Ryan from Sun Prairie, WI
How can people be saying coach LaFleur be on the hot seat due to a preseason game?
Because fan is short for fanatic?
Championship-caliber teams have elite superstar talent on both sides of the ball. Do the Packers have anyone who qualifies? Make us a case for someone.
Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney. Jacobs is a former NFL rushing champ who ranked sixth in the league in rushing yards last season, and McKinney was a first-team All-Pro in 2024. Right behind them are Elgton Jenkins and Zach Tom, along with Kenny Clark, who wasn’t healthy last year. Those guys are anchors in the trenches who stack up with anybody. Will anyone else reach that level in 2025? A ton of candidates reside on this roster, a list topped by Edgerrin Cooper and Tucker Kraft in my opinion, but they have to go out and prove it.
Could signing Quay Walker to a three- or four-year extension be the final piece of the puzzle, the validation to be the leader of the defense? The coaches gave him the communications helmet and I can’t think of a Packer who cares more about playing football. They want him to be the guy. His deal should be at the top of the list.
For all we know it is, and they’re just waiting for him to be fully healthy. He’s been through a lot this offseason.
David from Janesville, WI
Gents, what does Indy do well that will be a good test for the Packers in joint practices and the game? Any specific aspects of the game to watch for?
Jonathan Taylor is a whale of a back. Without full-on tackling in the joint practice, it’ll be hard to judge entirely, but Thursday should be a tremendous test for the run defense.
Question about player evaluation this time of year. Are all practices videotaped for assessment by the coaches? If so, how do they find the time? And how would you break down the importance of performance during exhibition games vs. practice? 60/40, or is it more?
The coaching staff and personnel department are reviewing every snap, drill and rep of every practice. It’s part of the gig, and they’re all working monstrously long days this time of year. As for weighing practice vs. preseason games, there isn’t some magic formula. It’s always about the full body of work, and if there are stark contrasts between the two, it’s important to figure out why.
Matt from Cedar Rapids, IA
Good day II! No question, just a comment. ATMR(WCBW) regarding playing surfaces for this season, we will play on natural grass 13 times and artificial turf only four times. So we got that going for us … which is nice?
Is it “different” for a veteran FA like Jacobs or McKinney to assume a leadership role vs. a player that was drafted by GB and is now in his second or third year? Or does it just depend on the particular player?
It does depend on the player and his personality, but an outside free agent who’s already an accomplished player in this league owns a level of credibility that drafted players have to earn over time. One way or another, young players learn who’s worth listening to and watching.
Greetings Mike and Wes from “steamy” Texas. Last year the defense was hobbled by injuries to several key players. Kenny Clark was injured early, but he has a proven track record of production. I am most interested in Devonte Wyatt. He, too, was injured early but I have not read too much about him. How has he looked in preseason so far? Do you have any insights into how he is performing? TYIA GPG
I haven’t reported on anything specific with Wyatt, but he hasn’t been budged out of his spot on the interior of the No. 1 defense alongside Clark despite plenty of competition behind him. So that says something. His last two seasons have been strangely similar. Early sack production, an ankle injury that throws him off-kilter, and then getting back to his disruptive self in December. If his health can be more consistent, I expect his play to be as well.