The Packers got a timely boost on the injury front Tuesday, and it came just before their preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
During Green Bay’s 11th practice of training camp, four players who had been sidelined showed back up: wide receivers Jayden Reed (foot) and Matthew Golden (toe), backup tight end Josh Whyle (neck), and cornerback Carrington Valentine, who had been dealing with a hamstring injury. Valentine spent most of the session with the rehab group, but his return to the field was still a welcome sight for a defense that can use the help.
None of the four is believed to be dealing with a serious injury, and while their availability for Thursday remains uncertain, the door isn’t completely closed on any of them.
The bigger concern is who likely won’t be out there. Safety Javon Bullard (foot), running back Josh Jacobs (groin), cornerback Domani Jackson (core), and edge rusher Dani Sennis-Sutton (illness) all sat out Tuesday’s practice.
With no workout scheduled Wednesday because the team is traveling to Pittsburgh, their status remains unclear, though Bullard, Jackson and Jacobs appear unlikely to play. Dennis-Sutton is the one exception who could still see the field, and if he does, it would be his first real NFL action.
Matt LaFleur said in his daily press conference that anyone healthy enough to practice should be getting ready as if they’re going to play. That lines up with the expectation that at least some starters will get work in the game, even if it’s only a short stint.
Still, preseason football is really about the edges of the roster, and that’s where the Packers have the most to learn. Green Bay is looking for players to step forward in the secondary and at edge rusher, two areas where injuries and depth concerns have made every rep matter.
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Love has gone from apprentice to steady starter, and the last three seasons have only reinforced why the Packers were willing to wait. He has developed into a quarterback who can handle the mental side of the job as well as the physical one, and that matters most in January, where Green Bay has been back in the playoff picture multiple times. The next step is less about proving he belongs and more about just how far that command can carry him. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes Williams interesting again is not just that he is healthy, but that he has been movable across the line in a way that gives the Packers options if he keeps building on this camp. Preseason games will matter here, because roster spots are never handed out on potential alone, and Williams still has to beat out the other names in the mix before Green Bay decides whether this forgotten draft pick is ready to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Matt LaFleur Opens Up About A Personal Loss Beyond Packers Camp
Packers coach Matt LaFleur had planned to leave training camp and make the trip to a funeral service for Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of his longtime friend Jeff Ulbrich, but a mechanical problem with his private plane kept him from attending. The aircraft failed its preflight check, interrupting a personal obligation that had been on LaFleurs calendar as he balanced camp duties with a difficult off-field moment.
Cristina Ulbrich died last month after a battle with cancer, and the Falcons announced her death on July 30. LaFleur and his wife had intended to fly in for the service, a reminder that even in the middle of camp, football people are still carrying the kinds of personal losses that pull them away from the field. [Read more 🡒]