The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Green Bay Packers' Family Night Scrimmage

Forbes

3 days ago

The Green Bay Packers held their annual Family Night Scrimmage Saturday night — a practice inside of Lambeau Field where fans were charged $10 to watch the 2-hour session.
Amazingly, 59,175 spectators piled into Lambeau Field to get a first-hand look at their heroes.
Here was the good, bad and ugly from Saturday night's practice.THE GOOD
DIE HARDS: When it comes to fan bases, it's tough to beat the one in Green Bay.
Packer Nation filled Lambeau Field to watch a practice — 'we talking about practice' as Allen Iverson once said — on a gorgeous summer night where temperatures were in the mid-70s throughout.
Following the 2 ½-hour practice, fans were treated to a fireworks display.
'It's a fun night, it's special, you get to go out there and have a practice in the stadium and feel what it's like to play in Lambeau and we do a lot of fun stuff,' said quarterback Jordan Love. 'It's fun.'
MAKING A MOVE?: Reserve safety Omar Brown had three interceptions on the night and now leads the team with five picks through nine practices.
Brown intercepted a pass from No. 2 quarterback Malik Willis intended for Julian Hicks early in practice. Later, Brown intercepted a deflected pass from No. 3 quarterback Sean Clifford again intended for Hicks.
Then late in practice, Willis threw high for Hicks and Brown made an acrobatic interception.
Many years, there's a player that seemingly comes out of nowhere and makes the 53-man roster. Perhaps Brown will be that guy in 2025.
He's done a lot," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Brown. 'I mean, he's making plays. You want to see how guys respond and react when they get those opportunities, and he's coming through, so that's really positive.'
MR. AUTOMATIC: Kicker Brandon McManus continued his remarkable summer, going 8-for-8 — including four field goals beyond 50 yards. McManus is now an incredible 36-of-37 this summer (.973).
On Saturday, McManus made a 54-yard field goal, one from 51 and two from 50 yards. He also connected from 42, 38 and 29, and made an extra point (32 yards).
'I just feel extremely comfortable,' McManus said. 'As I continue to play longer and longer – this is my 13th training camp – I've really honed in on my technique. I still have a powerful leg, but I used to be more of a younger, wilder power leg. Now, I'd say it's more of a controlled power. And then I've really been able to feel where my body is and make sure I'm kicking how I want to.'
BO KNOWS: Wideout turned cornerback Bo Melton was the first corner to work with the No. 2 defense. Melton seemed like a longshot to make the 53-man roster earlier this summer, but certainly has a reasonable chance now.
On one play late on practice, Melton blanketed rookie, first round draft choice Matthew Golden and Jordan Love's deep ball fell incomplete.
'When he was coming out of college, all his testing numbers kind of screamed corner — his short shuttle, his three cone, his explosive numbers, his speed,' Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said of Melton. 'They screamed receiver, too, but again, right when we brought him in, it was something that we discussed as a personnel group, but then again he took off as a receiver and certainly we needed (that) in some of those occasions. It's very, very early, but … he's done some really good things for us.'
HIGHLIGHTS
There were several other highlights from the practice, as well. Here's a handful:
• Lukas Van Ness bull rushed left tackle Jordan Morgan for a sack.
'He came back in really good shape, he's healthy,' Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said of Van Ness. 'I just think he's a year older and it's another year in the scheme for him where I think he's starting to feel comfortable.'
• Cornerback Carrington Valentine had his fourth interception of camp, making a pick on a ball from Love intended for rookie Matthew Golden.
'I'm just showing them who I always was,' Valentine said. 'I mean, that's kind of what it is. I'm just trying to find my way onto the field at this point. That's really what it is.'
• Kalen King jumped an out route and intercepted a Willis pass.
King, a seventh round draft pick in 2024, appears to have a solid chance to make the roster after spending last season on the practice squad.
'I just feel like year by year I want to get better,' King said. 'I feel like I'm taking those steps to getting better, whether that's my approach, whether that's film study, whether that's production on the ball. Just everything as a football player I want to increase and improve on that and I feel like me compared this year to last year I'm doing that.'
• Quarterback Jordan Love fired a dart to Jayden Reed for a short touchdown.
• Kenny Clark blew up an inside running play to Josh Jacobs.
• Willis and rookie wideout Savion Williams hooked up on a big pass play over the middle.
• Defensive end Barryn Sorrell had a sack while working with the No. 2 defense.
• Practice ended when No. 4 quarterback Taylor Elgersma hit wideout Will Shepherd with a 23-yard TD.
THIS AND THAT: The No. 1 offensive line was (from left) Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom. Rasheed Walker, the left tackle the last two seasons, was out with a groin injury. … Isaiah Simmons was one of the starting linebackers, along with Edgerrin Cooper and Isaiah McDuffie.THE BAD
FROM THE INFIRMARY: The following Packers didn't practice due to injury: tight end Tucker Kraft (groin), running backs Emanuel Wilson (knee) and MarShawn Lloyd (groin), offensive linemen Rasheed Walker (groin), John Williams (back) and Travis Glover (shoulder), wideouts Christian Watson (knee), Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and Sam Brown (ankle), defensive ends Collin Oliver (hamstring) and Arron Mosby (groin) and defensive backs Nate Hobbs (knee) and Kamal Hadden (hip).
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Kraft had been 'powering through' his injury, but they decided to give him a couple of days off.
As for Wilson's non-contact knee injury, LaFleur said: "It was extremely scary, but I feel like we dodged that one. That is some really good news."
OFFENSIVE: It was a rough night for the offense.
The top three quarterbacks all threw interceptions — including three by Malik Willis. And the offense struggled to find the endzone throughout.
THIS AND THAT: Reserve offensive lineman Donovan Jennings snapped a ball over the head of No. 3 quarterback Sean Clifford. … Center Trey Hill snapped a ball over the head of No. 4 quarterback Taylor Elgersma. … Rookie wideout Savion Williams dropped out of practice.THE UGLY
THE COLOR OF MONEY: The Packers reported a profit of 83.7 million for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. Green Bay also has $579 million in its corporate reserve fund.
The Packers' passionate fan base will buy almost anything that's green and gold, meaning the organization has a license to print money.
So why charge the fans $10 — technically $12.42 with fees — to come to Lambeau for a practice?
Granted, $10 is less than a movie or a car wash these days. But on principle alone, it would be a nice gesture if a Packer organization — one with an endless stream of cash — would tell their fans 'it's on the house' just one night.
After all, it was just a practice the paying customers watched.