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[Green Bay Packers]

Packers All-Quarter Century Team: Left Tackle voting

Which blind side protector will earn your top spot?

Now that we are about wrapped up with the ball-handling positions on offense, our quest to name the Green Bay Packers’ All-2000s (so far) team moves on to the offensive line. We will start with the premier pass-protecting position, the left tackle spot, where the Packers have had two players locking down the blind side for the majority of the last 25 years.

Another pair of players have multiple seasons as starters around those two longtime stars, giving us just four nominees for consideration. Take a look below and give us your vote for who is the Packers’ best left tackle of the last 25 seasons.

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Left Tackle Nominees​

Chad Clifton (2000-2011)​

2x Pro Bowl

The Packers started this century off with a bang, finding a decade-long rock at left tackle in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. In fact, they found bookend tackles that year, first drafting Clifton 44th overall out of Tennessee before landing Wisconsin’s own Mark Tauscher in the 7th round.

Clifton was as steady as they come on the right side for most of 12 seasons with the Packers, taking over as a starter a few weeks into his rookie season and never looking back. After he missed the last six games of the 2002 season following a brutal blind-side block from Warren Sapp on an interception return, Clifton returned to become a set-him-and-forget-him tackle. In fact, he was so reliable that over the 8-year span from 2003 to 2010, Clifton missed a grand total of six games while making his two Pro Bowls (2007 and 2010).

After protecting Aaron Rodgers’ blind side en route to a win in Super Bowl XLV, Clifton returned at age 35 for one more season in 2011 but missed 10 games with back and hamstring injuries. He was able to suit up in week 17 and in the Packers’ playoff game that year, but the team released him with a failed physical the following spring and retired shortly thereafter.

In all, Clifton played in 165 games with 160 starts, protecting both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers throughout his career as one of the longest-tenured full-time starting offensive linemen in team history.

Marshall Newhouse (2010-2013)​

When Clifton missed those ten games during the 2011 season, it was Newhouse who took over for him. The 5th-round draft pick in 2010 did not play as a rookie but Clifton’s injuries thrust him into the starting lineup, where he would remain through the end of the season. Clifton’s return late in the season then shifted Newhouse over to right tackle for week 17, filling in for an injured Bryan Bulaga.

With Clifton retiring and Bulaga solidly entrenched on the right side for the 2012 season, Newhouse was the team’s every-week starter at left tackle that year. His first and only season as a full-time starter for the Packers was a bit of a roller-coaster, which did help lead the Packers to flip their offensive line around during spring practices in 2013. The plan was for Bryan Bulaga to move from right to left tackle, while Newhouse would battle for a job on the right side.

Ultimately, Newhouse did not win a position battle, even with Bulaga suffering a torn ACL on Family Night and both tackle jobs being up for grabs. After starting 31 games in Green Bay, Newhouse went on to play until the 2020 season, starting 50 more games (mostly at right tackle) for seven different teams. However, his job as a full-time starter for two seasons helped the Packers bridge the gap between a pair of ten-year starters.

David Bakhtiari (2013-2023)​

2x first-team All-Pro, 3x second-team All-Pro, 3x Pro Bowl

As mentioned above, Newhouse’s short tenure as the Packers’ left tackle came after Clifton and led into the Bakhtiari era. A 4th-round pick out of the University of Colorado in 2013, Bakhtiari was a player whose size and length screamed guard. However, with Bulaga going down, he got a chance to fight for the left tackle job and he took it immediately, impressing the Packers’ coaches with his lateral mobility and pass-blocking chops.

Getting a day-one starter on the offensive line in the 4th round is unlikely. Getting one of the NFL’s elite pass-blocking tackles is unheard of. But Bakhtiari earned either first- or second-team All-Pro honors in five straight seasons from 2016 to 2020. During that time, he and Trent Williams were uniformly discussed as the top two pass-blockers in the NFL, and he played in at least 12 games in every one of his first 8 seasons.

Unfortunately, that 8th year, 2020, was cut short with an injury that would define the remainder of his NFL career. Bakhtiari had missed three games in the first half of the season with other injuries, but after signing a massive new contract extension midway through the season, he blew out his knee in practice on New Year’s Eve. He tore his ACL and had other structural damage, and he missed all but one game in 2021 before trying to come back in 2022. He suited up in 11 games that season, missing games here and there with issues related to fluid buildup in the repaired knee.

Bakhtiari would play just one game in 2023, the season opener, before being shut down again for a season-ending knee surgery. He played just 20 games after signing his contract in 2020, an unfortunate end for both player and team. However, Bakhtiari’s exceptional 8-year run — and incredible 5-year peak — make him one of the best offensive linemen to suit up in Green and Gold.

Rasheed Walker (2022-2024)​

A 7th-round pick in 2022, Walker fell in the draft amid injury concerns during his final year at Penn State. However, after a de facto redshirt season, Walker was ready to step in when Bakthiari was unable to continue after week 1 of the 2023 season. Although he and Yosh Nijman rotated a bit that season, Walker took control of the job late in the year and finished the season by playing over 75% of the team’s total offensive snaps.

In 2024, he continued where he left off, starting every game at left tackle after fending off a challenge from first-round rookie Jordan Morgan in training camp. Walker’s only missed snaps last season came when the starters were pulled late in a 34-0 blowout of the New Orleans Saints.

Like Bakhtiari, Walker is a plus pass blocker. However, while Bakhtiari eventually developed into an above-average run blocker, Walker has yet to reach that level despite his 6-foot-6, 320-plus frame. Still, he heads into 2025 as the likely starter on the blind side once again, though he heads into a contract year in 2026, when the Packers have a lot of mouths to feed with extensions.

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Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...s-all-quarter-century-team-left-tackle-voting

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers Top Plays of 2024, #7: Jaire Alexander pick-sixes Will Levis

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Jaire Alexander collects his first career pick-six courtesy of Will Levis.

Our campaign through the Packers’ top plays of 2024 as voted on by the staff of APC continues today with our #7 play. This time, we’re heading to the Malik Willis era of Green Bay football, specifically his would-be vengeance against the team that drafted him.

The Game​

The Packers were not expected to beat the Tennessee Titans.

That would have been a strange thing to hear at any point prior to the days immediately before the Packers’ Week 3 matchup with Tennessee. But with Jordan Love still fighting the effects of a knee injury sustained in the season opener, oddsmakers installed the Titans as three-point favorites over the Packers, clearly not believing in the possibility of a Malik Willis revenge game.

And to their point, there was some reason to be skeptical. The Packers had pulled out a bizarre game plan the week prior, calling an absurd 53 runs (32 alone for Josh Jacobs) to try to help Willis along, new to Green Bay as he was.

The Packers themselves clearly seemed to believe that Willis was going to need some serious help to beat the Titans, and betting markets didn’t think they’d get it. Fortunately, thanks in large part to one man, they were wrong.

The Situation​

Late in the first quarter, the Packers already held a 10-7 lead over the Titans. Willis had come out throwing, completing a pair of 30-yard passes on the Packers’ first drive en route to a game-opening touchdown. After the Titans tied the game with a touchdown of their own, Willis again maneuvered the Packers down the field, generating 49 yards on two scrambles to set the Packers up for a field goal to take a 10-7 lead and sparking what looked like a quarterback duel between himself and Tennessee’s Will Levis.

Levis, not short on physical gifts, had already developed something of a reputation as a gunslinger early in his second season, albeit one with a tendency to misfire in hilarious ways. With the ball on the Titans’ 31-yard line, Levis came to the line ready to lead another scoring drive.

The Play​

In an empty set, Levis and the Titans were clearly thinking pass to open their drive. And lined up across from DeAndre Hopkins on the right side of the Titans’ formation, Jaire Alexander was clearly keyed in on what Levis was thinking.

Over his six seasons with the Packers, Alexander was never much of an interception-generator. His career high of five picks in 2022 was an outlier; he’d logged five total across his previous four seasons and didn’t make a single interception in the seven games he played in 2023. Health, as with all things related to Alexander, may have played a factor, but even when healthy, he wasn’t coming down with the ball a lot. He missed just four games his first three seasons in the NFL, but managed only four picks in that span. It just wasn’t a significant part of his game.

But he’d already recorded one pick in the 2024 season, taking one off Jalen Hurts in the season opener, and facing the trigger-happy and scattershot Levis, he had eyes on another.

As Levis dropped back to throw, Alexander never took his eyes off the Titans’ quarterback, even as Hopkins bore down on him. For that matter, Alexander hardly took a step as Hopkins ran his route, lurking about eight yards off the line of scrimmage, watching Levis all the while. And the moment Hopkins began to break on his route and Levis cocked his arm to throw, Alexander sprung his trap.

He deftly stepped in front of Hopkins, collected Levis’ ill-advised pass, and cruised 35 yards for a touchdown. Hopkins, never a speedster, gave up on his pursuit of Alexander before the Packers’ defensive back had even reached the Titans’ 15-yard line.

The Impact​

Alexander’s only career pick-six with the Packers gave Green Bay a 17-7 lead, effectively an insurmountable figure for the Will Levis-era Titans. In 21 games with Levis as their starter, the Titans scored more than 17 points just six times. And now trailing by 10 points, the Titans had no choice but to pass, opening Levis up to intense pressure as the Packers pinned their ears back and set to work on Tennessee’s patchwork offensive line.

The Packers hadn’t sacked Levis once prior to the pass, but bolstered by their lead, they teed off, taking him down eight times over the game’s final three quarters. Willis and the Packers offense produced 13 more points, and Green Bay earned another hard-fought victory without their starting quarterback, taking down Tennessee 30-14.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-2024-7-jaire-alexander-pick-sixes-will-levis

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers Top Plays of 2024, #6: Tucker Kraft rumbles for a 66-yard touchdown

Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

Great play design, a fantastic individual effort from Kraft, and a big momentum shift put this play at #6.

Acme Packing Company’s countdown of the Top Plays of the Green Bay Packers’ 2024 season continues on today with a massive, game-changing touchdown. Tucker Kraft had a late-season breakout as a rookie in 2023, but his 2024 campaign truly cemented him as the team’s tight end of the future.

Perhaps no play better encompasses Kraft’s athletic ability and run-after-the-catch skills than this play from week five, which remains the longest reception of his career to date and shifted the momentum in a critical game in early October. Here’s the play that, for those reasons, ranked #6 on our 2024 countdown.

The Game​

The first four games of the Packers’ 2024 season were bizarre. First came a trip to Brazil and a narrow loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles, which saw Jordan Love get injured late in the game. Then Malik Willis came in and led the team to a pair of victories in relief, beating the Colts and Titans. Love’s return in week 4, at home against Minnesota, saw the Packers start slowly and rally in the second half, falling just short in a 31-29 loss.

That left the team at 2-2 at the start of October as they traveled west to face the Los Angeles Rams in week five. Meanwhile, the Rams were without their top two receivers, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, and had just lost to the Chicago Bears the week before to fall to 1-3.

The Situation​

A back-and-forth first half saw the teams trade rushing touchdowns before Love made perhaps the most bizarre and inexplicable decision of his young career. Trying to throw the ball away out of his own end zone, Love could not get the football out of bounds and instead it landed in the hands of safety Jaylen McCollough for a four-yard pick-six and a 13-7 Rams lead. The Packers closed the gap to 13-10 at halftime on a last-second Brayden Narveson field goal.

The Rams drove into Packers territory on the opening drive of the second half, but Lukas Van Ness forced a fumble by Kyren Williams, and Xavier McKinney recovered for a turnover. After a first down run by Josh Jacobs went for four yards, the Packers faced a 2nd-and-6 from their own 34-yard line.

The Play​

Green Bay set up in 11 personnel, but with Jordan Love flanked by Jacobs to his right and Jayden Reed to his left in the shotgun. Tucker Kraft is aligned on the right side of the offensive line, while Dontayvion Wicks and Bo Melton are split to the left.

At the snap, the running backs both cross the formation. Love fakes a handoff to Reed, who is running behind him to the right of the formation, while Jacobs crosses in front of his quarterback to the left side of the field. Wicks and Melton release down the field, while Kraft leaks out over the middle and then across to the left side.

The motion in the backfield confuses the Rams’ defense, which seems to forget all about Kraft as the wideouts clear space for him over the middle. Love hits him with a perfect throw just outside the numbers at midfield, and Kraft turns to run upfield, seeing 15 yards of empty space in front of him. Wicks is at the 35 lining up a block on safety Quentin Lake as Kraft sprints up the left sideline.

As Kraft slows down a bit to play off Wicks’ block, cornerback Darious Williams tries to play the angle and bring down the big tight end. Instead, Kraft throws a stiff-arm into his chest and pushes him back, creating separation as he looks to go around Wicks and Lake along the sideline. With Lake engaged, another small stiff-arm from Kraft sends him to the ground as he tiptoes through the tackle attempt and scampers into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown.

Tucker Kraft with the stiff arm and tuddy!

: #GBvsLAR on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/fijvAwHlla

— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024​

The Impact​

This play would end up being the Packers’ second-longest touchdown of the season. For Kraft, it was his second score on the year (he had found the end zone the week prior against Minnesota), and he would go on to score seven in total in his sophomore campaign.

Most importantly, this touchdown shifted the momentum early in the second half, giving the Packers a 17-13 lead. After McKinney recorded an interception on the ensuing Rams drive, Kraft scored a second time in the quarter to extend Green Bay’s lead to 24-13, and the Packers went on to hold off a Rams rally for a 24-19 victory.

Starting with this game, the Packers went on to win four straight games and seven of eight during the months of October and November. A team that went 2-2 in September entered December at 9-3 and squarely in the playoff hunt. But if not for this massive play from their do-it-all tight end to take the lead, they might never have gotten the first of those victories.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...t-rumbles-for-a-66-yard-touchdown-rams-week-5

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Jermichael Finley’s 4-star son makes a college commitment

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Kaydon Finley won’t be attending his father’s alma mater.

Here’s your chance to feel old. Former Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley’s son has made a college decision. The class of 2026 prep is a four-star receiver out of Aledo, Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Unlike his father, Kaydon Finley won’t be playing at the University of Texas, as the younger Finley chose to commit to the University of Notre Dame over both Texas and Texas A&M.

Four-star wide receiver recruit Kaydon Finley, son of former NFL tight end Jermichael Finley, committed to Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/KoIvHli47d

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 5, 2025​

Between Finley and Cristian Driver, the Minnesota receiver who is the son of Donald Driver, Midwest programs are benefiting from the Packers’ pass-catching legacy.

It’s been written about before, mostly in the context of the NBA, but there’s an increasing trend of former professional athletes being the fathers of players who make it to the higher levels in sports. At Notre Dame football alone, the Fighting Irish have recently had Jordan Clark, son of Ryan Clark, and Kennedy Urlacher, son of Brian Urlacher, in the same safety room. There’s also Antonio Gates Jr. running around at receiver for Michigan State, Emmitt Smith’s kid at Texas A&M and former NFL offensive lineman Dylan Raiola raised Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, who looks poised to be a first-round pick one day.

In the last NFL draft alone, we saw Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion Sanders, and Mason Taylor, son of Jason Taylor, get taken by pro squads. With how efficient the scouting, recruiting and development processes are now with young athletes, it would be a massive upset if this is the last Packers’ son you hear about being a major target for college teams.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...on-college-decision-notre-dame-fighting-irish

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers Film Room: Stealing a QB run for 2025

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Let’s dig into the Eagles playbook and take a core Power Spread play.

Last week, I wrote about the offensive approach we may see out of the Packers this year. The short version is that I’m looking for more of a Power Spread approach, which calls for the dudes on the offensive line to move people, the wide receivers to spread out wide and run defenders off more than engage in intense blocking, and a QB who can run.

To be clear, this would mark a fairly significant shift from how the Packers have operated in the past but, given the pieces they have, it’s an approach that I think would make a lot of sense.

With that in mind, I’ve started looking around the league for offenses that run plays out of a similar structure. The idea is to find the plays out of those looks that I like, then see how they may work with the Packers personnel.

We’re starting off with a bang. If we’re talking spread, we might as well start with a full spread look, running a concept you’ll need to run if you want to maximize Power Spread. It’s a simple-yet-beautiful concept called GT Counter Bash.

The Eagles are running this out of 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) with an empty backfield. Kenneth Gainwell [14] is the RB, and he starts the play split wide on the right. He motions in pre-snap, dragging the defender with him to the left side of the formation.

At the snap, Jalen Hurts [1] fakes the handoff to Gainwell while his left guard (Landon Dickerson [69]) and left tackle (Fred Johnson [74]) pull to the right, away from the motion of Gainwell. (The Guard and Tackle pulling are what makes up the “GT” in “GT Counter Bash”).

Hurts fades slightly with the fake, takes a step back then run behinds Dickerson and Johnson.

The Eagles catch the Jaguars with a lot of men at the line, and all of those men playing the Gainwell motion. That leads to some advantageous blocking angles, and Hurts gallops (untouched) for a TD.

So how would this look with the 2025 Green Bay Packers? We’ll start with the line.

I know there are a couple of positions that haven’t been finalized yet so this may not be the starting line, but it’s what I’m going with with at the moment. We’ve got Rasheed Walker [63] at LT, Aaron Banks [65] at LG, Elgton Jenkins [74] at C, Anthony Belton [71] at RG and Zach Tom [50] at RT. Ideally, Jordan Morgan would win the LT job, but, for now, I’m going with Walker there.

At RB, I’m going with MarShawn Lloyd [32] for the same reason the Eagles went with Gainwell: he’s the most dynamic RB. We need an immediate reaction — a forced false step — up front, and putting a guy with the speed/explosiveness of Lloyd in that role is the best way to do that.

For the WRs, I’ve got Dontayvion Wicks [13], Matthew Golden [22] and Jayden Reed [11]. As you probably noticed in the clips, the receivers aren’t asked to do much besides run straight down the field and remove the defenders that way, so I want a couple dynamic receivers on the inside, and our best blocking WR on the perimeter, just to sell the fake.

At TE I’ve got Tucker Kraft [85]. If his only job is to run off the defender, you could put Luke Musgrave in that role and I would have no issue with it. But, since you’re running to that side and will likely be in need of downfield blocking, I’m putting Kraft there.

Running to the right with that line is one of the reasons I hope Morgan wins the LT job over Walker. Walker would be fine, but Morgan is a better mover than Walker, which would really help out here. If we really want to dream a bit, Belton winning LT and Morgan at RG would work nicely, because then you’ve got a good mover in Belton who could absolutely lay someone out in space.

Running to the left makes for a nicer look, just based on who we’d have as pullers.

With Belton penciled in at RG, that gives us a duo of Belton and Tom as pullers. Not a bad tandem to lead your QB around the edge and into space.

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Albums listened to: Brother Bird - Another Year; Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math; Nilüfer Yanya - Dancing Shoes EP

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...5-eagles-power-spread-jalen-hurts-jordan-love

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers All-Quarter Century Team: It’s Time for Tight Ends

Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images

This one should be quite competitive!

In our continuing series on the Packers All-Quarter Century Team, let’s take a look at the big boy pass catchers. Those who straddle the line between receiver and, uhm, line. The line, line. It’s tight end time!

The Packers have quite the list of candidates for tight end this century. We have reliable security blankets, elite blockers, big-play specialists, well-loved internet characters, and Donald Lee. You could make the case for several of these guys, so let’s get to it!

Tight Ends Nominees​

Note: All stats shown are as a member of the Green Bay Packers only, from the 2000 through 2024 seasons only.

Bubba Franks (2000-2008)​

3x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 122 games, 262 receptions, 2347 yards, 32 touchdowns, 64.7% Catch&, 9 Y/R

Postseason stats: 8 games, 12 catches, 149 yards, 3 TDs, 54.5% Catch%, 12.4 Y/R

How you feel about Bubba is going to depend heavily on how you value receiving touchdowns. Since the merger, there are only 17 players in NFL history who scored a touchdown on a higher percentage of their total receptions than Franks, which is something to be sure. BUT, Franks’ 64.7% catch percentage isn’t exactly the mark of some surehanded wunderkind. I mean, Donald Lee caught almost 70% of his targets and he was running much more difficult routes. There is the “Favre throwing as hard as he can” factor of course, and Bubba was on the receiving end of a fair number of those as a trusted tight-window target, but also, maybe if he would have been a bit more open?

Then again, Bubba, as his name would suggest, was also an excellent blocker (you don’t get to be a Bubba by hauling in 30-yard bombs down the seam), and perhaps it’s enough to simply note that the excellent blocker of the early 2000s was also a phenom around the end zone, and as a 3-time pro bowler, was recognized as such by his peers.

Donald Lee (2005-2010)​

Regular season stats: 49 games, 178 receptions, 1655 yards, 17 TDs, 69.8% Catch%, 9.7 Y/R

Postseason stats: 7 games, 5 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TDs, 50% Catch%, 10.1 Y/R

Hey, those stats aren’t bad! Lee’s 2007 season is actually quite impressive, though I have to confess, I’m surprised that he only averaged 9.7 Y/R as a Packer. My memory of Lee is of a true “big receiver” type stretching the field, and not getting as many opportunities as I thought he should, but that Y/R number and the 17 TDs resemble more of a half-Bubba than a proto-Finley. Of course, Donald also had the misfortune of playing his entire Packer career in the late-Favre/early Rodgers era without really enjoying the peak of either player.

Lee had solid hands, a knack for finding the end zone, and may be a bit underrated historically as a receiver. Unfortunately, my pining for him to be on the field more was likely the result of substandard blocking, and even catch-first TEs need to be able to block a little.

Jermichael Finley (2008-2013)​

Regular season stats: 70 games played, 223 receptions, 2785 yards, 20 TDs, 69% Catch%, 12.5 Y/R

Postseason stats: 4 games played, 15 receptions, 241 yards, 0 TDs, 57.7% Catch%, 16.1 Y/R

With Finley, let’s not focus on what could have been, and instead celebrate what was. While the man was injured frequently during his career and was forced into retirement early due to a spinal cord injury, he was great when he was on the field.

The 2011 Packers were one of the best offenses to ever play, and the only Packers to out-target the tight end on that team were Greg Jennings (101) and Jordy Nelson (96). Finley was targeted 92 times, scored 8 touchdowns (also third to Jennings and Nelson), and was more productive than Donald Driver, James Jones, and Randall Cobb.

Finley was a matchup nightmare because linebackers just couldn’t handle him, and while he was never a great blocker, it almost didn’t matter, because if you left a player on the field who could get around Finley the blocker, Finley the receiver would burn you for 40 yards. The Packers have attempted to bring in a new version of Finley a few times with Jared Cook and Luke Musgrave serving as prominent examples, and if you saw just how good the offense was with him, you understand why. In theory tight ends should be well-rounded, multi-faceted players, but there’s something to be said for a guy who excels in just one of those key aspects. In the ill-fated playoff game against the Cardinals at the end of the 2009 season, Finley caught 6 balls for 159 yards.

Andrew Quarless (2010-2015)​

Regular season stats: 60 games, 89 receptions, 940 yards, 6 TDs, 63.1% Catch%, 10.6 Y/R

Postseason stats: 8 games, 10 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TDs, 62.5% Catch%, 8.5 Y/R

If you want to vote for Quarless for accidentally breaking Joe Paterno’s leg in 2006, I’m fine with that. Unfortunately, Quarless never quite lived up to the hype, and as his career largely overlapped with Finley, his opportunities were highly dependent on Finley’s availability, and his own, as he was injured a fair amount.

Quarless was, to his credit, a well-above-average blocker, and a pretty nifty receiver, and was willing to perform in either role as needed, but he also could never quite put it all together.

Tom Crabtree (2010-2013)​

Regular season stats: 53 games, 22 receptions, 323 yards, 5 TDs, 64.7% Catch%, 14.7 Y/R

Postseason stats: 7 games, 3 receptions, 18 yards, 1 TD, 42% Catch%, 6 Y/R

Earlier this week I wrote about Jayden Reed’s 70-yard touchdown catch against the Eagles in Brazil last year, the longest of his career. Perhaps someday, Jayden will catch a touchdown pass longer than Crabtree’s 72-yarder against the Cardinals in 2012.

Crabtree will always be remembered as a fun player who, in addition to this big play, also once caught a fake field goal touchdown from Tim Masthay against the Bears. By all accounts, Crabtree is an entertaining personality, likely a solid locker room presence, and he was always a willing special teamer who made the most of his offensive opportunities when they arose.

Crabtree is fun, and if you want to vote for fun, hey, go for it.

Richard Rodgers (2014-2017)​

Regular season stats: 24 games, 120 receptions, 1166 yards, 13 TDs, 66.3% Catch%, 9.7 Y/R

Postseason stats: 7 games, 13 receptions, 138 yards, 2 TDs, 65% Catch%, 10.6 Y/R

The man who caught the famous Rodgers Hail Mary to defeat the Lions, mostly because he was the last one down the field on account of being incredibly slow, actually wound up playing more for non-Packer teams than he did for the Green and Gold. He peaked in 2015 with a Franksian 510-yard, 8 TD performance, while averaging 8.8 yards per reception, and served admirably as the traditional “block-first, run slow and catch TDs second” archetype that the Packers so love.

Rodgers was perfectly fine in the McCarthy offense and will always be a part of one of the greatest highlights in team history.

Jared Cook (2016)​

Regular season stats: 10 games, 30 receptions, 377 yards, 1 TD, 58.8% Catch%, 12.6 Y/R

Postseason stats: 3 games, 18 receptions, 229 yards, 2 TDs, 56.3% Catch%, 12.7 Y/R

It might seem ridiculous to vote for Cook just based on the fact that he was only here for one season, and he was hurt for most of it. Then again, when you check out the playoff stats compared to the regular season stats and remember just how important he was to a deep Packer playoff run, including his amazing sideline catch against Dallas, and you can make a decent case just based on playoff leverage. He was even one of the better performers in their eventual loss to Atlanta.

In some ways the Packers were looking for a Jared Cook for the entire post-Finley era and have been looking for another one since Cook moved on (though that search is likely over). He is one of the best pure receiving tight ends that the franchise has ever had, they just didn’t have him for very long.

Marcedes Lewis (2018-2022)​

Regular season stats: 81 games, 57 receptions, 582 yards, 6 TDs, 76% Catch%, 10.2 Y/R Postseason stats: 5 games, 6 receptions, 42 yards, 0 TDs, 100% Catch%, 7 Y/R

Lewis is probably a decent comp for Bubba actually, and over the course of his storied 19-year career, he has debatably been the best blocking tight end in football, while still able to contribute in the passing game when called upon to do so. His 10.2 Y/R isn’t even terrible for a blocking TE (Bubba was a flat 9), especially given his reputation as the equivalent of an extra tackle.

The issue with Lewis is simply that he wasn’t here very long, and it was well after his Jacksonville prime. We got old man Lewis, who was still very good, but more of a gimmick/leakout guy who was REALLY just there to block, versus the dual threat he was early in his career. On the 2010 David Garrard-led Jaguars, Lewis had 700 yards and 10 TDs. The man played for some awful teams in Jacksonville, and had he instead gotten to play with the Favre/Rodgers combo for his prime, there’s a good chance he looks like more of a Turbo-Franks in retrospect. But for our purposes, we have five seasons of blocking excellence, and a great locker-room presence.

Tucker Kraft (2023-2024)​

Regular season stats: 34 games, 81 receptions, 1062 yards, 9 TDs, 73.6% Catch%, 13.1 Y/R

Postseason stats: 3 games, 10 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TDs, 71.4% Catch%, 5 Y/R

While it’s premature to have Kraft on this list, I won’t blame anyone who votes for him because I suspect three years from now, he will be the obvious choice. Only Marcedes caught a higher percentage of targets, only Tom Crabtree has a higher yards per catch number than Kraft, and while everyone else on this list gives something away as a blocker or as a receiver, or simply due to health, Kraft is the total package. While not the blocking phenom that Lewis or Franks were, he’s far better than most on the list while also being maybe the best receiver? Whenever I graph out similarity scores for Kraft, the only other names that really show up are George Kittle and Travis Kelce, and while Jermichael Finley was a star when healthy, he never really had a season better than Kraft’s 2024 as a receiver (though his 2011 is close, although with worse blocking).

The sample size with Kraft is small, but so far, he looks like an absolute star, and I’m fine with anyone who wants to bet on the future here.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-quarter-century-team-its-time-for-tight-ends

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers All-Quarter Century Team: Left guard has been a strength for some time

Photo by Mark Cunningham/Detroit Lions/Getty Images

There are no shortage of quality players to choose from at the guard spots.

Our quest to define the best players of the last 25 years for the Green Bay Packers continues this afternoon as we move to the interior of the offensive line. The entire line has largely been a strength for the Packers over the last quarter-century, and the left guard spot — while never having a single player start for more than five years in a row or so — has managed to have several high-quality players nonetheless.

An intriguing angle for voting on the Packers’ guards, however, is how to judge players who switched spots over the years. Both Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang played left guard for stretches on either side of the 2013 offseason, when the two traded spots. Then there’s Elgton Jenkins, who has provided high-quality play at LG but has been asked to bounce around to several different positions.

Who gets your vote as the top left guard of the last 25 years? Let us know below.

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Left Guard Nominees​

Mike Wahle (2000-2004)​

80 games played, 70 starts

The Packers’ last pick in the Supplemental Draft, Wahle heard his name called in 1998. After sitting most of his rookie year, he started most of the 1999 season between left guard and left tackle.

Starting in 2000, he manned the left tackle spot for the first six games until rookie Chad Clifton was ready to take over, then headed to the bench. But 2001 saw Wahle take over the left guard job after Ross Verba’s departure, and he started every game for the Packers over the next four seasons.

Wahle was a tough, nasty player on the interior, and he was a big part of the Packers’ excellent running game during the early 2000s. He left for Carolina as a free agent in 2005, earning his only Pro Bowl appearance that season.

Daryn Colledge (2006-2010)​

80 games played, 76 starts

After a one-year dalliance with late-round pick Will Whitticker in 2005, the Packers found another multi-year starter in the second round of the 2006 draft. Colledge, who had played tackle at Boise State, stepped into the starting lineup in week two of his rookie season, never missing a game as a Packer. He did briefly get benched late in the 2007 season, but he bounced back into the starting lineup and remained a solid player for three more seasons.

Colledge’s final game with the Packers came in the team’s Super Bowl XLV victory over the Steelers, and he signed a free agent contract with the Arizona Cardinals a few months later. All told, he played five of his nine NFL seasons with the Packers, starting all but four possible games during that tenure.

Josh Sitton (2008-2015)​

3x Pro Bowl, 3x second-team All-Pro (overall); 2x Pro Bowl, 3x second-team All-Pro (at LG)

121 games played, 112 starts (overall); 47 games played/started (at LG)

Yet another former college tackle-turned-guard, Sitton was the first in a long string of fantastic 4th-round offensive line draft picks by Ted Thompson. He spent his rookie season as a backup while adjusting to the position switch, then immediately hopped into the starting lineup in 2009 at right guard. Sitton would stay there for four seasons, earning a Super Bowl ring in 2010 and a Pro Bowl nod in 2012.

Then in 2013, the Packers flipped their entire offensive line, moving Sitton from the right side to the left. This was right around the time that the NFL and its media were learning just how good Sitton had become, and he was named second-team All-Pro in all three seasons for the Packers on the left side.

As an aside, Sitton even pitched in at left tackle for a game and a half late in the 2015 season with David Bakhtiari dealing with an injury.

However, Sitton’s time with the Packers came to a surprising and abrupt end in August of 2016, as the team shockingly released him at the end of training camp. They had been looking to trade him late in camp amid some concerns about his contract and long-term locker room fit, but could not find a partner to make a deal. He signed with the Chicago Bears shortly thereafter and earned one more Pro Bowl nod that season.

Sitton and T.J. Lang may be tough players to slot in given their switching sides of the line, but Sitton was arguably just as good on the right side (albeit with less recognition) as he was on the left.

T.J. Lang (2009-2016)​

1x Pro Bowl (as RG)

119 games played, 94 starts (overall); 31 starts at LG

One year after drafting Sitton, the Packers took Lang in the fourth round to continue their trend. Another small-school tackle, Lang pitched in with some spot starts at tackle as a rookie, then backed up at guard during the Packers’ 2010 Super Bowl run.

With Colledge’s departure, that opened up a starting spot for Lang at left guard, where he started for the 2011 and 2012 seasons and solidified himself as a tough, nasty player in the Wahle mold. The 2013 offseason saw him move to right guard, however, where he would start for four more seasons in Green Bay, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2016 before departing for the Detroit Lions in free agency.

Lane Taylor (2013-2020)​

79 games played, 50 starts

Sitton and Lang were 4th-round draft picks, but Taylor was an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State in 2013. Taylor made the team as a backup as a rookie and spent three seasons in that role before Sitton’s release suddenly elevated him into the starting lineup.

Taylor responded with three years as a quality starter at left guard, missing only two games in that span. It’s easy to think of him as a bridge player between two All-Pro caliber guards, but Taylor was quietly one of the anchors of the Packers’ line during the middle part of the last decade.

In 2019, Taylor again started the season in the starting lineup ahead of rookie Elgton Jenkins, but landed on injured reserve with a torn biceps muscle after just two games. He returned as the team’s intended starter at right guard for one more season in 2020, but he injured his knee in week one and was done for the season once again. Taylor later signed with the Houston Texans, playing for them in 2021 before retiring.

Elgton Jenkins (2019-2024)​

2x Pro Bowl

87 games played, 85 starts

Good luck truly defining Jenkins’ position, but if there’s one place he has played most consistently, it is here at left guard. A second-round draft pick, Jenkins took over the starting job in week 3 as a rookie after Taylor’s injury and has been a crucial part of the Packers’ line ever since. Jenkins’ 2020 and 2022 seasons earned him Pro Bowl honors, and he spent most of both of those seasons at left guard.

Still, he has started games at every position on the line except for right guard. Jenkins was the team’s first choice to move to left tackle during the 2021 season when David Bakhtiari was expected to be out for most of the year rehabbing his torn ACL, but he unfortunately tore his own ACL halfway through the season. He then entered 2022 as the starting right tackle before shifting back to guard after a few weeks. Jenkins has even pitched in at center — his primary college position — with injuries to Corey Linsley and Josh Myers.

This season, Jenkins is slated to move back to center full-time with Myers gone in free agency and Aaron Banks signed in to play left guard. But over the last six years, he has delivered consistently-excellent play when able to focus on a single position, and particularly when that position was the left guard spot.

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Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...ard-wahle-colledge-sitton-lang-taylor-jenkins

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Former Packers trade targets ready for NFL returns

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Chase Claypool and Darren Waller are attemping to make their NFL returns in 2025

Some of the best decisions that Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has made during his tenure leading the Packers have been the moves he didn’t actually make.

A Las Vegas Raiders tight end at the time, Darren Waller was supposed to be part of the original trade that eventually sent Davante Adams out west. Essentially, the Packers subbed out Waller for a second-round pick in the trade, once both sides realized that Green Bay couldn’t participate in a player-for-player trade. Adams had not yet signed his franchise tag tender with the team, part of the conditions for allowing such a trade to occur for a player hit by the tag.

Waller stuck with the Raiders for one more year, registering six starts before being sent to the New York Giants in 2023 for a third-round pick. He played all of one year for the Giants before retiring the next year.

The tight end made headlines last week when he decided to come out of retirement after sitting out the 2024 season, leading to his trade to the Miami Dolphins for a 2026 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2027 seventh-round pick. To say the least, this is Miami taking a flier on the former Pro Bowler.

Another player the Packers got close to the finish line on, trade-wise, is former Pittsburgh Steeler receiver Chase Claypool. As the story goes, Green Bay offered a second-round pick for Claypool toward the end of Aaron Rodgers’ tenure with the Packers, but were beaten out by the Chicago Bears’ second-round offer, as the Steelers valued the Bears’ pick higher than the Packers’.

Like Waller, Claypool spent the 2024 season out of the NFL, as he was dealing with a toe injury. Claypool only ended up playing 10 games for the Bears before suiting up for the Dolphins for nine games in the 2023 season, the last time we’ve seen him on the field in the regular season.

According to Claypool, a free agent, he’s “the strongest and fastest [he’s] ever been.” It will be interesting to see who takes a swing on the 27-year-old who at one point recorded a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at 6’4” and 229 pounds.

The Packers do have an extra roster spot open on their 91-man offseason roster right now, so it’s not impossible that Green Bay kicks the tires on the Notre Dame product.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-waller-chase-claypool-nfl-return-2025-update

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers All-Quarter Century Team: Right guards present a deep (and familiar) pool

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Who’s the best right guard so far in the 21st century?

Our journey through the interior of the Packers’ offensive line continues with a stop at right guard, where at least a couple of the all-quarter century team will look awfully familiar from the left guard list. Who makes the cut as the best right guard of the 21st century (so far), though? That’s for you to decide.

Right guard nominees​

Marco Rivera (1997-2004)​

3x Pro Bowl; 1x All-Pro second team

80 games played; 80 starts

Rivera’s claim to the Packers’ right guard throne is as straightforward as they come. In five seasons with the Packers during the 2000s, Rivera played in and started every single one of the Packers’ games, earning three Pro Bowl berths and a second-team All-Pro nod. He was steady, reliable, and excellent, paving the way for Ahman Green’s record-setting 2003 season and a host of other stellar performances during his time in Green Bay. There were no position changes for Rivera, and no shuffling in and out of the lineup. From the time he was named a starter, he showed up every week and played solid, solid football.

Jason Spitz (2006-10)​

65 games played, 45 starts

A third-round pick out of Louisville in 2006, Spitz began his career as a regular in the Packers’ lineup, starting 44 games over his first three seasons. But an injury in his fourth year relegated him to backup status from then on out, though he’d be a key part of the Packers’ offensive line depth in the 2010 Super Bowl campaign; he still appeared in every single game on special teams and as a reserve lineman.

Josh Sitton (2008-15)​

3x Pro Bowl, 3x second-team All-Pro (overall); 1x Pro Bowl (at RG)

121 games played, 112 starts (overall); 73 games played, 65 started (at RG)

Though he didn’t achieve as much recognition as he did on the left side, Josh Sitton was an excellent right guard before his eventual switch to the left. He actually played quite a few more games on the right side but only earned one Pro Bowl selection despite other metrics indicating he was at least as good on the right as he was on the left.

T.J. Lang (2009-2016)​

1x Pro Bowl (as RG)

119 games played, 94 starts (overall); 60 games played, 60 starts (at RG)

Like Sitton, Lang achieved more notoriety after switching from one guard spot to the other. After an itinerant first few years in the NFL, Lang’s career trajectory landed him at guard, where he thrived. In 2013, he moved from left guard to right guard and entered the most lauded period of his career, though his absolute best football may have been behind him. Wear and tear began to catch up with him by 2016, though he’d earn his lone Pro Bowl bid that season before heading off for Detroit, where he’d collect a big payday to appear in just 19 games over two seasons.

Jon Runyan, Jr. (2020-23)​

67 games played, 50 starts

A great value selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Runyan needed a year of seasoning before ascending to the starting lineup. Once he did, though, he was a fixture, starting 50 games for the Packers over his final two seasons, including all 34 of the 2022 and 2023 seasons combined. He never reached the heights of Josh Sitton or T.J. Lang, but Runyan deserves a lot of credit for his growth into a starting-caliber guard after being converted from a college tackle.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...right-guards-present-a-deep-and-familiar-pool

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Which Packers player was the best in video games?

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

It’s time for some Seneca Wallace lore.

College Football 26 has just been released, which means there are plenty of people right now knee-deep into new playbooks and players, trying to figure out what’s the most fun way to play the game. This sparked this question for me: Who was the most dominant Green Bay Packers player in a video game?

Obviously, there were some seasons where Aaron Rodgers was a really highly rated player in Madden. I remember putting up numbers with 12 and Jermichael Finley when Madden was still being made on the PlayStation 2. That probably gets my vote, but I’m sure I missed something.

Here’s my honorable mention, though: Packers legend Seneca Wallace back in Madden 2004 when he was still with the Seattle Seahawks. 2004 was when Michael Vick was on the cover and was completely dominant in that game because of his scrambling ability (and how bad the game was at defensive AI). I used to play franchise mode with my dad, a Falcons fan, so I never really got to use Vick. Instead, one of the first moves I made when building my Packers team was moving on from an aging Brett Favre for draft picks and adding Wallace, who was basically a discount Favre.

Thank you, Seneca, for lasting all of 10 snaps in your start in Green Bay, so I can share that story and remind people how good you were in video game football.

Make your claim to the most dominant Packers player in a video game in the comment section below.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2025/7/8/24463921/green-bay-packers-video-game-all-time-players

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Did You Know: Eric Dickerson was once traded to the Packers

Photo by Peter Brouillet/Getty Images

Green Bay once owned the rights to the Hall of Fame running back...until they failed his physical.

I might be outing myself as a 31-year-old here, but I genuinely had no idea that Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson was once traded to the Green Bay Packers until I saw a comment from “unrine-monkey” on the /r/Oldschool_NFL subreddit. I cannot believe I actually wrote that, but offseason content is offseason content.

Here’s what happened: In the 1993 offseason, the Los Angeles Raiders, another team I had no idea Dickerson played for, sent the running back to the Atlanta Falcons for a sixth-round pick. His stint with Atlanta lasted all of four games before the Falcons decided to make the trade and send Dickerson to Green Bay.

Dickerson was packaged with cornerback Bruce Pickens, who was picked third overall in the 1991 draft and was at the time a starter for the Falcons, in exchange for Green Bay’s running back, John Stephens, who had joined the team by way of the New England Patriots that offseason.

The hitch? Dickerson didn’t pass the Packers’ physical, which led to the Hall of Famer reevaluating his career and ultimately deciding to retire. Green Bay ended up nabbing Pickens, where he played all of two games before being moved on from and joining the Kansas City Chiefs to end the 1993 season.

Stephens was never a Falcon, but ended up in the same position, landing with the Chiefs to end the 1993 season. Stephens, the player Atlanta wanted to trade two players for, ended up posting 18 rushing yards in the remainder of his post-Packers career, in part because he was accused of rape in Kansas City and pleaded guilty to the crime.

By the time this trade was proposed, quarterback Brett Favre, who was traded from Atlanta to Green Bay, had already become the starting quarterback for the Packers and earned a Pro Bowl in his first year with the team. I can’t hate on general manager Ron Wolf for swinging for the fences, but in hindsight, it’s clear there would have been no winner in this trade.

Anyway, I just thought this was an interesting piece of history that I wasn’t aware of, which I don’t take accountability for since I was negative one month old at the time.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...erson-green-bay-packers-trade-atlanta-falcons

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Thursday Cheese Curds: Packers finally have a truly elite safety once again

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

It’s been a long time, getting from there to here.

It has been some time since the Green Bay Packers employed one of the best safeties in the NFL. We can quibble about the one Pro Bowl season from Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in 2016 and Adrian Amos’ solid play, but the fact is that not since Nick Collins retired after the 2011 season has the safety position featured a player as consistently excellent and highly-regarded around the NFL as Xavier McKinney is.

Today, as ESPN continues its ranking of the top players at each position in the NFL, we see McKinney near the very top of the safety list, an acknowledgment of his huge contribution to the Packers’ defense last season and the expectation that he continue his elite play.

It has been a long decade-and-a-half since Collins’ retirement for the Packers when it comes to safety play. Remember names like M.D. Jennings, Kentrell Brice, and Raven Greene? Each of them were significant contributors at the position at times over the last 15 years. So while the Packers continue to work on nailing down McKinney’s running mate — with Evan Williams looking like the best candidate for now — at least they know they have that one elite player on the back end that has been a missing link on defense since their most recent Super Bowl run.

Execs, coaches, scouts rank NFL's top 10 safeties for 2025 - ESPN
Xavier McKinney ranks third after coming in at 10th place last year. Packers fans will probably be a bit irritated that he slots in behind the Lions' Brian Branch, however.

Tua Tagovailoa, Micah Parsons and one player contract worth watching for every NFL team - The Athletic
Zach Tom is the pick for the Packers, despite Elgton Jenkins' current questions. Tom is in line for a new deal, but unlike many of the players on this list, he participated in the entire offseason program.

Former Packers WR coach Buddy Geis dies at 79 | Packers.com
Geis was the team's wideouts coach under Lindy Infante from 1988 to 1991 and was instrumental in Sterling Sharpe's development.

Davante Adams recalls missing signal from Aaron Rodgers during rookie season with Packers | Packers Wire
Our pick for WR1 of the last 25 years says that he completely changed his preparation habits immediately after misinterpreting a hand signal from Rodgers and getting chewed out.

Saints reveal new alternate white helmet for 2025 season | NFL.com
Personally, I love what the Saints did here and I wish the Packers had done something similar to this with their new white helmet last year -- specifically having a bit of contrast with the facemask and the stripe.

Heathrow to pipe 'sounds of an airport' around airport | BBC
So the London airport has recorded the sounds of *checks notes* the London airport to play over the speakers at ... *checks notes again* the London airport. Got it.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...truly-elite-safety-once-again-xavier-mckinney

 

[Green Bay Packers]

ESPN gives the Green Bay Packers a below-average grade for their 2025 offseason

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

The Packers received just a C+ grade, ahead of only seven teams in 2025.

ESPN analyst Seth Walder dished out full grades for each NFL team’s 2025 offseason effort. According to Walder, the best offseason was had by the Los Angeles Rams, who were able to keep quarterback Matthew Stafford after granting him permission to seek out a trade, and turned their 2025 first-round pick into the Atlanta Falcons’ 2026 first-round pick, their 2025 second-round pick and their 2025 seventh-round pick. The Rams also added former Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams on a two-year, $44 million contract in free agency.

So, where do the Packers stand in these rankings? Ahead of just seven NFL teams. Walder gave Green Bay a C+ grade for their 2025 offseason. For perspective, only two teams received a worse grade than a C: the Falcons, who had a C-, and the New Orleans Saints, who had a D.

Here’s what Walder had to say about what general manager Brian Gutekunst put together this spring:

The Packers’ offseason featured two headlines — they finally drafted a first-round wide receiver, and they spent big on Banks. Let’s take those in reverse.

Banks, a former 49ers guard, signed a four-year deal that averages $19.25 million per year with $27 million fully guaranteed. The issue I have is that we don’t have evidence that Banks is anywhere near that caliber of player. Banks is coming off his best season according to win rates, but he ranked only 38th out of 64 guards in pass block win rate (92%) and 46th in run block win rate (69%).

The top of the guard market was frothy, but the Packers paid for not having patience, as Mekhi Becton, Kevin Zeitler and James Daniels all signed for $10 million or less. I would much rather have those players at their price than Banks at his.

Golden gives the team No. 1 WR upside it could use and helps make up for Christian Watson — who tore his ACL in the regular-season finale — possibly not being available for much of this season. Green Bay already had a group of solid receivers in Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks (I’m still a believer) and Watson, though entering the offseason running back Josh Jacobs said he believed the team needed a “guy that’s proven to be a No. 1 already.” Golden is not that, but first-round receivers offer that kind of potential.

The Packers were one of the most run-heavy teams in the league last season (even when excluding the Malik Willis games) but were much more efficient on dropbacks. If they have the confidence to throw more, that would help substantially.

Green Bay made one other sizable addition in free agency — former Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs. Hobbs signed a four-year deal averaging $12 million per year with $16 million fully guaranteed. The Packers needed a corner (they cut Jaire Alexander and lost Eric Stokes in free agency), though Hobbs has mostly played in the slot. His numbers were solid in a 2024 season abridged by injury and illness — he allowed 0.9 yards per coverage snap and minus-16 EPA when targeted, per NFL Next Gen Stats. However, in 2022 and 2023 he allowed 1.5 and 1.3 yards per coverage snap, respectively, well more than average. This price felt a bit rich.

If a pass rusher is available late in the offseason or during the season, the Packers could be interested.

I understand the hesitation with the Banks contract, considering the high dollar figure that was attached to his signing. If Banks didn’t get that money, would Elgton Jenkins, who was the team’s previous left guard, even be holding out right now? There’s legitimate criticism of the signing, but it’s worth noting that with any metric, Banks played through a hand injury last year that required surgery and also dealt with knee and calf injuries — so there’s room for optimism that these numbers will improve immediately.

On the Hobbs front, we’ve already written extensively about how he was likely signed to be a top-of-market slot defender with the ability to play outside cornerback as an added bonus. When you consider that two other non-Pro Bowl slot defenders have signed for $13 million per year since Hobbs’ contract was signed, Hobbs’ $12 million per year no longer seems out of left field.

Who did Walder have as his NFC North offseason champions? The Chicago Bears with a B- grade, highlighted by the addition of hiring head coach Ben Johnson to take over the team. Hang the banner!

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...n-bay-packers-news-espn-offseason-grades-2025

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers All-Quarter Century Team: Picking the second-best edge rusher

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Tell us your pick for who was the Packers’ best edge rusher of the last 25 years.

The pick for the Green Bay Packers’ best edge rusher of the last 25 years was not close. In fact, Clay Matthews won in the most lopsided voting of any position so far on the Packers All-Quarter Century Team, getting a whopping 92 percent of the votes.

In other words, there’s no question who the best edge rusher was. But now we get to a really good question: who is number two at that position?

Give us your votes for the second member of the edge group on this squad today and through the weekend and join us again on Monday, when we move our focus back to the linebackers and defensive backs.

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Edge Rusher Nominees​

Vonnie Holliday (2000-02)​

Regular season stats: 38 games played, 35 starts; 133 total tackles (86 solo, 47 assisted), 24 TFLs, 18.0 sacks, 14 pass defenses, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions
Postseason stats: 3 games played/started; 9 total tackles (8 solo, 1 assist), 1 pass defense

The Packers’ first-round pick in 1998, Holliday was the runner-up to Charles Woodson for Defensive Rookie of the Year. But that’s before our cutoff, which comes starting in Holliday’s third season. Holliday was never a true game-wrecker as a defensive end, but he was a consistent, solid producer who you could count on for between 5 and 8 sacks a year.

Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (2000-08)​

1x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 124 games played, 74 starts; 302 total tackles (225 solo, 77 assisted), 74 TFLs, 74.5 sacks, 11 pass defenses, 17 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, 1 interception (returned for a touchdown)
Postseason stats: 8 games played, 4 starts; 23 total tackles (15 solo, 8 assisted), 7 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Few players in the entire NFL over the last 25 years can match the ability and production that KGB had as a pure speed rusher. The 5th-round pick out of San Diego State was a menace to tackles and quarterbacks off the edge with his incredibly quick get-off, bend, and closing ability. He recorded four straight double-digit sack seasons starting in 2001, when he was just a rotational player in his second year. He also posted multiple forced fumbles every year from 2001 to 2007 and missed only two games in that span.

Of course, Gbaja-Biamila gave up quite a bit in run defense. He was lean, measuring in at a shade under 6-foot-4 and weighing in the mid-240s for most of his career, quite undersized for a 4-3 end. Had the Packers played a 3-4 defense during his career, perhaps he could have had an even more impressive set of statistics. Instead, when his speed and elite athleticism (9.41 RAS at DE, despite his small size) started to wane, he was relegated to a situational pass-rusher role.

All told, KGB was a full-time player for the middle five years of his career, flanked by two years each of situational work on the front and back ends. But those years were still productive in the limited role, and even with places like Pro Football Reference going back to credit players for sacks prior to that statistic becoming official in 1982, he still ranks fourth on the Packers’ all-time franchise leaderboard.

Aaron Kampman (2002-09)​

2x Pro Bowl, 2x second-team All-Pro

Regular season stats: 112 games played, 104 starts; 460 total tackles (322 solo, 138 assisted), 61 TFLs, 54.0 sacks, 9 pass defenses, 11 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 6 games played, 5 starts; 20 total tackles (14 solo, 6 assisted), 4 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 1 fumble recovery

For many years, Kampman was KGB’s running mate, but he was the opposite type of player: a do-it-all, well-rounded defensive end, who was just as good defending the run as attacking the quarterback. He also did something that KGB never did: earn significant All-Pro consideration, as he earned second-team honors in both 2006 and 2007. In fact, the 15.5 sacks that Kampman posted in 2006 are more than KGB ever had in one season and officially rank third all-time in team history behind Tim Harris (19 in 1989) and Reggie White (16 in 1998).

Kampman was also a 5th-round draft selection, and the Iowa native and former Hawkeye moved into the starting lineup more quickly than his partner. Unfortunately, the switch to the 3-4 in 2009 did him no favors and amid injury issues (only playing 9 games that season) and the scheme change the Packers let him walk in free agency the following offseason.

Interestingly, the Vikings tried to sign Kampman to a restricted free agency offer sheet in 2005. That deal was a one-year, $1.2 million contract that the Packers elected to match. Given the success that he had over the next several years, that proved to be an extremely wise decision.

Nick Perry (2012-18)​

Regular season stats: 81 games played, 48 starts; 214 total tackles (139 solo, 75 assisted), 37 TFLs, 32.0 sacks, 11 pass defenses, 7 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception
Postseason stats: 8 games played, 1 start; 28 total tackles (20 solo, 8 assisted), 8 TFLs, 7.0 sacks, 1 pass defense, 1 forced fumble

The Packers were looking for a running mate for Matthews and turned to another USC product in Perry in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, Perry never lived up to his immense potential, and at his size (6-foot-3, 271 pounds at the Combine) he may have been a bit miscast as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

He was fast and explosive, but was much more of a power rusher than Matthews. Still, he dealt with injury issues frequently during his career, never starting more than six games in his first four seasons. Perry finally broke out in 2016 with 11 sacks in a full-time starting role, but that came with him on a one-year prove-it contract. He then signed a big 5-year, $59 million deal the following season, but was released just two years later after recording just 1.5 sacks in 9 games in 2018.

Julius Peppers (2014-2016)​

1x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 48 games played, 43 starts; 103 total tackles (69 solo, 34 assisted), 21 TFLs, 25.0 sacks, 14 pass defenses, 8 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 2 interceptions (both returned for touchdowns)
Postseason stats: 7 games played/started; 21 total tackles (11 solo, 10 assisted), 5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 2 pass defenses, 2 forced fumbles

Few could have predicted after Peppers’ Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Panthers and Bears that he would sign with the Packers as a 34-year-old free agent in 2014. In fact, his arrival in Green Bay was perhaps the best-kept secret in recent Packers free agency history, with nobody knowing about it until the team posted on social media that he was at Lambeau Field signing his contract.

Peppers had never played in a 3-4 system before signing in Green Bay, and there were plenty of questions about whether he would fit at outside linebacker, but he answered them quickly. His first season saw him serve as a do-it-all player, posting 7 sacks, 11 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles, and two pick-sixes. He earned a Pro Bowl in 2015 with 10.5 sacks, then followed it up with another 7.5 in 2016 before finishing his career back in Carolina for two more seasons.

A member of the Hall of Fame class of 2004, Peppers provided the 2014 Packers with a much-needed defensive spark that nearly took them back to the Super Bowl.

Za’Darius Smith (2019-21)​

2x Pro Bowl, 1x second-team All-Pro

Regular season stats: 33 games played, 32 starts; 108 total tackles (77 solo, 31 assisted), 29 TFLs, 26.0 sacks, 2 pass defenses, 5 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 5 games played, 4 starts; 13 total tackles (9 solo, 4 assisted), 3 TFLs, 4.0 sacks

Another big free agent addition, Za’Darius Smith came over from Baltimore and ripped off two exceptional seasons in 2019 and 2020. The big edge rusher posted 26 sacks in 32 games over those two years, menacing quarterbacks from outside on base downs before shifting to an interior position in passing situations.

Smith’s tenure may be best remembered for the chaos of 2021, however, when injuries and his frustration with not being named a team captain led him to play just one game. The Packers released him the following offseason with one year left on his contract, and he signed with the Vikings seemingly to try to spite Green Bay. He finished 2024 with another NFC North team, the Lions, but currently remains a free agent.

Preston Smith (2019-24)​

Regular season stats: 91 games played, 88 starts; 262 total tackles (162 solo, 100 assisted), 42 TFLs, 44.0 sacks, 14 pass defenses, 6 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries (one returned for a TD), 1 interception
Postseason stats: 7 games played/started; 22 total tackles (16 solo, 6 assisted), 2 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, 3 pass defenses

The second of a four-man free agent splurge in 2019, Preston Smith was the steadier, more quietly consistent Smith Brother. He did set a career-high with 12 sacks in that 2019 season, but went about his business quietly, missing only a single game at the end of the 2021 season — to date, the only game he has ever missed in his career.

Rarely overly flashy, Smith was this generation’s answer to Kampman, a solid run defender who could also rush the passer and who was always available, even to shift into the slot to cover an All-Pro receiver on occasion.

Rashan Gary (2019-24)​

1x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 90 games played, 59 starts; 226 total tackles (129 solo, 97 assisted), 39 TFLs, 39.0 sacks, 5 pass defenses, 6 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 8 games played, 4 starts; 19 total tackles (9 solo, 10 assisted), 5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks

Ahh, Rashan Gary, he of the immense potential and athletic ability that still has yet to be fully harnessed. Gary started his pro career behind the Smith Brothers and was expected to take a big leap in his third year — and to a point, he did, posting 9.5 sacks that season. However, a torn ACL midway through the 2022 season set him back a bit, costing him half a year and making his 2023 a bit inconsistent.

That same word can apply to his performance in 2024 amid the move to a 4-3 scheme, but really to his entire career; he’s a player who can go off for three sacks in a game and then go two months without recording one at all. With that said, after a slow start last year, he posted at least a half-sack in eight of the last 11 games (including the playoffs) and he earned his Pro Bowl nod thanks also to improved play against the run. He’ll need to be more consistent as a pass-rusher for this team to take another step forward in 2025 and beyond.

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Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...tury-team-picking-the-second-best-edge-rusher

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Rookie 2nd round contracts are starting to become a problem for the NFL

Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

30 of the NFL’s 32 2nd-round picks are still unsigned as rookies start to report for training camp.

On Saturday, the Los Angeles Chargers’ rookies reported for training camp. This might seem a little early to Green Bay Packers fans, whose team starts camp on the 23rd, but the Chargers get extra time on the front end because they’ll be participating in the Hall of Fame Game that kicks off on July 31st against the Detroit Lions.

Three weeks ago, we wrote about how 30 of the 32 second-round picks selected in April’s draft have yet to sign with their teams. As of now, there has been absolutely zero movement on that front over the last 20 days.

That’s why today’s news, that Chargers second-round pick Tre Harris is holding out, is likely a preview of what is to come. Harris, a receiver, had participated with Los Angeles during the offseason, but is holding out due to guarantees in his contract.

The Houston Texans made the decision to fully guarantee the contract of second-round receiver Jayden Higgins, who was picked with the second pick of that round. Since then, the question of how many second-round picks will receive fully guaranteed contracts remains unanswered. The Cleveland Browns owned the first pick of that round and wound up giving a fully guaranteed deal to linebacker Carson Schwesigner, but haven’t handed over the same deal to running back Quinshon Judkins, who remains unsigned after being the fourth pick in the second round. To complicate matters further, Judkins was arrested and charged with domestic violence this week, which likely means that his contract situation will drag out even longer.

So why are guarantees such a big deal? First of all, players’ rookie contracts are locked in, from a value standpoint, based on the rookie wage scale, which was first agreed to during the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement. All other portions of their contracts, though, like how much of that money is guaranteed or the type of clauses in their contracts, can be debated between the franchise that selected them and the player’s representation.

For perspective, 2024 Packers second-round pick Javon Bullard received $3.7 million in guarantees on his $6.7 million four-year contract last offseason. That’s dwarfed by Higgins’ $11.7 million in guarantees he got from Houston.

So you can see why players aren’t willing to take multi-million dollar risks to practice in training camp without having a contract in hand. Eventually, someone has to make some movement in the market so players can report. No one wants to sign for less guaranteed money than the person ahead of them, so it has to start toward the top of the second-rounder list.

With that in mind, here are a couple of key players’ situations that are worth following:

• Nick Emmanwori: The 35th overall pick in the draft is the top unsigned player remaining. If the Seattle Seahawks give him a fully guaranteed contract, the teams that drafted players behind Emmanwori are more likely to give their draft choices fully guaranteed money. But the Seahawks might not be the first team to move, as it’s in their interest to hope that someone gives less guaranteed money to players selected behind Emmanwori to drive his price lower.
• Tyler Shough: Quarterbacks generally are the players who are able to push rookie markets forward. Shough was picked 40th overall, making him the eighth selection in the second round. In league circles, there’s some hope that Shough can sign his deal with the New Orleans Saints quickly, even if it’s fully guaranteed, so that the teams with second-round picks ahead of Shough can go ahead and pull the trigger on executing fully guaranteed deals. If the Saints want to drag this out, though, the rest of the league will have to simply wait for New Orleans to make a decision.

It’s worth noting here that Harris was picked 55th overall. The player selected one pick ahead of him is Packers tackle Anthony Belton, who, like Harris, has been working out with his team this offseason. It’s hard to project who will be holding out and who won’t be, as those decisions are made on an individual basis, but it wouldn’t shock me if agents around the league got together and advised their players to not suit up until they get contracts inked.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-harris-anthony-belton-training-camp-hold-out

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers All-Quarter Century Team: The best outside CB of the last 25 years

Photo by Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Vote below for CB1 of the 2000s.

We’ve been on a tear the last couple of weeks putting together the Green Bay Packers All-Quarter Century Team, decided by your votes, and we’re on to one of my favorites: cornerback! For some, this has been a sore spot on the team in the 2010s and beyond, but brother, do we have some fun guys to take a look at. Reminder: we are only looking at players during their time in Green Bay, and from the 2000 season on.

We’re going to start by voting on the best outside CB of the last 25 years, and will cover slot guys in a separate post. Enjoy the blast from the past, and let us know who deserves the title of CB1.

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Cornerback Nominees​

Tyrone Williams (2000-2002)​

Regular season stats: 47 games played, 47 starts; 9 INT, 222 return yards, 2 INT TDs, 34 passes defensed, 217 total tackles (188 solo, 29 assisted), 4 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 3 games played, 3 starts; 1 INT, 2 passes defensed, 8 total tackles (all solo)

Williams’ time with Green Bay in the 2000s was brief, so we’re not getting the full view of a guy who was pretty reliable in green and gold. He started every game this century in which he made an appearance, including his final game with the team in January 2003, when the Packers lost at Lambeau Field for the very first time in the postseason. With some really great names coming after him, Williams may get lost among the shuffle, but make no mistake: he delivered pretty consistently.

Mike McKenzie (2000-2004)​

Regular season stats: 54 games played, 51 starts; 9 INT, 162 return yards, 2 INT TDs, 53 passes defensed, 222 total tackles (184 solo, 38 assisted), 7 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 5 games played, 5 starts; 11 passes defensed, 19 total tackles (13 solo, 6 assisted), 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles

Mike McKenzie was another pretty reliable face for the Packers, but his time with the team ended on a sour note. McKenzie signed a contract extension in 2002, and became unhappy after other CBs around the league signed for bigger deals. He ended up holding out in 2004 and requesting a trade, and returned to the team for one game before being traded to the New Orleans Saints.

Al Harris (2003-2009)​

1x Second-Team All Pro, 2x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 102 games played, 102 starts; 14 INT, 233 return yards, 2 INT TDs, 87 passes defensed, 300 total tackles (269 solo, 31 assisted), 8 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 5 games played, 4 starts; 1 INT, 52 return yards, 1 INT TD, 5 passes defensed, 26 total tackles (23 solo, 3 assisted), 1 forced fumble

The numbers don’t tell the full story, but Al Harris was that guy. He was one of the most physical corners of his time, and became a defensive leader almost as soon as he arrived in Green Bay. Al Harris and his hair are burned into the memory of fans around the league, thanks to his legendary game-winning pick six against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2003 playoffs. Harris was a beloved member of the Packers for 7 seasons before being waived in 2010 after starting the year on the PUP list. He received a Super Bowl ring after the Packers’ win that year, and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2021. He repaid us by joining the Chicago Bears this year as their defensive backs coach.

Charles Woodson (2006-2012)​

1x Defensive Player of the Year, 2x First-Team All Pro, 2x Second-Team All Pro, 4x Pro Bowl, 2x NFL Interceptions Leader, NFL record for most consecutive seasons with a pick six: 2006-2011

Regular season stats: 100 games played, 100 starts; 38 INT, 568 return yards, 9 INT TDs, 99 passes defensed, 467 total tackles (384 solo, 83 assisted), 29 TFLs, 11.5 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, 6 fumble recoveries, 1 fumble returned for a TD
Postseason stats: 8 games played, 7 starts; 4 passes defensed, 37 total tackles (30 solo, 7 assisted), 2 TFLs, 1 sack

I mean...what is there to say? Charles Woodson joined the Packers in 2006 after no other team wanted him. He didn’t want to play in Green Bay, but the Packers were the only team to offer him a contract. He had suffered numerous injuries over the years, including a cracked fibula, and had broken his leg in the 2005 season. The Packers took a chance, and it turned out to be one of the best free agent signings in the team’s history.

For his play in the 2009 season, he was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. He had 74 tackles, 9 INTs, 3 pick sixes, 4 FFs, and 1 FR. Insane stuff from a 33 year old. Woodson went on to win Super Bowl XLV with the Packers, suffering a broken collarbone just before halftime. In his final season with the team, he suffered yet another broken collarbone and missed some time before returning for the playoffs. He was waived shortly after the season ended, and returned to Oakland. In 2021, he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame, and made the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot.

Tramon Williams (2007-2014, 2018-2019, 2020ish)​

1x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 159 games played, 122 starts; 30 INT, 419 return yards, 1 INT TD, 125 passes defensed, 559 total tackles (461 solo, 98 assisted), 12 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 14 games played, 11 starts; 4 INT, 96 return yards, 1 INT TD, 16 passes defensed, 54 total tackles (44 solo, 10 assisted), 3 fumble recoveries

Tramon Williams, I DO love you. Before we start, it must be said that several (many) of his fumble recoveries were recoveries of his fumbles on special teams, and I simply do not have the time to find which ones came on actual defense. Williams went undrafted and signed to the Packers practice squad in 2006, eventually making the 53-man roster in 2007. In his first game with the team, he was listed sixth on the depth chart. By the next season, he was third on the depth chart behind Charles Woodson and Al Harris, and he eventually became the full-time starter upon Harris’ departure.

He had an incredible stretch of games during the team’s playoff run in the 2010 season, which included one of my favorite plays ever, a 70-yard pick six in the Divisional Round. Williams left the team in free agency after the 2014 season, and spent a few years with the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. He returned to the Packers for two more years, and was then signed by the Baltimore Ravens for the 2020 season. The Ravens waived Williams in January of 2021, and three days later, he was signed to the Packers practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster for the NFC Championship Game, but did not play (he probably should’ve!). Williams just could not quit the Packers, and I simply cannot quit him.

Sam Shields (2010-2016)​

1x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 80 games played, 62 starts; 18 INT, 180 return yards, 66 passes defensed, 245 total tackles (214 solo, 31 assisted), 4 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 10 games played, 7 starts; 5 INT, 92 return yards, 1 INT TD, 12 passes defensed, 32 total tackles (28 solo, 4 assisted), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble

Signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2010, Sam Shields made an immediate impact along the team’s path to Super Bowl victory. Originally a receiver in college, he switched to cornerback in his senior season. One of the fastest players of his time, Shields showed a ton of promise as a defensive back, not only because of his speed, but because of his ability to track the ball like a receiver. Shields was an unfortunate victim of the injury bug, suffering some nasty concussions in particular, which ultimately derailed his career. He was very public about his struggles dealing with the physical and emotional toll this took on him.

Davon House (2011-2014, 2017-2018)​

Regular season stats: 55 games played, 26 starts; 3 INT, 11 return yards, 31 passes defensed, 144 total tackles (122 solo, 22 assisted), 7 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Postseason stats: 3 games played; 2 passes defensed, 7 total tackles (4 solo, 3 assisted)

I cannot just skip over the dark ages so I leave you with this. Buckle up.

Damarious Randall (2015-2017)​

Regular season stats: 39 games played, 30 starts; 10 INT, 173 return yards, 2 INT TDs, 32 passes defensed, 144 total tackles (126 solo, 18 assisted), 6 TFLs, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 5 games played, 5 starts; 2 INT, 78 return yards, 5 passes defensed, 23 total tackles (18 solo, 5 assisted)

Remain buckled; we are almost done.

Kevin King (2017-2021)​

Regular season stats: 51 games played, 42 starts; 7 INT, 54 return yards, 30 passes defensed, 197 total tackles (158 solo, 39 assisted), 5 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 5 games played, 4 starts; 2 passes defensed, 20 total tackles (16 solo, 4 assisted), 1 TFL

Get back in the car.

Jaire Alexander (2018-2024)​

2x Second-Team All Pro, 2x Pro Bowl, PFWA All-Rookie Team

Regular season stats: 78 games played, 76 starts; 12 INT, 201 return yards, 1 INT TD, 70 passes defensed, 287 total tackles (241 solo, 46 assisted), 12 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 safety, 3 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 6 games played, 6 starts; 3 INT, 16 return yards, 5 passes defensed, 28 total tackles (20 solo, 8 assisted), 1 TFL

Writing this made me sad. Jaire Alexander was one of the most talented defensive backs the team had rostered since Charles Woodson was playing for them. He was incredibly fun to watch, and had built up a reputation as one of the most annoying guys to play against (complimentary). He was their guy! After years of disappointment from the guys who came before him, they finally found a good corner. And then you realize he played fewer games for the Packers than Sam Shields. In fact, he played a full 16 game season just once. It was never supposed to go this way, but Jaire could not stay healthy. After playing 78 out of a possible 116 games, the Packers released Alexander a few weeks ago, and he signed with the Baltimore Ravens shortly thereafter.

Rasul Douglas (2021-2023)​

Regular season stats: 36 games played, 28 starts; 10 INT, 129 return yards, 2 INT TD, 32 passes defensed, 174 total tackles (147 solo, 27 assisted), 7 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 1 game played, 1 start; 1 pass defensed, 5 total tackles (3 solo, 2 assisted)

The discovery of Rasul Douglas was a fun time for fans of the Packers. After a few seasons in Philadelphia and Carolina, Douglas was on three different teams in 2021 before being signed by the Packers. With various DBs on the roster suffering some sort of injury, Douglas saw a ton of playing time and recorded 5 INTs in his 13 games that year, including 4 picks in a 4 week span. He became an incredibly reliable piece for the defense in his short time with the team before being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2023 when it looked like the Packers were on their way down (they were not).

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Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...f-the-2000s-woodson-harris-williams-alexander

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers All-Quarter Century Team: The best linebacker of the 2000s so far

Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images

Vote below for the best linebacker of the 2000s

Yesterday, we took your votes on the Packers’ top cornerbacks of the first 25 years of the 2000s, and competition was fierce. The Packers have a deep bench of contributors there, and lots of people voiced intense opinions in the comments. That’s great!

What’s less great is the Packers’ depth at linebacker. There have been a few decent players at the position so far this century, but nobody who reaches the heights of even the third or fourth corners you voted on yesterday.

Still, there are good memories aplenty among the Packers’ linebackers. Who’s your choice for the best linebacker of the 2000s so far?

The linebacker nominees​

Na’il Diggs (2000-05)​

390 tackles (49 for loss), seven sacks, four interceptions

84 games played (80 starts)

A fourth round pick in 2000, Diggs was a starter essentially from the get-go and would go on to start virtually every game for which he was healthy until injuries piled up in the 2005 season. Diggs was never a Pro Bowler or All-Pro in Green Bay, but he was a very solid player, recording four interceptions and seven sacks to go with a boatload of tackles across his Packers career. His best season came in 2002, when he logged three sacks and two interceptions to go with his 85 total tackles, which included 12 tackles for loss, the second-most on the team.

Nick Barnett (2003-10)​

1x second-team All-Pro

789 tackles (52 for loss), 15.5 sacks, nine interceptions

107 games played (107 starts)

Another instant starter, Barnett was a tackling machine over his eight years with the Packers, surpassing 100 total takedowns in every season for which he was healthy. At his peak, Barnett stuffed the stat sheet with the best of them, contributing in every part of the defensive effort. He recorded at least three sacks in three of his seasons with the Packers, at least two interceptions in three seasons, and recovered at least one fumble in five seasons. He also took an interception back 95 yards for a touchdown against the Saints in 2005, easily the most impressive single play of his career. His best season came in 2007, when Barnett recorded 131 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, and two interceptions, earning a second-team All-Pro nod.

A.J. Hawk (2006-14)​

1x Pro Bowl

922 tackles (55 for loss), 19 sacks, nine interceptions

142 games played, 136 starts

Before A.J. Hawk was a stoic, cigar-smoking TV show cohost, the 2006 fifth overall pick was a long-tenured member of the Green Bay Packers. Though he’s probably mostly remembered for rarely keeping his helmet on, giving his own sideline the finger, and being victimized on a crucial fake field goal in the 2014 NFC Championship game (I’ll spare you the link on that one), Hawk also was a solid, durable linebacker for most of his tenure. He missed just two games in his Packers’ career, breaking the 100-tackle threshold six times. His 19 sacks are the most of any linebacker on this list.

De’Vondre Campbell (2021-23)​

1x All-Pro

317 tackles (15 for loss), two sacks, four interceptions

40 games played (40 starts)

The very definition of lightning in a bottle, De’Vondre Campbell was marvelous in 2021. He was everywhere in first-year defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s defense, earning first-team All-Pro honors while helming a unit that was stronger than just about anyone could have anticipated. But, like Barry, Campbell’s contributions in Green Bay waned. Despite signing a lucrative contract in the 2022 offseason, Campbell would play fewer and fewer games each of the next two seasons as injuries mounted. The Packers moved on after the 2023 season, and Campbell did a speedrun of the same arc in San Francisco, earning a late-season dismissal after holding down the fort for Dre Greenlaw. His pick-6 against Washington in 2022 was pretty neat, though.

Desmond Bishop (2007-12)​

294 tackles (16 for loss), nine sacks, one interception

69 games played (26 starts)

Dubbed Mr. August early in his career for his outstanding preseason play, Bishop finally ascended to the starting lineup in 2010. He immediately paid back the Packers’ faith, recording a season-high 13 tackles and a sack in his first start and returning his only career interception 32 yards for a touchdown two weeks later — spoiling Brett Favre’s second trip to Lambeau Field in a Vikings uniform in the process. That same season, Bishop would recover a fumble forced by Clay Matthews on the famous “spill it!” play in Super Bowl XLV. Bishop would return to the starting lineup in 2011, recording a team-leading 115 tackles, but a bad hamstring injury prior to the 2012 season scuttled that season and ended his Packers career.

Brady Poppinga (2005-10)​

182 tackles (12 for loss), five sacks, two interceptions

81 games played (44 starts)

A fourth round pick in the same draft that produced Aaron Rodgers and Nick Collins, Poppinga was a full-time (or close to full-time) starter in three of his six seasons in Green Bay. More of a role player than others on this list, Poppinga never finished higher than third on the team in tackles in a given season. He was, however, usually a core special teams player and contributed there throughout his career.

Quay Walker (2022-present)​

341 tackles (21 for loss) 6.5 sacks, one interception

44 games played (43 starts)

Walker has produced solid stats throughout his Packers career (100+ tackles in each of his three seasons so far), but questions remain about the extent to which he’s been able to put it all together on the field. He’s had a couple of embarrassing ejections, and hasn’t yet fully harnessed the elite physical abilities that drew the Packers to him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Still, his Week 1 pick-6 against the Bears in 2023 was awesome; there’s no disputing that.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-team-the-best-linebacker-of-the-2000s-so-far

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers All-Quarter Century Team: The 2nd-best outside CB of the last 25 years

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Charles Woodson was obviously CB1, so who's CB2?

It's time to contine on with the cornerback position in our effort to name the Green Bay Packers All-Quarter Century Team.

Charles Woodson was the dominant choice as the team's CB1, and deservedly so. Now we get to a much tougher decision: picking the team' s second-best outside cornerback. Will one of his own teammates get your vote, or does it go to someone who played in a different era? Let's find out!

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Cornerback Nominees​

Tyrone Williams (2000-2002)​

Regular season stats: 47 games played, 47 starts; 9 INT, 222 return yards, 2 INT TDs, 34 passes defensed, 217 total tackles (188 solo, 29 assisted), 4 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 3 games played, 3 starts; 1 INT, 2 passes defensed, 8 total tackles (all solo)

Williams’ time with Green Bay in the 2000s was brief, so we’re not getting the full view of a guy who was pretty reliable in green and gold. He started every game this century in which he made an appearance, including his final game with the team in January 2003, when the Packers lost at Lambeau Field for the very first time in the postseason. With some really great names coming after him, Williams may get lost among the shuffle, but make no mistake: he delivered pretty consistently.

Mike McKenzie (2000-2004)​

Regular season stats: 54 games played, 51 starts; 9 INT, 162 return yards, 2 INT TDs, 53 passes defensed, 222 total tackles (184 solo, 38 assisted), 7 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 5 games played, 5 starts; 11 passes defensed, 19 total tackles (13 solo, 6 assisted), 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles

Mike McKenzie was another pretty reliable face for the Packers, but his time with the team ended on a sour note. McKenzie signed a contract extension in 2002, and became unhappy after other CBs around the league signed for bigger deals. He ended up holding out in 2004 and requesting a trade, and returned to the team for one game before being traded to the New Orleans Saints.

Al Harris (2003-2009)​

1x Second-Team All Pro, 2x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 102 games played, 102 starts; 14 INT, 233 return yards, 2 INT TDs, 87 passes defensed, 300 total tackles (269 solo, 31 assisted), 8 TFLs, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 5 games played, 4 starts; 1 INT, 52 return yards, 1 INT TD, 5 passes defensed, 26 total tackles (23 solo, 3 assisted), 1 forced fumble

The numbers don’t tell the full story, but Al Harris was that guy. He was one of the most physical corners of his time, and became a defensive leader almost as soon as he arrived in Green Bay. Al Harris and his hair are burned into the memory of fans around the league, thanks to his legendary game-winning pick six against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2003 playoffs. Harris was a beloved member of the Packers for 7 seasons before being waived in 2010 after starting the year on the PUP list. He received a Super Bowl ring after the Packers’ win that year, and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2021. He repaid us by joining the Chicago Bears this year as their defensive backs coach.

Tramon Williams (2007-2014, 2018-2019, 2020ish)​

1x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 159 games played, 122 starts; 30 INT, 419 return yards, 1 INT TD, 125 passes defensed, 559 total tackles (461 solo, 98 assisted), 12 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 11 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 14 games played, 11 starts; 4 INT, 96 return yards, 1 INT TD, 16 passes defensed, 54 total tackles (44 solo, 10 assisted), 3 fumble recoveries

Tramon Williams, I DO love you. Before we start, it must be said that several (many) of his fumble recoveries were recoveries of his fumbles on special teams, and I simply do not have the time to find which ones came on actual defense. Williams went undrafted and signed to the Packers practice squad in 2006, eventually making the 53-man roster in 2007. In his first game with the team, he was listed sixth on the depth chart. By the next season, he was third on the depth chart behind Charles Woodson and Al Harris, and he eventually became the full-time starter upon Harris’ departure.

He had an incredible stretch of games during the team’s playoff run in the 2010 season, which included one of my favorite plays ever, a 70-yard pick six in the Divisional Round. Williams left the team in free agency after the 2014 season, and spent a few years with the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. He returned to the Packers for two more years, and was then signed by the Baltimore Ravens for the 2020 season. The Ravens waived Williams in January of 2021, and three days later, he was signed to the Packers practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster for the NFC Championship Game, but did not play (he probably should’ve!). Williams just could not quit the Packers, and I simply cannot quit him.

Sam Shields (2010-2016)​

1x Pro Bowl

Regular season stats: 80 games played, 62 starts; 18 INT, 180 return yards, 66 passes defensed, 245 total tackles (214 solo, 31 assisted), 4 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 10 games played, 7 starts; 5 INT, 92 return yards, 1 INT TD, 12 passes defensed, 32 total tackles (28 solo, 4 assisted), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble

Signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2010, Sam Shields made an immediate impact along the team’s path to Super Bowl victory. Originally a receiver in college, he switched to cornerback in his senior season. One of the fastest players of his time, Shields showed a ton of promise as a defensive back, not only because of his speed, but because of his ability to track the ball like a receiver. Shields was an unfortunate victim of the injury bug, suffering some nasty concussions in particular, which ultimately derailed his career. He was very public about his struggles dealing with the physical and emotional toll this took on him.

Davon House (2011-2014, 2017-2018)​

Regular season stats: 55 games played, 26 starts; 3 INT, 11 return yards, 31 passes defensed, 144 total tackles (122 solo, 22 assisted), 7 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Postseason stats: 3 games played; 2 passes defensed, 7 total tackles (4 solo, 3 assisted)

I cannot just skip over the dark ages so I leave you with this. Buckle up.

Damarious Randall (2015-2017)​

Regular season stats: 39 games played, 30 starts; 10 INT, 173 return yards, 2 INT TDs, 32 passes defensed, 144 total tackles (126 solo, 18 assisted), 6 TFLs, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 5 games played, 5 starts; 2 INT, 78 return yards, 5 passes defensed, 23 total tackles (18 solo, 5 assisted)

Remain buckled; we are almost done.

Kevin King (2017-2021)​

Regular season stats: 51 games played, 42 starts; 7 INT, 54 return yards, 30 passes defensed, 197 total tackles (158 solo, 39 assisted), 5 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 5 games played, 4 starts; 2 passes defensed, 20 total tackles (16 solo, 4 assisted), 1 TFL

Get back in the car.

Jaire Alexander (2018-2024)​

2x Second-Team All Pro, 2x Pro Bowl, PFWA All-Rookie Team

Regular season stats: 78 games played, 76 starts; 12 INT, 201 return yards, 1 INT TD, 70 passes defensed, 287 total tackles (241 solo, 46 assisted), 12 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 safety, 3 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries
Postseason stats: 6 games played, 6 starts; 3 INT, 16 return yards, 5 passes defensed, 28 total tackles (20 solo, 8 assisted), 1 TFL

Writing this made me sad. Jaire Alexander was one of the most talented defensive backs the team had rostered since Charles Woodson was playing for them. He was incredibly fun to watch, and had built up a reputation as one of the most annoying guys to play against (complimentary). He was their guy! After years of disappointment from the guys who came before him, they finally found a good corner. And then you realize he played fewer games for the Packers than Sam Shields. In fact, he played a full 16 game season just once. It was never supposed to go this way, but Jaire could not stay healthy. After playing 78 out of a possible 116 games, the Packers released Alexander a few weeks ago, and he signed with the Baltimore Ravens shortly thereafter.

Rasul Douglas (2021-2023)​

Regular season stats: 36 games played, 28 starts; 10 INT, 129 return yards, 2 INT TD, 32 passes defensed, 174 total tackles (147 solo, 27 assisted), 7 TFLs, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason stats: 1 game played, 1 start; 1 pass defensed, 5 total tackles (3 solo, 2 assisted)

The discovery of Rasul Douglas was a fun time for fans of the Packers. After a few seasons in Philadelphia and Carolina, Douglas was on three different teams in 2021 before being signed by the Packers. With various DBs on the roster suffering some sort of injury, Douglas saw a ton of playing time and recorded 5 INTs in his 13 games that year, including 4 picks in a 4 week span. He became an incredibly reliable piece for the defense in his short time with the team before being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2023 when it looked like the Packers were on their way down (they were not).

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Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-the-2nd-best-outside-cb-of-the-last-25-years

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Packers All-Quarter Century Team: The 2nd-best linebacker of the 2000s so far

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Who gets your vote as LB2?

In an impressively close vote, APC readers chose Nick Barnett as the Green Bay Packers' best linebacker of the 2000s. Now we move on to a second linebacker spot, which should be an intriguing vote given some brief tenures by the better players at the position over the last 25 years.

Who’s your choice for the second-best linebacker of the 2000s so far? Will you vote for longevity or a brief but productive run? We look forward to seeing the results!

The linebacker nominees​

Na’il Diggs (2000-05)​

390 tackles (49 for loss), seven sacks, four interceptions

84 games played (80 starts)

A fourth round pick in 2000, Diggs was a starter essentially from the get-go and would go on to start virtually every game for which he was healthy until injuries piled up in the 2005 season. Diggs was never a Pro Bowler or All-Pro in Green Bay, but he was a very solid player, recording four interceptions and seven sacks to go with a boatload of tackles across his Packers career. His best season came in 2002, when he logged three sacks and two interceptions to go with his 85 total tackles, which included 12 tackles for loss, the second-most on the team.

A.J. Hawk (2006-14)​

1x Pro Bowl

922 tackles (55 for loss), 19 sacks, nine interceptions

142 games played, 136 starts

Before A.J. Hawk was a stoic, cigar-smoking TV show cohost, the 2006 fifth overall pick was a long-tenured member of the Green Bay Packers. Though he’s probably mostly remembered for rarely keeping his helmet on, giving his own sideline the finger, and being victimized on a crucial fake field goal in the 2014 NFC Championship game (I’ll spare you the link on that one), Hawk also was a solid, durable linebacker for most of his tenure. He missed just two games in his Packers’ career, breaking the 100-tackle threshold six times. His 19 sacks are the most of any linebacker on this list.

De’Vondre Campbell (2021-23)​

1x All-Pro

317 tackles (15 for loss), two sacks, four interceptions

40 games played (40 starts)

The very definition of lightning in a bottle, De’Vondre Campbell was marvelous in 2021. He was everywhere in first-year defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s defense, earning first-team All-Pro honors while helming a unit that was stronger than just about anyone could have anticipated. But, like Barry, Campbell’s contributions in Green Bay waned. Despite signing a lucrative contract in the 2022 offseason, Campbell would play fewer and fewer games each of the next two seasons as injuries mounted. The Packers moved on after the 2023 season, and Campbell did a speedrun of the same arc in San Francisco, earning a late-season dismissal after holding down the fort for Dre Greenlaw. His pick-6 against Washington in 2022 was pretty neat, though.

Desmond Bishop (2007-12)​

294 tackles (16 for loss), nine sacks, one interception

69 games played (26 starts)

Dubbed Mr. August early in his career for his outstanding preseason play, Bishop finally ascended to the starting lineup in 2010. He immediately paid back the Packers’ faith, recording a season-high 13 tackles and a sack in his first start and returning his only career interception 32 yards for a touchdown two weeks later — spoiling Brett Favre’s second trip to Lambeau Field in a Vikings uniform in the process. That same season, Bishop would recover a fumble forced by Clay Matthews on the famous “spill it!” play in Super Bowl XLV. Bishop would return to the starting lineup in 2011, recording a team-leading 115 tackles, but a bad hamstring injury prior to the 2012 season scuttled that season and ended his Packers career.

Brady Poppinga (2005-10)​

182 tackles (12 for loss), five sacks, two interceptions

81 games played (44 starts)

A fourth round pick in the same draft that produced Aaron Rodgers and Nick Collins, Poppinga was a full-time (or close to full-time) starter in three of his six seasons in Green Bay. More of a role player than others on this list, Poppinga never finished higher than third on the team in tackles in a given season. He was, however, usually a core special teams player and contributed there throughout his career.

Quay Walker (2022-present)​

341 tackles (21 for loss) 6.5 sacks, one interception

44 games played (43 starts)

Walker has produced solid stats throughout his Packers career (100+ tackles in each of his three seasons so far), but questions remain about the extent to which he’s been able to put it all together on the field. He’s had a couple of embarrassing ejections, and hasn’t yet fully harnessed the elite physical abilities that drew the Packers to him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Still, his Week 1 pick-6 against the Bears in 2023 was awesome; there’s no disputing that.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...m-the-2nd-best-linebacker-of-the-2000s-so-far

 

[Green Bay Packers]

Wednesday Cheese Curds: What can Josh Jacobs do for an encore?

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Can Jacobs be even better in his second year in Green Bay?

In a year of boom or bust offense for the Packers, Josh Jacobs was a consistent force throughout 2024. Though he may not have achieved the insane heights of Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry last season, he consistently ground out the hard yards that kept the Packers’ offense thrumming along, especially when the Packers needed him most.

Jacobs’ 32-carry, 151-yard performance in Week 2 — supporting new-in-town Malik Willis with Jordan Love on the shelf with a knee injury — should go down in Packers lore as one of the great games in team history, goalline fumble notwithstanding. He really was just about all the Packers could have asked for in a free agent running back signing.

But of course, in the “what have you done for me lately” NFL, we have to talk about what Jacobs does as a follow up. Last year was great, but what will he do this year?

It’s impossible to say, but hopefully he’ll have a bit more help. The Packers’ offensive line was great in pass protection last year, but struggled to open holes for Jacobs. And the passing game, weighed down by a terribly inconsistent wide receiver room, hardly provided the support the running game would need.

In theory, both of those problems could be solved by the Packers’ offseason additions this year. The Packers added the massive Aaron Banks in free agency and the equally massive Anthony Belton in the draft, switching Elgton Jenkins to center in the interim. Between those moves and improvement from players carrying over from 2024, the line should be in better position to provide support to Jacobs, and we’ve all talked endlessly about the wide receiver additions.

So the question might actually be this: can Jacobs be better in his second year in Green Bay than he was in year one? Signs seem to indicate it’s at least possible.

Countdown to camp: While Josh Jacobs looks for more in Year 2, competition abounds for No. 2 back | Packers.com​

Jacobs is the headline, but the story at running back includes intriguing questions about what happens behind him.

Most important position battles for Packers entering training camp in 2025 | Packers Wire​

The battle behind Jacobs is one of the most important training camp tilts of 2025.

Packers Training Camp Preview: Tight End Battles, X-Factor, Game-Changer | Sports Illustrated​

Can Tucker Kraft build on his impressive 2024?

Packers quarterback Jordan Love has perfect collaboration with Pizza Hut at his wedding | Packers News​

Pizza brings everyone together, it turns out.

Overturned milk truck creates ‘significant spill’ on New York road | UPI​

Whatever, just don’t cry about it.

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...e-curds-what-can-josh-jacobs-do-for-an-encore