Packers Practice Roundup: July 23, 2025
The players start training camp.
The Packers held a short practice today (1 hour, 36 minutes) without pads due to restrictions imposed by the CBA, which has special rules for the first 5 days to ease the players back into shape.
NOT PARTICIPATING:
Packers Camp Practice No. 1 - Not participating:
LB Quay Walker (ankle)
WR Christian Watson (knee)
CB Micah Robinson (knee)
DE Collin Oliver (hamstring)
RB Amar Johnson (hamstring)
OL John Williams (back)
OL Elgton Jenkins (back) Hodkiewicz
We could see Quay Walker on the field tomorrow. Demovsky [Walker passed his physical. Pelissero. TGR]
Gutekunst indicated Collin Oliver "is probably a few weeks away" from getting out on the practice field. Nagler
When Elgton’s back is good to go he’s expected to be out on the field per Gutey. Herman
Gutekunst said the Packers still want to get something done with Quay Walker long-term. He's on PUP after an ankle clean up in offseason. "We'd like to take him off (PUP) shortly here but he's still maybe a week out from getting out there." Hodkiewicz
As was reported yesterday, the Packers signed WR Will Sheppard. They also added K Mark McNamee, who most recently was in the CFL. Bretl [I watched a bit of Sheppard pre draft. Big receiver who plays with the physicality you expect, shows some ability to win at the line, only had 2 drops last year. Mark Oldacres]
Packers signed Irish kicker Mark McNamee to be their IPP player. Recently kicked in the CFL. Schneidman
PERSONNEL:
Packers varying [number] one looks. Morgan now at LT with Glover, monk, Rhyan and Tom. 2) Monk at center with second ones rotation with Rhyan at RG. 3) Belton, Jennings, Monk, Telford and Glover is No 2 line, left to right. Hodkiewicz
Looks like we’re about to get team drills. Jacobs nice run up the middle to start!
Starters :
Love, Jacobs, Kraft
Doubs - Reed - Wicks
Walker - Banks - Rhyan - Morgan - Tom
LVN - Wyatt - Clark - Gary
Cooper - McDuffie
Nixon - Bullard - Hobbs
McKinney - Williams
Herman
Offense opens in two TE with Doubs and Golden as WRs. Hodkiewicz [Reed off the field in two-TE sets.]
Notes: Lloyd getting early looks as RB2. Hobbs bumps to slot & Valentine moves outside in version 2 of nickel d. Should be noted these are just walkthroughs. Savion Williams with the 2’s on the other side & is NOT in the red contact jersey. Matthew Golden working w/ 2’s not 1’s. Herman
If you are sharing a number in camp, you can't love your chances. [Bo Melton is sharing number 16 with QB Clifford.] Especially if you are making a position change in year 4 of your NFL. Ken Ingalls
Bullard is nickel with Hobbs outside to start team 1s. Cooper and McDuffie ILB. Hodkiewicz [Isaiah Simmons played ahead of Hopper, Kristian Welch or UDFA darling Jamon Johnson. Mosqueda]
Interesting - Kitan Oladapo getting some of the nickel slot duties with the twos like Bullard. Herman
OFFENSE:
Malik Willis - Matthew Golden - TD in red zone. Golden beat Valentine clean on the play. Valentine batted it out but after it was a confirmed catch and score. 2) Willis comes back with a TD to Hardman on the next play. 3) Spinner series play action with a deep ball to Jacobs!!! Love threw it perfectly, Hobbs ranged over at the last minute to make a play on Jacobs but would call that one a drop from 8. Herman
Jordan Love bounces back from earlier pick, throwing 6-yard TD to Chris Brooks on a Texas route. Follows with a 4-yard TD to Romeo Doubs on a slant. 2) Missed Tucker Kraft for TD on left out. 3) Hit 3-yard TD to Josh Jacobs against Isaiah Simmons. High throw, but Jacobs went up at goal line and got it. 4) Jordan Love with a fastball to Romeo Doubs on a left out to convert third & 6 for 11 yards. Doubs beat Javon Bullard to the left sideline. 5) Jordan Love’s first two passes of camp go to Tucker Kraft. A wide open left out off a boot that went for about 15 yards, and a screen. That’s gonna be a theme, Love to Kraft. Wood
Practice ends with Clifford TD to Johnny Lumpkin. 2) No videos allowed but Savion Williams just made one hell of a leaping one-handed catch. Huber
Impressive run from MarShawn Lloyd to bounce outside for a big gain. His juice is just different and adds such a playmaking element. Herman
DEFENSE:
Isaiah Simmons all over a Josh Jacobs screen. Herman [Necessary disclaimer: They’re not wearing pads yet. But Isaiah Simmons flashed the speed that once made him a top 10 pick, closing on Josh Jacobs instantly to hold the running back for a 2-yard gain on a quick screen. Awfully impressive athlete. Wood
Xavier McKinney doing Xavier McKinney things and coming up with an end zone INT, undercutting a corner route to Wicks and picking off Love. Herman
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Catching punts today are Reed, Nixon, Hardman, Doubs, Golden, and Wicks. Hodkiewicz
McManus good from 33, 38 RH and 41 LH. Then makes from 43 LH, 38 and 46 RH. Hodkiewicz
MISCELLANEOUS:
A heavy emphasis on goal-line situation today. Nice day for the offense. Defense doing pushups at the end. Two more practices until they strap the pads. Wood
Asked Gutey about the benefit of taking on Jaire’s dead cap hit this year and he basically just stated it was a horse a piece either way and they had the flexibility to do it now so decided to take it on now. Herman [I nominate this for the most incomprehensible statement of the day.]
Brian Gutekunst says he does not think Elgton Jenkins will need much time to acclimate as the new starting center: "He's played that position for us. He's very natural there. Very gifted." Brian Gutekunst says Elgton Jenkins is dealing with a back injury. He says Jenkins has made clear once the back issue is over, he's ready to be on the practice field as the new center. Wood
The Packers set Zach Tom's base salary at $1.206 million in '25, so his salary cap number will be around $7.4M. Puts the Packers slightly more than $31 million under the cap. Plenty of room to do another extension or two or be a player in acquiring a veteran through trade. Silverstein
Nathaniel Hackett back with the Packers. He has a similar role as Robert Saleh last year, working with the defense and giving an offensive perspective. Schneidman
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Comments (13)
Thegreatreynoldo
July 23, 2025 at 07:59 pm
So, Morgan started at RG and got work at LT as well. Belton also got work at RG and LT. Of course, Rasheed started with the ones at LT. Tom was at RT and Banks at LG. I did not see anyone else get reps at LG and RT. With Jenkins out, Rhyan and Monk rotated at center, with Rhyan moving to RG at times.
I don't love seeing Bullard at slot but I don't think it means much because the Packers have been rotating Hobbs and Bullard there in the OTA and minicamps. And who knows, he was a second round pick for a reason, so perhaps he can blossom this year after having to learn a couple of roles in 2024.
Lloyd looks like a good runner. Isaiah Simmons thought Josh Jacobs is really good after he got a good look. [I did not put that in the article - I mean, we know Josh Jacobs is really good.] I think the only issue is whether GB is willing to keep 3 or 4 RBs, and that may depend on how things go at other positions.
Practice is a bit of a zero sum game. I like that Golden caught a TD pass and view with disfavor that it came against Valentine. It looks like Nixon is always outside whereas Hobbs moves into the slot for some reps and Valentine takes a seat when it is Nixon and Hobbs outside.
Isaiah Simmons getting some reps is not much of a surprise with Quay out. It is too early to worry about Hopper and/or Welch: no doubt they will get opportunities.
Media folks commented on Cox being in a two-point stance at times. Perhaps I should have put that in the article. Fans are well served by Ryan Wood, Andy Herman and the others.
Edit: As you read these articles, if someone is making a lot of plays that is good, of course, but fans should note who that player is beating. Golden beating Valentine is nice but it would be less impressive if Golden had beaten CB Tyrion Herring. [The media guys really are pulling for Bo Melton as a CB, not that I blame them.] Remember it sounded like Rashan Gary was going to look like Godzilla strolling through Tokyo but it turned out he was beating Telfort. Gary had a decent year, I don't mean to diss him.
NickPerry
July 24, 2025 at 05:57 am
Thank you TGR...Great round-up!
Coldworld
July 24, 2025 at 08:58 am
Great to have this piece back again!
This early in camp and in non contact practices, experience generally gets the nod. As LaFleur has commented in prior years, they want the drill conducted right more than anything, so experience typically is the decider. That makes it interesting to see Golden out there in 2 TE sets as the X (Reed has always typically sat for those) and Belton getting a lot of work with the ones.
Other than those two, it doesn’t surprise me that Lloyd is getting a whole lot of looks (let’s face it, it’s unpadded non contact, he’s the guy they want to see make reads and get practice reps at a point where there is little else one can test as a RB.
Give things 2 or 3 weeks to settle and we might be starting to see a few players pushing to change the depth chart and a few youngsters getting more time to do so with the ones. One of the challenges in camp is that much of that starts with the seconds and thirds, which most media don’t focus on consistently enough to see it coming.
Interesting to see Oladapo getting slot time later and Simmons being the next man up at Mike, not McDuffie or Cooper. That may be experience and preferring to keep Cooper in a set role, but it could have more significance later. As with Hopper (who replaced him late), Mike is not the most obvious ideal role for him in my view. May be nothing, but one I will be keeping an eye on even when Walker returns. Is McDuffie as safe as many seem to think?
As far as I can tell, Melton got time as a perimeter corner later but fairly high up the order of rotation. They seem to be serious about giving him a real shot.
dobber
July 24, 2025 at 10:27 am
"As you read these articles, if someone is making a lot of plays that is good, of course, but fans should note who that player is beating. "
Absolutely. Every time someone does something that makes him look good, someone...well, didn't.'
"[The media guys really are pulling for Bo Melton as a CB, not that I blame them.]"
I'll admit that I was one who thought Melton at CB at minicamps was more smoke than fire. I give him credit for doing whatever it takes to try to stick--his calling card is mostly STs at this point, and if he can support two positions otherwise, he's becoming a much more valuable piece on game days.
GregC
July 23, 2025 at 08:44 pm
The part about the defense is black print on a dark green background, so I didn't bother trying to read it.
I heard that Micah Robinson was a full participant today. At any rate, he has now been officially cleared to play. Quay Walker has also been cleared, though they will probably work him back slowly.
The CB rotation is exactly what I expected: Bullard the nickel more on early downs and Hobbs in pass-heavy situations. Evan Williams starting at safety.
Thegreatreynoldo
July 23, 2025 at 09:20 pm
Fixed, I think. It shows up looking normal on my laptop, which is what I have since I am on the road. I believe the problem is that I have been reluctant to upgrade to Windows 11 until I am forced to. My phone also showed black lettering. I used a different computer and now the article looks fine on my phone., so I hope all is well.
Thanks for letting me know. I do know how to avoid this issue in the future.
GregC
July 23, 2025 at 09:43 pm
Thanks, I can read it now. Six players returning punts, including five who are locks to make the team. They are really opening up the competition. I'll list them in order, starting with the one I'd most like to win the job:
1. Hardman
2. Golden
3. Reed
4. Nixon
5. Doubs
6. Wicks
Alberta_Packer
July 23, 2025 at 08:51 pm
I am really intrigued with the CBs 4-6 open competition. I'm not so convinced with the abilities of King and Hadden - as others. So I'm boxing a trifecta of Junior, Melton and Herring for those positions.
(And I also was unable to read the D notes).
LeotisHarris
July 23, 2025 at 09:43 pm
Thanks, TGR. I appreciate you pulling this together so well for us.
Oppy
July 23, 2025 at 10:00 pm
It's nice to see TGR rolling back into the fold.
Great accountant of both financials and general happenings on the field.
LambeauPlain
July 24, 2025 at 08:28 am
I appreciate your Roundups, TGR! Succinct and descriptive.
Always look for new players, former back ups making plays consistently. Williams was one that shined early last camp, playing alongside X.
Last year the Defense was setting the tone early in camp...this year the Offense seems more dominant out of the gate.
I read on another site Kraft was returning KO's. NFL gunners aren't going to enjoy being greeted by Tucker.
crayzpackfan
July 24, 2025 at 08:31 am
Everything looked great in this recap until Nathaniel Hackett was mentioned as a defensive consultant. Lends itself to MLF creating coaching jobs for his subpar coaching buddies. Hopefully he just stays out of the way and let's the DC do his job. RS last year didn't really have any impact on our offense helping MLF either.
So much fun that GB is back on the practice field getting ready for another season of ball. I'm excited. Thanks for the practice recap TGR.
dobber
July 24, 2025 at 10:30 am
I will be curious to see who--if anyone--moves up the DT depth chart, especially on run downs. Maybe a healthy and motivated Wyatt can hold up inside playing next to Clark, but the Packers like to rotate their DL and Slaton played 40% of the defensive snaps last year as a mostly-run-down DT.