GREEN BAY, Wis. – One Green Bay Packers starting defensive player participated in team drills for the first time during training camp on Tuesday while another starter might miss the rest of camp.
Quay Walker, who had been limited to individual drills for the past week, was back in the middle of Green Bay’s defense for the first time since the playoff loss at the Eagles.
“No doubt at all. I’ll be ready” for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, Walker said.
Walker was just hitting his stride last season before an ankle injury sidelined him for the final three games of the regular season. While he returned for the playoffs, he wasn’t 100 percent healthy. And he still wasn’t 100 percent for the start of OTAs, which necessitated surgery.
“I thought it was just a high ankle (sprain), so I thought it was just something that just was lingering on at the moment,” Walker said. “And then I came back for OTAs and tried to do something and I just knew something ain’t feeling right. I didn’t want it just to linger on throughout the season, so I was like, I think the smart idea, probably go in and have surgery during OTAs and get it out the way.”
That was the same thinking as Nate Hobbs. He suffered a knee injury last week and opted for surgery rather than trying to get through the season while dealing with a lingering issue. He should have a week or two of practice time before the opener.
“There was a collision and there was a slight, little minor bump that I felt,” Hobbs said. “Something I always get, somebody ran into me, it was cool, but it turned out to be something deeper than that.”
Hobbs said he had surgery on Saturday for a meniscus injury and is optimistic he’ll be back for Week 1.
Jordan Love’s Day
Jordan Love completed 13-of-20 passes, highlighted by a tremendous sequence on third down.
On five snaps of either third-and-8 or third-and-7, he completed four passes for three conversions. First, Rashan Gary rallied to stop a screen to Romeo Doubs. Next, with Devonte Wyatt providing some late pressure, Love fired a strike to Malik Heath against Xavier McKinney for a first down at the sideline. The next play was a screen to Josh Jacobs, with Tucker Kraft’s dominating block providing a first down.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) passes the ball at training camp.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) passes the ball at training camp. / Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After an errant checkdown to Chris Brooks, Love ended the drill with a touchdown bomb to Doubs. The defense blitzed, the line protected and Love lofted a deep shot to Doubs over Javon Bullard and Evan Williams. Doubs, who doesn’t have a 40-yard catch in his career, celebrated by running alongside the fans on the sideline with the No. 1 finger up in the sky.
Love’s 2-minute drill didn’t end so well. Starting with 1:00 on the clock with the ball at the 45 and zero timeouts, Love threw perhaps his best ball of the day, a strike to the sideline to Jayden Reed for a gain of 23. After a third-down conversion to Luke Musgrave to the defense’s 32, the drive stalled. Throwaways sandwiched one of those cardinal-sin passes, with Love scrambling to the right but throwing across his body to the end zone; he was fortunate the pass was incomplete. On fourth-and-10, Love went deep to Josh Jacobs but Isaiah Simmons’ coverage was excellent.
Player of the Day: Jayden Reed
During the one-on-ones, which were contested in the red zone, Jayden Reed beat Javon Bullard for a pair of touchdowns. First, Reed used a double move to get behind Bullard for a touchdown from Sean Clifford. Later, it was Clifford to Reed again, this time on a fade.
With the aforementioned catch in 2-minute and another catch that we’ll get to shortly, Reed (and Romeo Doubs) continued their string of strong practices.
Play of the Day: Malik Willis in 2-Minute
While Jordan Love’s 2-minute drive stalled, Willis got the No. 2 offense in the end zone. Starting with the same scenario – ball at the 45, 1:00 on the clock and zero timeouts – Willis on third-and-5 ripped a pass over the middle to Will Sheppard for a gain of 35 to the defense’s 15.
Three consecutive incomplete passes set up a do-or-die fourth-and-10. Willis connected with Mecole Hardman on a fade for a touchdown despite good coverage by Kalen King.
“I just tried to get around as fast as I could and I just looked up and I see Malik threw a pretty good ball,” Hardman said.
On the 2-point play, Willis faked a handoff to Israel Abanikanda and used one of his funky-arm-angle releases to fling the pass to Julian Hicks for the win.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis passes the ball at training camp.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis passes the ball at training camp. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Packers Injury Updates
New injuries: TE Messian Swinson (illness).
Old injuries: WR Christian Watson (knee), WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), RB Emanuel Wilson (knee), RB MarShawn Lloyd (groin), CB Kamal Hadden (hip), linebacker Collin Oliver (hamstring), DE Arron Mosby (groin), LT Rasheed Walker (groin), offensive lineman John Williams (back), G/T Travis Glover (shoulder).
Returning from injuries: WR Savion Williams (unknown), TE Tucker Kraft (groin).
After sitting out Family Night with a groin injury, Kraft was back with the No. 1 offense.
“Yep, got everything calmed down. Just a little rest,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily anything that would have kept me out of a game. It was just what would be the point of me going out there. We were just being smart.”
Packers Practice Highlights
- After the 2-minute drills, coach Matt LaFleur had three specialty situations. First, the ball was at the defense’s 45 with 15 seconds remaining and no timeouts with the offense needing a field goal. Jordan Love completed a pass to Jayden Reed to the defense’s 27. The offense successfully got to the line to clock the ball with 2 seconds to go. Brandon McManus made a 42-yard field goal.
Next, the offense was on the defense’s 40 with 10 seconds to go and in need of a field goal. This was a play straight out of any youth flag football playbook. All the receivers went deep, which cleared out space for Malik Willis to run. With a convoy of blockers to handle Kingsley Enagbare, Willis ran for 11 yards before sliding out of bounds with 1 second remaining. McManus made a 47-yard field goal.
Finally, Love and the offense had the ball on the defense’s 37. Love extended the play to his right but missed Matthew Golden, who was streaking behind the defense for what would have been a gain of about 15 or 20. Not to worry, McManus made a 55-yard field goal.
- The best battles during one-on-ones were between Romeo Doubs and Carrington Valentine. First, Doubs caught a pass from Sean Clifford against tight coverage by Valentine. Next, Valentine denied Love’s pass on a corner route, then let Doubs know all about it. Finally, Doubs got his revenge with a double-move touchdown.
- Speaking of one-on-ones, Matthew Golden toasted Keisean Nixon. After faking his route to the outside, Golden ran a slant and was wide open.
- Moving into 11-on-11, defensive end Brenton Cox continued his strong training camp. On the second play, he stopped running back Jalen White in the backfield. On the third play, he helped stop a jet sweep to Savion Williams.
- A few plays later, Williams showed terrific body control on the sideline for a catch against Bo Melton. Williams twisted his body to keep Melton away from the ball and got his feet down.
- Sticking with Williams, he got the ball on an end-around to the right but Evan Williams stopped it for a short gain.
- Green Bay’s linebackers were active during the opening period. Isaiah Simmons ruined a quick pass to Will Sheppard, Isaiah McDuffie rallied quickly to limit Malik Heath’s gain on a checkdown and Edgerrin Cooper was a blur on a toss to Josh Jacobs.
- The errant shotgun snaps continued. For the first time, Elgton Jenkins fired one over the head of Jordan Love. Jacob Monk replaced him on the next play.
- Running back Israel Abanikanda had a big run to the right, with guard Tyler Cooper and tackle Anthony Belton leading the way. On the next play, a checkdown to Abanikanda was stuffed by rookie linebackers Jamon Johnson and Jared Bartlett.
- During a third-down period, Malik Willis fired a quick pass to Malik Heath. Cornerback Kalen King ran right past the blocker, receiver Cornelius Johnson, and leveled Heath.
- During a lengthy punt period, Javon Bullard was one of the gunners and almost immediately “tackled” Mecole Hardman on one of punter Daniel Whelan’s many bombs.
- During one of the final periods of the day. Willis had passes broken up by Micah Robinson and Ty’Ron Hopper and a screen blown up by Kingsley Enagbare. Nazir Stackhouse also ruined a running play.
- Karl Brooks stuffed Josh Jacobs on fourth-and-2.
- In his return to Green Bay, Corey Ballentine broke up a pass from Sean Cliffford.
“It was hard, but at the same time, I’m familiar with it, so some things I was picking up really quickly,” Ballentine said. “But everyone kind of expected me to know everything, so it was like, ‘It has been a little bit.’ I’m still learning, but I’ll get the hang of it. I’m catching on pretty quick. A lot of the schemes are familiar, and even the special-teams stuff, it’s kind of like second nature to me, so I’ll get used to it pretty quickly and catch on.”
Corey Ballentine is back. Here he is going through drills. pic.twitter.com/xDyjIXd287
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 5, 2025
- Because it’s a day that ended in a Y, Brandon McManus was excellent. He was 8-of-9 on field goals, none shorter than 42 yards. The miss was from 53 yards and hit the left upright. That was sandwiched between makes from 51 and 56.
Packers Lineup Notes
- After his superb Family Night, would Omar Brown move up the pecking order at safety? No. Once again, it was Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams with the No. 1 defense and Kitan Oladapo and Zayne Anderson with the No. 2 defense.
“I think he’s done a great job, I really do,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Brown. “He’s been really consistent and he continues to maximize his opportunities. When you do that, you get noticed and then, ultimately, you get more opps. So, he’s another guy that amongst many guys that we’re looking forward to see how he competes when we get into some of these games.”
- With Rasheed Walker out again, Jordan Morgan took the first-team reps at left tackle.
“Of course,” Walker said when asked if he could play if this were Week 1. “We’re just being smart and getting it right. I’ve just got to treat it right, stay consistent with treatment and make sure everything’s healing fine.”
- With Nate Hobbs out, the No. 1 secondary included Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine at cornerback and Javon Bullard in the slot.
- With attrition hitting the offensive line, the No. 2 unit was Kadeem Telfort at left tackle, Donovan Jennings at left guard, Jacob Monk at center, Trey Hill at right guard and Anthony Belton at right tackle.
- This was an interesting line: Undrafted rookie Brant Banks at left tackle, high-priced free agent Aaron Banks at left guard, Monk at center, Hill at right guard and Belton at right tackle.
- With the return of Quay Walker, it will be interesting to see who emerges as the third linebacker in the base defense alongside Walker and Edgerrin Cooper. The first rep went to Isaiah Simmons, though Isaiah McDuffie also got his opportunities.
Packers Training Camp Schedule
The Packers will practice again at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, setting the stage or Saturday’s preseason opener at Lambeau Field against the Jets.
Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness (90) participates in the Dream Drive bicycle ride at training camp.
Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness (90) participates in the Dream Drive bicycle ride at training camp on Tuesday. / Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Quote of the Day
Safety Xavier McKinney on setting the standard:
“Just being more vocal, having more of a relationship with guys, getting to know different people. I think that’s one of the biggest and most important things when you’re trying to be a leader of a group and of a team, is to be able to build relationships with guys. That way, when you’re out there on the field, even last year, I played with a lot of different people, but having those relationships, when you’re out there, it makes it work a lot better. Communication is a lot smoother when you have a relationship with the guy next to you.”