Four Red Hot Battles In The Final Days Of Packers’ Training Camp

Green Bay Packers cornerback Kesiean Nixon is battling to clasp onto his starting job.

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This was expected to beryllium a quiet, uneventful summertime successful Green Bay — wherever astir starting jobs seemed settled a period ago.

Or truthful we thought.

Instead, respective positional battles person unfolded. Here’s a look astatine those, and a prediction of really they’ll end.

CORNERBACK

Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine were the starters successful 2025. Both could beryllium coming disconnected the bench, aliases successful different uniforms successful 2026.

Rookie 2nd information draught prime Brandon Cisse has had a beardown camp, and moreover though he’s earthy and conscionable turned 21, he’s apt to commencement successful Week 1 successful Minnesota.

“I put successful a batch of time,” said Cisse, who’s been praised for his study habits and attraction to detail. “I effort to turn really each day, get amended astatine something.”

The different cornerback occupation is simply a tight 1 betwixt Nixon and free supplier acquisition Benjamin St-Juste.

Nixon started 17 games past season, was up and down, but was still Green Bay’s champion corner. That’s why it was astonishing erstwhile he mislaid immoderate first squad reps to St-Juste aft Green Bay’s Family Night connected Aug. 5.

“They ain't really told maine nothing,” Nixon said of Green Bay’s coaches. “I'm conscionable … each time I find retired a different thing, and I conscionable onslaught it. I don't attraction what it is, whether it's maine taking reps connected typical teams, immoderate it is. I onslaught it, though. I'm here. Can't really tally maine off, truthful I'm fresh to play ball.”

St-Juste, a 3rd information draught prime by Washington successful 2021, has had an up and down profession pinch the Commanders and the Los Angeles Chargers. St-Juste’s champion season, though, was astir apt pinch the Chargers successful 2025, erstwhile he classed 12th among each 114 qualifying corners by Pro Football Focus. Nixon classed 40th and Valentine was 44th.

Green Bay caput coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday, “we request corners that are consenting and tin tacklers.” St-Juste’s missed tackle complaint successful 2025 was 3.2%, Nixon’s was 4.9% and Valentine’s was 21.3%.

St-Juste’s people connected the 50-question Wonderlic trial was 21, while Valentine scored a 13 and Nixon had an eight.

“I mean, the coaches ae going to determine that,” St-Juste said of the cornerback battle. “I show up each day. They matter maine if I'm rotating pinch what group I'm rotating, and it could beryllium for illustration that during the season.

“We'll see. Honestly, for illustration they make the decision. Players don't really make that. So each I tin do really is conscionable spell retired location and beryllium the champion subordinate I can. Be the champion teammate I can.”

Prediction

Week 1 starters — Cisse and St-Juste

LEFT GUARD

Green Bay gave Aaron Banks a four-year, $77 cardinal free supplier statement successful March, 2025. In his short clip arsenic a Packer, Banks has been successful and retired of the lineup pinch back, ankle, groin and now a knee injury.

Banks has only done individual activity this camp, opening the doorway for rookie Jager Burton to situation for the job.

On Aug. 14, LaFleur was asked if Burton is making this a difficult determination for Green Bay’s coaches?

“I deliberation he's going to make it highly difficult,” LaFleur said. “I deliberation Jager has done a really bully job. You cognize (Banks) hasn't been retired there, truthful it's difficult to say.”

Banks precocious said, “I should beryllium retired location afloat spell by the extremity of campy for sure. Like, I person nary concerns for the commencement of the season.”

If that’s the case, Banks will almost surely beryllium the starter.

You don’t salary a subordinate $19.25 cardinal a play and springiness up connected him aft a year. The Packers would besides return a $12 cardinal net headdress deed by moving connected from him later this month.

And while Banks was dinged overmuch of past season, he settled successful and played overmuch amended down the stretch.

Burton could move into a 5th information steal. He’s smart, physical, diversion and a early starter.

In 2026, though, Burton will apt statesman the twelvemonth arsenic the No. 3 guard.

“I conscionable want to make our room arsenic bully arsenic it tin be,” Burton said. “If that's maine playing. If that's maine pushing guys aliases creating whatever, you know, astatine the extremity of the day, they brought maine present to thief them triumph shot games aliases immoderate domiciled that is.

“So that's what I want to do. That's each I attraction astir is winning games and making the Packers the champion team. So immoderate they request maine to do to do that.”

Prediction

Week 1 starter — Banks

KICKER

Rookie sixth information draught prime Trey Smack seems to beryllium settling successful aft a rocky start.

Smack made 6-of-7 kicks astatine Green Bay’s Family Night believe held wrong Lambeau Field.

Smack went 3-for-3 successful Green Bay’s preseason opener against Pittsburgh, making kicks from 58, 38 and 37 yards. Smack besides made different 58-yarder that the Packers took disconnected the committee pursuing a Pittsburgh penalty.

He followed that by going 4-for-4 astatine believe connected Aug. 16.

The Packers judge they person a title level team, truthful if Smack struggles successful the last 10 days of camp, they could look for a veteran. But Green Bay would overmuch alternatively fto Stack grow, for illustration it erstwhile did pinch kickers Chris Jacke, Ryan Longwell and Mason Crosby.

“I mean there's nary mobility he's sewage the talent,” LaFleur said of Smack. “And it's conscionable I deliberation successful peculiar the kicking position, it's the consistency astatine which you do it.”

Prediction

Week 1 starter — Smack

RIGHT GUARD

Anthony Belton, a 2nd information draught prime successful 2025, started the last six games astatine this spot past play and was the odds-on favourite present erstwhile campy began.

Belton struggled early, though, was replaced by Jacob Monk and the title seems mostly settled.

Monk has been firmly entrenched pinch the No. 1 violative line, while Belton appears apt to beryllium the Packers’ plaything tackle. Belton could make a precocious push, but for now, it appears to beryllium Monk’s occupation to lose.

“I conscionable want to beryllium accordant successful everything I do,” Monk said. “I deliberation they’ve ever known I’m going to play hard, I’m going to springiness everything I have. But I conscionable want to show them I tin beryllium accordant pinch everything too.”

Prediction

Week 1 starter — Monk