The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Packers’ 14th Training Camp Practice

Aug 20, 2026 12:38 AM - 1 hour ago 2

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The Green Bay Packers held their 14th believe of training campy Wednesday, a closed matter connected a gorgeous, 70-degree morning. The believe lasted 1 hour, 26 minutes.

The Packers now caput to Denver, wherever they’ll look the Broncos successful their 2nd preseason crippled Friday astatine 8 p.m. (CST).

Just 2 unfastened practices remain: Aug 24, past a associated believe pinch Arizona connected Aug. 26. Green Bay will past trim its roster to 53 connected Aug. 30.

Here’s the good, bad and disfigured — compiled from aggregate reports — from believe No. 14.

THE GOOD

INNER BANKS: It’s been a frustrating summertime for Aaron Banks and the Packers’ violative line, arsenic the near defender battles tendinitis successful his knee. This comes aft a play wherever Banks had back, ankle and groin injuries.

Banks had been operating connected a day-on, day-off schedule passim the summer, and doing only individual drills. Banks returned to squad drills Tuesday for the first time, past was backmost connected the believe section Wednesday doing squad drills for a 2nd consecutive day.

Banks started astatine near defender pinch the No. 1 offense, and rookie Jager Burton — who’s seen clip pinch the first drawstring — was pinch the No. 2s. Burton later saw clip pinch the No. 1 discourtesy astatine correct guard.

“The full point has conscionable been getting patient capable to get retired location and believe and get squad reps,” Banks said. “Team reps lead to crippled reps, and conscionable getting fresh for Week 1 correct now. Preseason is simply a preseason. Like, [you can] interest astir that nevertheless overmuch you spot fit, but I conscionable want to get to Week 1 and spell retired location and beryllium fresh to go.”

TIME FOR COX TO SHINE?: Fourth-year separator rusher Brenton Cox could spot important action arsenic Micah Parsons recovers from his torn ACL astatine the commencement of the season.

Cox has had a productive summer, and was astatine it again Wednesday erstwhile he had an early “sack” of backup backmost Tyrod Taylor. Cox later helped rustle up a moving play to MarShawn Lloyd for a loss.

“Same mentality. Just trying to spell attack,” Cox said. “That’s my main thing. I cognize erstwhile I’m attacking, I’m difficult to stop. Nobody wants their look peeled disconnected each play for illustration that. So erstwhile I’m attacking, it’s either I’m going to peel your look disconnected aliases you mightiness get me, but I’m coming backmost to you.”

MAKING HIS MARK: Cornerback Kamal Hadden dislocated his correct ankle and fractured his fibula and tibia connected Dec. 27, 2025.

Hadden has had an awesome summer, though, and precocious started getting immoderate activity pinch the No. 1 defense successful the slot. On Wednesday, Hadden made a tremendous drawback and intercepted No. 3 backmost Kyle McCord.

“He’s done a bully job,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Hadden. “I deliberation he’s put successful a ton of time.

“He’s a competitory player. One point that we saw from him a twelvemonth agone is he’ll propulsion his look successful the occurrence a small spot and fresh up successful the tally game. That’s what you request astatine that position.”

MCCORD MAGIC: No. 3 backmost Kyle McCord has had a beardown summer, highlighted by a 12-of-16 nighttime for 102 yards successful Green Bay’s preseason opener.

McCord kept it going Wednesday, hooking up pinch wideout J. Michael Sturdivant for an explosive gain.

McCord was besides picked disconnected by slot area Kamal Hadden, but the bully continued to outweigh the bad.

McCord, a sixth information draught prime by Philadelphia successful 2025, spent past play connected the Eagles’ believe squad. He signed a reserve/future statement pinch Green Bay connected Jan. 20 and has been a pleasant astonishment this summer.

“I mean, 1 point astir the NFL is you really ne'er cognize what’s going to hap next,” McCord said. “Obviously getting drafted to Philly past year, you deliberation you’re going to walk 4 years location and then, boom, extremity up successful Green Bay a twelvemonth later. I deliberation the point is to proceed to put your caput down and working, and that yet leads you to occurrence and puts you precisely wherever you request to be.”

MR. NASTY: The Packers haven’t had a batch of nastiness connected their defense successful caller years.

Linebacker Wayne Simmons, a standout connected the Packers’ 1996 Super Bowl title team, is arguably their astir vicious defender successful the past 30 years. Others for illustration Nick Barnett, Desmond Bishop and Clay Matthews played pinch terrific physicality.

Now, free supplier acquisition Zaire Franklin seems fresh to bring a wickedness to the defense that’s been missing astatine times.

“My mentality successful betwixt the achromatic lines is, ultra competitor — like, eventual alpha,” said Franklin, who spent his first 8 seasons pinch Indianapolis. “Like I want to situation the best, the biggest. I don't want nary small guy. I want to spell against the baddest (expletive) retired there. That's really I feel. I consciousness for illustration I'm the best. I'm the baddest (expletive) connected the satellite erstwhile I'm connected the field. That's conscionable my mentality.”

THIS AND THAT: Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who returned to believe Tuesday, had 2 “sacks.” “I consciousness for illustration successful the NFL, you gotta beryllium yourself each day, each week, each year,” Hargrave said. … Wideout Bo Melton (stinger) and protect extremity Dani Dennis-Sutton (heat related illness) returned to believe

THE BAD

O-LINE WOES: Green Bay’s violative statement classed 19th wide successful Pro Football Focus’ last violative statement rankings past season. In 2024, Green Bay classed No. 6 by PFF, and successful 2023 the Packers classed No. 3.

Right now, Green Bay’s statement appears person to the 2025 group than the 2024 aliases 2023 unit.

The Packers person struggled getting their tally crippled connected way each summer, and connected Wednesday, separator rusher Brenton Cox buried MarShawn Lloyd for a loss.

Green Bay will person 3 caller starters from the opening of 2025 — near tackle Jordan Morgan, halfway Sean Rhyan and correct defender Jacob Monk. Left defender Aaron Banks is besides battling backmost from knee tendinitis and correct tackle Zach Bako-Bewele had offseason room to repair a partially torn knee tendon.

Green Bay’s protect statement — which is missing prima separator rusher Micah Parsons — has gotten the amended of the violative statement astir days this summer. The Packers are hoping that intends the protect statement will beryllium formidable, while praying the violative statement will beryllium astatine slightest serviceable.

FROM THE INFIRMARY: Here’s really the Packers’ wounded database looked Wednesday.

Not practicing: information Javon Bullard (foot) and violative lineman Darian Kinnard (ankle)

Reserve lists: separator rusher Micah Parsons (knee), tight extremity Luke Musgrave (neck), agelong snapper Matt Orzech (calf) and protect tackle Jordon Reilly (Achilles).

THE UGLY

ROUGH DAY FOR NIXON: Veteran cornerback Keisean Nixon is fighting to support his starting job. Wednesday’s believe won’t help.

The Packers rotated Brandon Cisse, Nixon, Benjamin St-Juste and Carrington Valentine pinch the No. 1 defense. And Nixon struggled immensely wherever he played.

When Nixon worked pinch the No. 1 defense, he slipped connected a slant by Christian Watson and gave up a large play. Nixon spent plentifulness of clip pinch the No. 2 defense.

But the worst came erstwhile Nixon was moving pinch the No. 3 defense and was hit by Savion Williams for a large gain.

By the extremity of practice, Cisse and St-Juste were Green Bay’s No. 1 corners.

Nixon was a 17-game starter past play and wide regarded arsenic Green Bay’s champion corner. Right now, though, it’s highly questionable if he’ll beryllium successful the starting lineup — aliases moreover connected the squad — erstwhile Green Bay faces Minnesota connected Sept. 13 successful Week 1.

Nixon said connected Aug. 16 he was being “punished correct now.”

Perhaps, but Nixon surely isn’t giving the coaches galore reasons to time off him successful the starting lineup.

“If he feels a definite type of way, I mean, it is what it is,” LaFleur said. “But I do deliberation that it's a use to the squad to person group that you consciousness are tin to spell successful location and play, and we'll each beryllium amended for that.”