guys in the room that can ball. That’s what we’re going to try to continue to do and try to continue to get better.”

One training camp competition to watch at each position on offense for Packers

Paul Bretl | 7/15/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — This time of the year, with training camp on the horizon, much of the attention will center around positional battles, whether that be for playing time or when it comes to earning a spot on this Packers team.

The Packers’ rookies are set to report to training camp on July 18th, the veterans on July 22nd, and the first practice will take place on July 23rd.

So before it all begins, let’s explore the key positional battles on each side of the ball, beginning with the offense.

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Quarterback: Sean Clifford vs. Taylor Elgersma for QB3

We know that Jordan Love and Malik Willis will be the Packers’ two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, but the third quarterback job–a player who will likely end up on the practice squad–became up for grabs after the Packers signed Taylor Elgersma following a tryout during rookie minicamp.

Elgersma played his college ball in Canada and is now making the big leap to the NFL level. With that, will come a steep learning curve with Elgersma, a still relatively raw player, but he has traits, specifically his “live arm,” as Matt LaFleur called it, that the Packers want to bet on and see if they can develop.

“Certainly I think just coming from where he’s coming from to this level, I think there’s going to be a big learning curve,” LaFleur said. “But if there’s anybody that will attack it head on, Taylor will. And you that was so evident when he was here on the 30 visit just, and I know he’s been working really hard at it.”

Where Elgersma may have an advantage over Sean Clifford is that he is a first-year player. Clifford, meanwhile, is entering his third NFL season at age 27. He also went from being the backup in 2023 to competing for that job in 2024, which ultimately led to the Packers trading for Willis.

Not always, but oftentimes when teams build out their rosters, those back-end of the depth chart or practice squad roles are reserved for younger, higher upside players, which may more so describe Elgersma in this situation.

With that said, at least during offseason programs, it was Clifford who got more of the third quarterback reps during the competitive period. That shouldn’t be a surprise, given his experience in the NFL and in LaFleur’s offense, but it also shows that for Elgersma there is ground to make up.

It will be interesting to see how reps between these two break down once training camp arrives. As LaFleur has said in the past, it’s not easy getting four quarterbacks regular reps. So with Love and Willis getting the reps they need, Clifford and Elgersma may be splitting whatever is left, which means limited opportunities, and a premium on making the most of the snaps that come their way.

Running back: How does the depth chart shake out behind Josh Jacobs?

The competition here is twofold–how does the playing time behind Josh Jacobs shake out, and also, who makes the 53-man roster?

Beyond Jacobs, the Packers boast a well-rounded running back room with varying skill sets, and with that, can come difficult decisions. 2024 third-round draft pick MarShawn Lloyd brings impressive burst and change-of-direction ability to the running back position. LaFleur also believes he can make an impact in the passing game.

Emanuel Wilson was RB2 last season based on snaps and carries, and he continued to show his impressive playmaking ability, averaging 4.9 yards per rush on his 106 rushing attempts. 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.

Chris Brooks would fill a do-it-all role, lining up across the formation and really standing out as a blocker. He was also active in the passing game relative to the number of total snaps he played last season.

“That’s the thing—all these guys have different assets that they bring to the table,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans.

Typically, NFL teams roster only three backs on the 53-man roster. This isn’t to say that the Packers couldn’t keep all four of these running backs, but if they do, that means going light at another position. Although Lloyd has to show he can stay healthy, as a former top 100 pick entering just his second NFL season, we can assume he will be on the roster, which means if the Packers keep just three backs, that may come down to Wilson and Brooks.

A key differentiator in the potential battle between those two may be how well Wilson continues to hold up as a blocker and if he can continue to handle more of those duties. If he’s able to, that ability, combined with his juice as a runner, could give him the upper hand over Brooks.

“He took a great jump from his rookie year to last year,” Sirmans said of Wilson. “I think he only had one mental mistake,” Sirmans said of Wilson, “even though he didn’t play as much as a rookie but he played a lot this (past) year, to have only one mistake just speaks volumes to how he has grown so even this year he seems a lot more comfortable in the offense, he’s practicing a lot harder, so I think he’s finally gotten to that point where he’s kind of evolved a lot more. So definitely expecting a lot of things out of him.”

Tight end: John FitzPatrick vs. Ben Sims

The tight end position will run through Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave–we know that. However, the third tight end role and the potential playing time that comes with that are up for grabs.

This will be a blocking-heavy role, so who can ever stand out in that regard between FitzPatrick and Sims will likely have the advantage. While PFF’s grading system isn’t the be-all-end-all, Sims ranked 59th out of 80 tight ends in run-blocking grade, and FitzPatrick didn’t get enough opportunities to qualify.

In the grand scheme of the Packers’ offense, the third tight end’s potential role as a blocker may seem small, but it can have a big impact overall. If the Packers are going to get Kraft more opportunities to impact the second and third levels of the field, then they need improved blocking behind him on the tight end depth chart. Just because Kraft may be tasked with a different role on certain plays doesn’t mean the need for blocking help goes away.

Whether that blocking presence on those specific plays comes from Musgrave, Sims, or FitzPatrick remains to be seen, but it’s a job that has to be filled if Kraft’s role will continue to expand.

“For a lot of reasons,” said LaFleur when asked why Kraft wasn’t featured more in the passing game last season. “It just depends, going back to who you’re playing. A lot of times, especially in known passing situations, we were trying to help certain spots and typically I would say it’s usually the tight ends and the backs who get a bunch of that responsibility. That’s part of the reason.”

I’ll also throw out the idea here that we saw the Packers navigate games with only three active tight ends last season when Musgrave was sidelined. This could be a position where they go light on the 53-man roster and keep only three.

Wide receiver: The final roster spot or two

Of course, it’ll be interesting to see how snaps and targets shake out for those at the top of the depth chart. But we can pretty safely assume that Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, and Dontayvion Wicks will all be a part of that equation, especially with how often LaFleur rotates at this position. So instead, the battle here is for a roster spot or two on the back end.

Between the four receivers just mentioned, plus third-round pick Savion Williams, that’s five roster spots already accounted for, leaving Bo Melton and Malik Heath competing for one roster spot or maybe the Packers go heavy here and keep seven, but if I’m building out a roster prediction today, that’s not a path I’m going to go down.

Melton will enter camp with the advantage over Heath, in my opinion. For one, he can fill a needed role while Christian Watson is sidelined, which is as a vertical threat with his speed. And, sure, Golden has speed to do that as well, but Melton’s presence as the downfield option frees up Golden to attack other levels of the field, which he often did at Texas. In addition to that, and we will see what comes of this, but Melton played some cornerback during minicamp, and as the old saying goes, the more you can do.

“Obviously he’s real talented player,” LaFleur said of Melton. “And has produced. I just love everything about the guy. How he shows up every day ready to compete and give his best effort — matter of fact, I showed some clips of him in the team meeting this morning, just of what he does, and you can always expect a lot of great things when he’s, whatever it is he’s doing.”

Offensive line: Rasheed Walker vs. Jordan Morgan

Both Brian Gutekunst and LaFleur made it clear earlier this offseason that Jordan Morgan would be competing with Rasheed Walker for the starting left tackle role.

“It’s going to be a great competition,” LaFleur said at the annual NFL league meetings. “Him and Sheed are going to battle it out and hopefully push each other to be that much better.”

Morgan, whose focus was on right guard as a rookie, ended up playing only 186 total snaps, largely due to injury, which included one start in Week 9. Otherwise, he was in a right guard rotation with Rhyan, who dominated much of the playing time.

Walker, meanwhile, would surrender just three sacks and four quarterback hits, but he did give up 35 pressures. While not the be-all, end-all, Walker ranked 45th out of 87 tackles in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric, and he was 69th in run-blocking grade.

“Every day you’ve got to earn your spot,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, “and that’s what I like about the competition that we have in our offense right now is everyone’s going to have to show up and play well in order to keep their spot, because there’s a bunch of good, young players that are hungry.”

Left tackle is Morgan’s natural position. Of the 2,404 snaps he played in college at Arizona, 2,392 of them came at left tackle, according to PFF. He also brings impressive athleticism and movement abilities to the position. Walker, however, has experience on his side as a two-year starter, and that can’t be overlooked. While Walker’s numbers don’t leap off the stat sheet, he’s been steady, and there is absolutely value in that.

When it’s all said and done, day-to-day consistency will likely be the key determining factor in who is starting at left tackle come Week 1. Of note, while Morgan saw first-team reps during offseason programs, I would give Walker the edge in terms of playing time, specifically when it came to the competitive periods.

Given the mixing-and-matching we often see up front by the Packers during this time of the year, perhaps they search for someone to compete with Sean Rhyan at right guard as well. But from what we saw during OTAs and minicamp, that was his job during that time.

Group effort needed to improve Packers’ pass rush, but all starts with Rashan Gary

Paul Bretl | 7/13/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers need more from their four-man pass rush this season. Accomplishing that will have to be a group effort from both the players and the coaches, but a lot of it starts with Rashan Gary.

“We have to get better,” Jeff Hafley said of the pass rush, “and I’m talking to myself. I need to be better. Our coaches need to coach better. Our players need to play better. We just don’t wanna stay the same. We wanna be better.”

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Gary finished the 2024 season with 49 pressures and 7.5 sacks. Compared to the 2023 season, his production was down, with Gary posting 66 pressures and 9.0 sacks that year.

One of the reasons for this drop in production, according to PFF’s metrics, is that Gary didn’t win his matchups as often. This year, Gary had a pass rush win rate of 12.2%, which ranked 48th among defensive ends, while in 2023, he had a win rate of 16.0%, and that ranked 21st.

Overall, among his position group, Gary ranked 34th in pressures and 48th in pass rush productivity. From a pass rush perspective, Gary was good, but more is needed.

“I work on my complete game,” Gary said of his offseason. “Shoot, going back, watching my game, realizing where I need to be better, from the run to the play-action to my hand placement to just really being consistent in my pass-rush plan. Every season I feel as defensive linemen and players, you’ve got to get better at all parts of your game, and there’s all ways to really work on your game, so I really worked on every piece.”

Pressures and sacks are what garner the attention and are what ultimately get defensive ends paid, but in order to have the opportunity to rush the passer, defenders have to eat their vegetables on early downs and stop the run. Although Gary didn’t have the pass-rush impact that was expected, he was very good in the run game.

From the defensive end’s perspective, being stout against the run isn’t only the tackles that are made or about the plays behind the line of scrimmage. It’s also about setting a strong edge to prevent the ball carrier from bouncing outside, which forces him back to the middle where the interior defenders are hopefully waiting.

Gary would finish the 2024 season ranked 21st in PFF’s run defense grade among all defensive ends. He was also 11th in run stops and fifth in run stop rate.

“Man, just really trying to be locked in and honing on the scheme and be aggressive and be physical where I need to be,” Gary said of his run defense. “I was able to prove that in the run. This year, going to show more of an all-around game in the 4-3.”

To add some additional nuance and context to the conversation, NFL+ notes that Gary’s pressure rate on third downs last season was the sixth-highest among defenders with 75 or more pass rush snaps. However, his pressure rate on early downs was just 7.8%, which could be a product of playing the run first.

Gary was named to his first Pro Bowl last season, an accomplishment that was an “honor” and a “privilege.” Beyond the recognition that he received, the event also provided Gary with the opportunity to pick the brains of other top pass rushers, along with offensive linemen, some of whom shared what they see and don’t see from Gary as a pass rusher.

To help foster more production from the pass rush unit this season, the Packers’ defensive linemen spent the weekends during offseason programs watching film at Kenny Clark’s house. The players would watch each other’s film from their individual drills in practice and share any insights to improve technique, and ultimately get everyone playing faster.

“In Year 2, off to a better start, man,” Gary said of the pass rush. “Everybody had a great offseason up until this point getting back to OTAs, just how we been locked in Monday to Thursday. Even us meeting on the weekends, having film studies, like I feel like we really locked in as a group. Things that we didn’t do last year at this point.”

The continuity of being in the same defensive scheme for a second year can often be a key factor in players and units making a big jump. Rather than learning and implementing an entirely new scheme, like the Packers were doing at this time last year, they are instead building off what has already been established and can focus more on fine-tuning.

And with that, there is a greater understanding of what not only your own individual responsibilities are, but also everyone around you, and even how the offense might try to attack the specific look the defense is giving.

“You got a whole year of understanding what the defense is,” Gary said. “Understanding our in and outs and understanding how he wants to attack it. So we had a whole year to get better at our techniques and he had a whole year to refine our system, tweaking and tune things. Just going into Year 2, the confidence, man, just how we flying around. Understanding play calls. Understanding where people need to roll down, the strengths of the defense, and just communicating at a different level right now.”

Also, a key part of this equation for the Packers’ pass rush is Hafley bringing in a new defensive line coach, hiring former New England Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington to lead this unit.

Covington brings an outside perspective to this Packers’ defense, and with that, new ideas. He also has a holistic viewpoint of the defense, with being a former coordinator, and he has coached in a variety of different defensive schemes.

“Great addition,” Gary said of Covington. “I love the confidence that he has as coach because has players you have to be confident so you see a coach that’s confident, bringing that swagger that only makes you have more confidence and swagger. But just how he coaches from the individual to how he’s intense on the details and just how he focus right now and is detail oriented, really getting coached up on different techniques and things like that to make us play fast.”

Last training camp, we spent a lot of time discussing the new approach for the defensive line unit at that time, which was all about getting off the ball as quickly as possible and attacking. But from the sounds of it, the usage of blitzes, simulated pressures, and more of a read-and-react play-style will continue to be key elements in helping to make this pass rush unit go.

The ceiling for this Packers defense will be determined by how good the pass rush is. When the four man front is able to create regular havoc on their own, that is a massive stressor for opposing offenses, while every other defender on the field benefits greatly from it. Again, from top to bottom, this will be a group effort, but at defensive end, Gary is expected to lead the way.

“Man, just the confidence in the leaders that we have,” Gary said. “Having me, having X, having KC, I could keep on going. Having Keisean, just having different guys across the board that play at a high level, understanding the standard. I love the confidence that we have as a group, like I said, it’s Year 2, you can feel us flying around and we just communicating at an elite level.

How Tucker Kraft’s impact on Packers’ offense can grow in Year 3

Paul Bretl | 7/10/2025

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers have to “do a better job” of featuring tight end Tucker Kraft in the passing game in 2025. That’s not only my opinion, or I’m sure the opinion of many of you out there, but that’s also what Matt LaFleur said during his end-of-season press conference back in January.

“That’s one thing we spent some time on this offseason,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich, “is just kind of where we can get him to take the next step and I think just his route-running ability, getting him on more individual things like that, and just kind of growing him there. I think he did a really good job in the run game. That’s one thing that hopefully he can keep improving there to be a dominant player up front. Just trying to find different ways to give him the ball, that’s gonna be the big thing for us.”

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It’s not like Kraft was forgotten about last season. His 70 targets in 2024 were the fourth-most on the team and were tied for the 18th-most among all tight ends. And with those targets, Kraft was extremely effective, ranking sixth in receiving yards with 733, third in yards per catch, and he led all tight ends in average YAC per reception, according to PFF.

“One thing I feel like I could’ve done better is separate in man-to-man,” Kraft said during minicamp. “Most of my game was check downs underneath and my yards after catch ability, so I’m looking to put it all together. I’m looking to have every resource I need based off the repetitions I’ve gotten over and over and over this offseason.”

However, there are certainly still more opportunities out there for Kraft as well when it comes to impacting the pass game. When we discuss how Kraft can be better featured within the offense, that doesn’t only refer to the number of passes that come his way, but it’s also about how he’s utilized in the passing game.

It’s, at times, making him one of the first reads in Jordan Love’s progression, so he is more of a focal point in the passing game. It’s also about moving Kraft around more pre-snap and allowing him to attack different parts of the field. Of Kraft’s 70 targets, only 10 came 10 yards or more beyond the line of scrimmage.

Particularly over the middle of the field–where tight ends can be a real mismatch–on those intermediate to deep routes, Kraft was 6-for-6 when targeted on such throws, totaling 184 yards with two touchdowns.

“We’ve got to definitely find ways to keep stretching him down the field because he catches the ball really well,” Jordan Love said of Kraft. “He made a couple big-time plays down the field last year, but a big part of our offense is having the tight ends in some different protection roles and things like that. We’ll mix it up, get some other guys out there maybe doing some protection stuff and let him go run some routes down the field.”

While Kraft was efficient on those deeper targets last season, he’s still relatively inexperienced when it comes to running those routes–just 17 such targets over his first two seasons–and is perfecting the nuances that come with attacking the second and third levels of the field more regularly. Part of earning more of those opportunities in-game includes showcasing the ability to consistently make those plays–and do so with the proper technique–in practice.

“We’ll take like a seam route, for example,” said Kraft, “like not being able to push my width past my landmark on the field, being able to stretch the field vertical. Identifying if the linebacker in front of me is about to mash me inside or if he’s gonna drop for the hook. Just reading my keys, triangles on defense, just becoming more efficient pre snap and then also, as I stated previously, just separating man-to-man.”

Having a do-it-all presence at tight end, like Kraft can provide, can be a cheat code of sorts for an offense, especially in LaFleur’s scheme, which is built on multiplicity. When a tight end can impact the passing game, be moved around the formation, and is a capable blocker, it adds a layer of unpredictability to an offense.

With that player able to shoulder a variety of responsibilities, it opens up the playbook for the play-caller and allows the offense to throw a variety of looks at opponents, keeping defenders off balance and guessing. This not only creates opportunities for the tight end to exploit, but for his teammates as well.

That blocking ability of Kraft’s is also a big part of what the Packers do offensively. So, as Love alluded to, an important element when it comes to Kraft seeing more opportunities to impact other levels of the field through the pass game, is that someone, whether it be Luke Musgrave, John FitzPatrick, or Ben Sims, needs to then shoulder the blocking responsibilities and provide a steady presence on those plays.

One significant difference for Kraft this offseason compared to last is that he has been able to participate in OTAs and minicamp. A year ago at this time, he was rehabbing a torn pectoral injury and wasn’t back on the field until August. Those additional on-field reps, especially as Kraft’s role on offense potentially expands, have been extremely valuable.

“Last offseason, I had a torn pec,” said Kraft. “I didn’t get a chance to have an opportunity to do any of this, so really being able to apply my technique and stack reps, coverages and schemes and fronts, I just got a much better feel of the game this offseason.”

Although there isn’t a ton to glean from offseason programs, not surprisingly, Kraft has seen his share of targets in the passing game. For a Packers’ offense that has some question marks at wide receiver, Kraft can provide a steady presence in the pass game, along with some playmaking potential mixed in.

“Tuck’s going to be a big part of the offense,” Love said. “I think Tuck, since he’s stepped on the scene, has shown who he is a playmaker and shown us reasons why we should just keep getting him the ball. I think a big part of going into this season is going to be finding ways to continue to get Tuck the ball, get him as many touches as we can in the game because he’s a dynamic playmaker and does some really good things once he gets it in his hands. That’s going to be a focus going into the season, is trying to make sure we can get him as many touches as possible each week.”

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