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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Brian Gutekunst, Matt LaFleur to meet with media before Packers first training camp practice
General manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur will both meet with the media to answer questions ahead of the Green Bay Packers' first practice of training camp on Wednesday. Per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Gutekunst is scheduled for a 9:20 a.m. press conference with LaFleur following at 9:50 a.m. The team's opening training camp practice begins at 10:30 a.m. at Ray Nitschke Field on Wednesday. Gutekunst and LaFleur can provide insight into the roster following the summer break and what's ahead during training camp. Players will be available to the media following practice on Wednesday. Quarterbacks, rookies and injured players reported to camp last Friday. All remaining veterans will report in Green Bay on Tuesday. The 2025 training camp is the 80th camp in team history. The Packers are scheduled for three consecutive public practices to open training camp: Wednesday, July 23, Thursday, July 24 and Friday, July 25. LaFleur's team has seven public practices scheduled before the franchise's annual "Family Night" event at Lambeau Field on Saturday, Aug. 2.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
What to expect from Packers CB Nate Hobbs in 2025: Stats behind a curious career
Nate Hobbs was the Green Bay Packers' only notable offseason addition at cornerback, signing a four-year, $48 million deal. He will essentially replace the snaps the Packers are losing with the departures of Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, but will the former Raider be a net positive for the defensive backfield? His career in Las Vegas was up and down, much like the team's overall performance since he was drafted in 2021. It is difficult to pin down and predict which version of Hobbs Green Bay will get, but here is his overall profile as a player according to the statistics: Strengths Over a four-year span, it is tough to rank at the top of the league consistently in any metric, especially at the cornerback position, which is arguably the most volatile of any on the football field. Of the statistics used for this profile, there are only two in which Hobbs has excelled across his four years, and both of them relate to his run defense. Since entering the league, Hobbs ranks in the 79th percentile among qualified NFL cornerbacks in stops per game. Stops are tackles which result in a failure for the offense on a given play. He has been active in the run game, ranking in the 81st percentile for solo tackles per snap. His willingness to contribute as a run defender will no doubt have appealed to Packers' defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Weaknesses In terms of weaknesses, there are a few numbers in which Hobbs has performed poorly in coverage. He ranks in just the 16th percentile in reception percentage allowed (REC%), and the 29th percentile in forced incompletion rate (FI%). Hobbs has been an above average man corner overall, but has struggled more in zone coverage, ranking in the 30th and 23rd percentile for REC% and FI% respectively when in zone. He also falls in just the 27th percentile for REC% when lined up in the slot. In the same vein, he falls in just the 31st percentile in coverage snaps per reception allowed (S/REC). In the run game, Hobbs is plenty involved, but far from perfect. He ranks in the 29th percentile for missed tackle rate, having missed 15.7% of his career tackle attempts. Trending up While it is not exactly encouraging to see zero true strengths relating to Hobbs' coverage ability, there are plenty of signs of progress. It is important to remember a corner's playing style often means they will fare well in one coverage metric at the expense of another. For example, while Hobbs only ranked in the 3rd percentile as a rookie for REC%, he was in the 95th percentile for yards allowed per snap (Y/SNAP). This means that although quarterbacks were completing passes on him, the returns were low. Another important piece of context is that after a successful rookie year playing mostly in the slot, the Raiders moved Hobbs outside in his second season, and his overall numbers plummeted. He was then moved inside again in 2023 and 2024, and his statistics rebounded. This is reflected in his Y/SNAP, which dropped from the 95th percentile in 2021 to the 19th percentile in 2022, then up slightly to the 26th percentile in 2023 before a big jump to the 73rd percentile a year ago. Hobbs ranks in the 53rd percentile for Y/SNAP across his career, just above average. It is a similar story with his NFL passer rating allowed (NFLPR), interceptions per target (INT/TGT) and S/REC figures. After ranking in the 53rd percentile in NFLPR as a rookie, Hobbs fell to the 20th percentile in his sophomore season, then improved to the 32nd and the 42nd percentile in 2023 and 2024 respectively. He only has three career picks, with one each in 2021, 2022 and 2024, but in terms of INT/TGT his rankings have gone as follows: 51st percentile, 1st percentile, 42nd percentile, 62nd percentile. For S/REC, Hobbs ranked in the 75th percentile as a rookie before two poor years in the 18th and 5th percentile, rebounding to the 30th in 2024. His REC% has improved over time from just the 3rd percentile as a rookie to the 35th percentile The pattern is consistent in terms of a hot start, then a steep decline before gradually getting his numbers to a more respectable place again. Penalties committed is one of the better indicators of a cornerback's ability in coverage, and this is one of the best and most improved aspects of Hobbs' game. He has just 11 career penalties. For context, there were seven NFL corners with at least that many just in 2024. Since 2022, Hobbs went from the 37th percentile in penalties per snap to the 54th, to the 99th last season, when he did not get flagged a single time. He ranks in the 64th percentile across his career for penalties per snap, making opponents earn their yards. His PFF coverage grade might say differently, but Hobbs was a better cover corner overall in 2024 than he was in either of the previous two years according to the underlying numbers. When viewed as a collective, the metrics show a player of almost identical quality to Hobbs' breakout rookie year, even if it manifested in a different way. 2024 was also Hobbs' best season as a slot corner based on the statistics, which paint him as one of the best in the NFL. He ranked above the 60th percentile in REC%, NFLPR and S/REC when lined up inside, and was in the 76th percentile in Y/SNAP. Trending down The areas Hobbs has consistently become less effective over time are not in coverage, but in run defense and as a blitzer. He profiles as a worse run defender overall than he was in previous years, although still above league average for the position, and it is worth remembering he has suffered and played through injuries at times as well. Hobbs ranked in the 43rd percentile in missed tackle rate across his first two seasons, but fell in just the 26th and the 8th percentile in 2023 and 2024. This is a concerning trend which he will need to reverse. After performing as one of the most effective blitzers from the cornerback spot as a rookie, Hobbs was not used in that role frequently enough to qualify for grading in 2022, likely due to him moving to outside corner full time. Even when he returned to the slot in 2023 though, the results have not been the same. His rankings for QB hurries/hits per pass rush opportunity, sacks per opportunity and PFFs pass rush productivity (PRP) metric have all fallen year on year to career lows in 2024 across the board. The discussion around what Hobbs is, or could be for the Packers, is a tricky one. Looking at his career as a whole, he profiles as right around a league average corner, or maybe a few ticks above average. But it is not as cut and dry as that. After the impressive rookie year Hobbs had, the following two seasons look on paper like he completely lost his way when moving to the boundary, then struggled initially to reacclimate back into the slot, before kicking into gear again in 2024. The fact he has dealt with various injuries and played through them also clouds the assessment, but the important thing for the Packers, and likely why they signed him, is that Hobbs appears to be back on the right track. If Hobbs was being looked at purely as a slot corner, it would be a much cleaner evaluation. He has played well above average in two of the three years he has been primarily deployed there, and 2024 was his best year according to the stats. Adding to the curiosity though is the fact the Packers have been so insistent Hobbs can play outside. While he did it almost exclusively in his college days, and has done it in the NFL, his lone season playing mostly on the perimeter with the Raiders was a disaster. Perhaps if he had been given more time on task, significant progress could have been made, and maybe Green Bay, who have other options to play in the slot, can unlock Hobbs' ability to be a more reliable outside corner at the top level.
USA Today
16-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Stats suggest Elgton Jenkins in his prime: Is he right to want contract adjustment?
Stats suggest Elgton Jenkins in his prime: Is he right to want contract adjustment? Elgton Jenkins has been in the spotlight this offseason for various reasons. The Green Bay Packers' most senior offensive lineman is set to move from left guard to center in 2025, taking over for Josh Myers, who departed in free agency. Versatility has always been one of Jenkins' most valuable traits, and he is hoping to parlay the change in role into an updated contract; a situation which is yet to be resolved. But when he has been on the field, what has Jenkins brought to Green Bay? Here is what the stats say about his overall profile since returning from an ACL injury in 2022, mostly playing at left guard: Strengths According to advanced numbers, Jenkins has been one of the most consistently effective pass blockers in the NFL over the last three years. Among qualified guards, he ranks in the 80th percentile in PFF's pass block efficiency (EFF) metric. Even in true pass sets, which are plays without screens, short passes or play action, and are generally more taxing on offensive linemen, Jenkins has excelled, landing in the 70th percentile in EFF compared to his contemporaries. Jenkins ranks in the 75th percentile for sacks allowed per opportunity (SK/OPP), which removes plays involving spikes or penalties. He has allowed just one sack in the last two seasons. Keeping the quarterback clean is the most crucial part of an offensive lineman's job, but allowing them to feel comfortable is also vitally important, and Jenkins has been stingy when it comes to giving up even low quality pressures. He ranks in the 67th percentile in hurries per opportunity (HUR/OPP) since 2022, and allowed less than one hurry per game in 2024. Jenkins has simply been one of the best interior offensive linemen in the NFL when it comes to protecting the quarterback. Weaknesses At least according to the metrics available, Jenkins has no significant weaknesses to his game, which is a huge compliment to his overall ability and consistency. Of the 11 statistics used to build his profile, Jenkins only ranked below average in two of them (more on those later), and neither reached the point of being a legitimate weakness over the last three years as a whole. He is one of the more reliable offensive linemen around. Trending up Even as he approaches age 30, Jenkins has continued to develop his game in recent seasons, improving in a variety of areas, and much of this is likely related to him becoming further removed from the serious knee injury he suffered in 2021. In true pass sets, he went from the 25th percentile in SK/OPP in 2022 to the 86th percentile over the last two years. Jenkins also improved his ranking in HUR/OPP in true pass sets from the 48th percentile in 2023 to the 75th a season ago. He was a stronger pass blocker in 2024 than the previous year by almost every statistical measure. In fact, he was ranked as the best pass blocking guard in the NFL by PFF last season. The Packers incorporated more gap concepts into their run game in 2024, and Jenkins rose to the challenge. After ranking in the 45th percentile in PFF's gap run block grade in 2023, he improved to the 82nd percentile, helping to open holes for Josh Jacobs. Trending down The only two statistics in which Jenkins ranks below average over the last two years are the same ones he has seemingly regressed since 2022. Committing penalties is the weakest part of Jenkins' game, as he ranks in the 36th percentile in penalties per snap over the last three seasons. He graded out in the 58th percentile in 2022; above average, before dropping to the 39th percentile in 2023 and the 11th percentile in 2024. He was flagged ten times last year, which is the highest number since his rookie year and more than his total for 2023 and 2024 combined (nine). Penalties are relatively overrated as a means of evaluating the quality of a player, but they can be massively frustrating and have a real impact on the outcome of a game. Discipline might be something Jenkins needs to work on in 2025 and beyond. This may coincide with the change in emphasis in Green Bay's run game, but Jenkins has actually declined as a zone run blocker since 2022, at least according to PFF's grading. Jenkins ranked in the 82nd percentile in their zone block grade in 2022, which is excellent, but fell to the 40th percentile the following year, and the 10th percentile in 2024, ranking 70th of 78 qualified guards. It will be interesting to see how the transition to center impacts Jenkins' game, but Jenkins appears to be firmly in the prime of his career, and it is understandable he wants an amendment to the contract he signed back in 2022, whether the Packers are willing to oblige is another question.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers WR Matthew Golden Shares 3-Word Message After Signing Contract
The Green Bay Packers' 2025 draft class was peculiar for several reasons, but the most notable was breaking a 22-year streak of not selecting a wide receiver in the first round. Mark Murphy's announcement of the Matthew Golden selection at the podium was one of the most memorable moments of the draft, and it was fitting that such a significant milestone ended in Green Bay of all places. "I'm ready. I've been waiting for this moment my whole life and to be here," Golden said after being drafted. "I'm gonna be present, but I'm gonna let my presence be known and I'm gonna come in here and compete." Advertisement The next step for the rookie out of Texas was finalizing and signing his first NFL contract. On Monday, Matthew Golden and the Packers finalized a four-year, fully guaranteed $17.58 million deal. That night, Golden shared a three-word message on social media to celebrate. Matthew Golden signs autographs during the NFL Draft Red Carpet event at Lambeau Field.© Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images 'Thank You God,' Golden wrote on his X account. In a Thursday, April 24 interview on the Andy & Ari On3 show after the first day of the Draft, Golden shared how he plans to use a share of his earnings. "I definitely want to get my grandma a house," he said. "We lost our family property a few years back. That place is where I spent much of my childhood, and it would mean a lot to be able to give that back to my family." Advertisement Matthew Golden joins a Packers receiving corps that ranked third in the NFL in drops last season and will be without its top man-coverage beater, Christian Watson, until December. There are many ways Matt LaFleur can integrate Golden into the offense, and the rookie should have plenty of opportunities during training camp and the regular season to carve out a role and potentially become one of Jordan Love's go-to targets. Related: Packers Position Coach Shares Striking Observation On Former First-Round Pick
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers' proposal to ban 'Tush Push' fails to pass during league meetings
Packers' proposal to ban 'Tush Push' fails to pass during league meetings The Green Bay Packers' modified proposal attempting to ban the "Tush Push" play popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles did not receive enough votes from league owners and failed to pass on Wednesday in Minneapolis. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, 10 teams voted against the proposal. To pass the rule change, the proposal needed "yes" votes from 24 teams, or 75 percent. The final vote was 22 for "yes" and 10 for "no." The Packers' proposal sought to prohibit "an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receivers the snap, immediately at the snap," citing player safety and pace of play concerns. The rule change would have created a 10-yard penalty for attempting the play. Instead, the "Tush Push" lives on. The Eagles, who petitioned hard for the play to remain legal, were clearly happy with the result of the vote: According to ESPN, the Eagles have run the play 108 times since 2022, far and away the most in the NFL. And no team has been more successful running the play, which involves having several players lined up behind quarterback Jalen Hurts and "pushing" the quarterback on a sneak attempt. Shortly after, the Eagles posted a highlight reel on YouTube of over 26 minutes of "Tush Push" plays. Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy has long been in favor of banning the play. He is retiring from his position this summer, so this rule proposal was his final chance to get the play out of the game. The Eagles win again.
