The final week of training camp is underway. The Packers donned helmets and shoulder pads for the two hour practice today on Ray Nitschke Field. They’ll have one last workout open to the public Wednesday (moved up to 11:00 AM because of excessive heat advisories), a closed practice Thursday and it all wraps up with the Preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks at 12:00 PM Saturday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur said before practice there are still a lot of position battles to be fought for but the practice schedule and game preparation will remain the same.
Today’s practice featured a horrible kicking day from Anders Carlson and both punters, Pat O’Donnell and Daniel Whelan. Kicking through a strong crosswind, Carlson missed four consecutive field goals and the punters struggled to get the ball to turn over.
Third string quarterback Alex McGough delivered the best ball of his camp, ending a team period with a deep sideline bomb Jadakis Bonds pulled down and raced for a score. McGough has had precious few reps this summer and even with new rules allowing three quarterbacks to dress on Sunday’s may be hard pressed to survive next week’s cut. He’s yet to play in the pre-season but LaFleur will give him snaps this weekend. Last Saturday night, McGough was going to finish the fourth quarter but the game was called with 10:29 to play when New England’s Isaiah Bolden suffered a scary concussion and was carted off the field.
Rasheed Walker is getting a very long look as the third offensive tackle, taking first team reps at left tackle again today. Rudy Ford continues to work opposite Darnell Savage at safety.
The most significant thing about today’s practice was the return of linebacker Rashan Gary. Gary’s 2022 season ended last November 9 in Detroit when he tore his ACL, resulting in reconstructive surgery. He opened camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list but his rehabilitation has been nothing short of remarkable. Elevated off the PUP list earlier this month, Gary has been able to take part only in individual drills but today, he took his first 11 on 11 reps with the defense. This may be the last major hurdle that needed to be cleared. After practice, Gary met reporters and welcomed questions about reaching his latest milestone to recovery.
Several players remain sidelined with injuries and for some, could jeopardize their chances to making the team. While David Bakhtiari got another day of rest, linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, running backs Tyler Goodson and Lew Nichols, receivers Dontayvion Wicks and Bo Melton, safety Tarvarious Moore and defensive lineman Jason Lewan were out. Three players who sat out the Patriot game did return, defensive backs Innis Gaines and Corey Ballentine along with tackle Caleb Jones.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst has until next Tuesday at 3:00 PM to settle on his 53 man roster. He made a couple of moves already this week. Light in numbers at linebacker and defensive back, Gutekunst signed rookie free agent linebacker Marvin Pierre out of Kent State and defensive back Elijah Hamilton out of Louisiana Tech who played in the XFL this spring. Hamilton is the son of 1994 Packer sixth round draft choice, linebacker Ruffin Hamilton. Clearing space on the roster, the Packers placed tight end Tyler Davis on season ending injured reserve after he tore his ACL in the Preseason opener in Cincinnati. While a niche player on offense, Davis was a key contributor on Coordinator Rich Bisaccia’s special teams. Bisaccia said last week he’ll have a hard time replacing Davis and his production on virtually every phase of teams. Tyler led all NFL offensive players in special team tackles last year. Offensive lineman Jake Hanson, a 6th round pick out of Oregon in 2020 has been waived/injured after reaching an injury settlement.
Finally, there was big news from upstairs this week. Vice President of Finance and Administration, Paul Baniel, will be retiring this fall and the Packers have found his successor. Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy announced the hiring of Maureen Smith as the team’s new Chief Financial Officer. Smith has spent the past seven years with Minnesota United FC of Major League Soccer in a variety of roles, beginning as controller, rising to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. She helped develop a minor league club into a successful MLS franchise, overseeing construction of Allianz Stadium. Smith will join the Packers in September.
