The Athletic has live coverage of NFL training camp.
Happy football season, everyone.
Training camp in Green Bay officially kicks off Wednesday with the Packers’ first open practice at Ray Nitschke Field.
This felt like a rather mundane offseason around these parts. There weren’t any ground-breaking moves — it’s hard to match the Micah Parsons trade from last year — and there might be apathy among fans who are tired of both the No. 7 seed and watching freshly extended Matt LaFleur as head coach. Can you blame them?
Nonetheless, the start of a new season in Titletown is reason enough for optimism, no matter how dreary the outlook without Parsons might be as he recovers from last December’s torn ACL.
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Lather on that sunscreen and let’s dive into 10 pressing questions surrounding the Packers entering camp.
When will Parsons return?
The Packers’ best player tore his ACL on Dec. 14 in Denver and underwent surgery Dec. 29. He also got his meniscus fixed, so it wasn’t a clean ACL tear. The Packers have a strict rule of nine months without any football activity for players rehabbing major injuries like Parsons’, so the best-case scenario is he returns to practice on Wednesday, Sept. 30, before that Sunday’s Week 4 visit to Tampa Bay. Assuming he needs a couple weeks before playing in a game, perhaps he returns in Week 5 against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field or Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Green Bay. When speaking this offseason, Parsons preached patience and a long-term outlook instead of the need to rush back.
What about other rehabbing starters?
The three other big names who suffered season-ending injuries last year were tight end Tucker Kraft, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt and right tackle Zach Tom. Kraft tore his ACL in Week 9, Wyatt suffered a broken fibula and torn ankle ligaments in Week 13 and Tom partially tore his patellar tendon in Week 15. According to recovery timelines given by them at various points this offseason, all should be ready for Week 1 and Wyatt and Tom should be ready for practice on Wednesday. There’s a chance Kraft suits up then, too, but he said at his youth camp recently that we’ll find out if he’s practicing when we show up to the field.
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Who gets extended next?
Kraft should be the answer here as the 2023 third-round pick enters a contract year. Wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed and Wyatt have already been taken care of this offseason. Kraft, who turns 26 in November, might reset the tight end market currently topped by George Kittle’s $19.1 million average annual salary. When he went down last season, Kraft thought he was the NFL’s best tight end. From Weeks 1-8 last season, Kraft ranked third among tight ends in receiving yards, second in touchdown catches and first in yards after catch per reception. He’s also a rock-solid blocker. The only question is not whether the Packers extend him, but when they do — before he steps on the field or after he shows he hasn’t lost a step after injury?
What’s the status of Jacobs’ legal situation?
Last Thursday, the Brown County District Attorney’s Office told The Athletic in an email that the investigation into running back Josh Jacobs was still open and that there will be an update provided once a resolution is reached. Jacobs was arrested by the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department in Wisconsin and jailed in late May on five charges relating to domestic abuse. Before appearing in court the next day, Jacobs was released, with the D.A.’s office announcing that there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges at the time and that they had reason to believe there may be additional evidence that would impact what/if criminal charges were appropriate. Jacobs practiced all offseason while under investigation and teammates strongly supported him. There’s no telling when this will wrap up or what the resolution will be.
Is third time the charm for a rookie kicker?
The Packers’ quest for long-term kicker consistency post-Mason Crosby enters its fourth season. The team has cycled through myriad kickers since moving on from Crosby after the 2022 season — he had spent 16 years in the role — and that group primarily includes rookie Anders Carlson in 2023, rookie Brayden Narveson in 2024 and veteran Brandon McManus over the last two seasons. After the Packers released McManus this spring, it’s up to rookie sixth-round pick Trey Smack out of Florida to improve Wisconsin’s overall mental health.
Can Lloyd stay healthy?
Regardless of whether Jacobs is on the team, it’s paramount for the Packers that running back MarShawn Lloyd stays on the field. The promising 2024 third-round pick has played in just one game over his two NFL seasons due to a litany of injuries. Running backs coach Ben Sirmans said this offseason that they’re optimistic about Lloyd, whose shiftiness and explosiveness are unlike what any of the team’s other running backs offer, but added that they’ve been optimistic before about the 25-year-old. Lloyd spent months early this offseason trying to solve his body’s problems at a facility in California with Dr. John Meyer, which was detailed in our story here.
Will Morgan walk the walk?
We can debate Jordan Love’s place in the NFL quarterback hierarchy all we want, but none of that conversation matters if he’s always on his back. Keeping him upright, which can allow him to be a top-five quarterback in the league, is dependent on the performance of someone who’s never played meaningful snaps on Love’s blind side. The Packers drafted Jordan Morgan in the first round two years ago and the college left tackle at Arizona said he wanted to prove he could play there in the NFL. After cycling between left guard, right guard, right tackle and the bench the last two seasons, Morgan is finally getting his chance to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. The Packers’ offensive success might hinge on whether he can.
Will Golden break out with more chances?
According to TruMedia, Packers’ 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden ranked tied for 85th among wideouts last season with 44 targets, tied for 84th with 29 catches and 78th with 361 receiving yards. He didn’t score a touchdown until the playoffs. While flashes of talent were there, they never materialized into consistent production. After the offseason departures of Romeo Doubs in free agency to the New England Patriots and Dontayvion Wicks via trade to the Philadelphia Eagles, Golden should see many more passes. Both Watson and Reed expressed optimism this offseason about Golden’s immediate future based on what they’d seen from him since last season ended — improved confidence and knowledge of the offense entering Year 2 — with Reed saying, “he’s going to be dangerous for this offense.”
Matthew Golden didn’t score a touchdown in his rookie season until the playoffs. (Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)
How long until Cisse earns a starting spot?
The Packers’ last two first-round cornerbacks, Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, didn’t start immediately. Brandon Cisse wasn’t a first-rounder this year, but he was the Packers’ first pick at No. 52. After what appeared to be an underwhelming second half of last season from Green Bay’s cornerbacks despite general manager Brian Gutekunst’s offseason vote of confidence for them, it’s only to natural to wonder how hot, say, Carrington Valentine’s seat might get if he struggles and Cisse impresses. And sorry, fans, Keisean Nixon’s starting spot is likely not in jeopardy because of the fellow South Carolina Gamecock.
Will Van Ness finally live up to his first-round billing?
While the offense’s success could hinge in part on the play of Green Bay’s 2024 first-round pick (Morgan), the defense’s early-season success might hinge largely on the play of the team’s first-round selection from the year prior. If Parsons misses the first month and a half of the season, Lukas Van Ness is unquestionably the guy on the edge with a host of unproven young guys behind him who will also need to step up — Brenton Cox Jr., Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver and Dani Dennis-Sutton. Van Ness will be charged with leading that group and appeared to be hitting his stride early last season before a foot injury that took far longer to heal than expected derailed his progress. With concerns at cornerback and on the edge to start the season, Van Ness can ease the worries of fans and perhaps even the team by turning those flashes into consistent production with the team’s best player sidelined.
