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

THE GOOD

TUCKER KRAFT: The news continues to be positive for tight end Tucker Kraft, who suffered a torn right ACL on Nov. 2 against Carolina.

Kraft is on the PUP list, but said he believes he’ll be activated “very soon.”

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst echoed those sentiments.

“I anticipate … him being out there sooner rather than later,” Gutekunst said. “The more work he can get with Jordan in particular, even when he’s not ready for the team part of it, the more individual work he can get done with Jordan is going to be important for him as he heads into the season.

“We’ve had a lot of discussions about that, the timing with that. Obviously we want to be protective. But the way he looks, you’d think he’s ready to go.”

Kraft was in the middle of an All-Pro season in 2025 before his injury. Kraft started all eight games he played and posted 32 receptions, 489 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

He was the only tight end in the league with 30-plus receptions, 475-plus receiving yards, six-plus receiving touchdowns and an average of 15-plus yards per catch through Week 9. He also became just the fifth tight end since the 1970 merger to hit those marks in the first eight games of a season, joining Kellen Winslow (1980), Antonio Gates (2010), Jimmy Graham (2013) and Rob Gronkowski (2015).

Kraft led all NFL tight ends in yards per reception, yards after the catch (344), yards after the catch per game (43.0), yards after the catch per reception (10.8 avg.), was tied for No. 1 in explosive receptions (12) and ranked No. 2 in explosive-reception percentage (37.5) through Week 9.

Both Kraft and the Packers would like to get a long term contract done before the season starts.

“I think the best chance for Green Bay to win a Lombardi [Trophy] is with me on the field as well,” Kraft said. “That’s people under the front office telling me that and the importance of us getting this deal done in a timely fashion. But ultimately, like I’ve said over and over again, I’m just so grateful to be a part of this organization and I would like to keep it that way.”

MAKING STRIDES: Oft-injured running back MarShawn Lloyd, who’s played just one game in his first two seasons, appears to be healthy and ready to contribute.

Lloyd spent much of his offseason with Dr. John Meyer of the Meyer Institute of Sport in El Segundo, Calif. Meyer and his staff determined Lloyd was overcompensating while training his lower body.

“He’s the real deal,” Lloyd said of Meyer. “I had to do so (many) tests, and he’s seen how I moved and where I was overcompensating, and he kind of got those places better where I need it. So focus on a lot of single leg stuff and get my quads right and getting my hamstrings right.”

Lloyd said when training camp began last season he was “uncertain” about his health.

Today, he feels dramatically different.

“I mean, as far as like the strength of everything, yeah, my strength is a lot different,” Lloyd said. “A lot of single leg strength and just strong in all aspects from the hips, everything. So I do definitely feel a difference in the way my body feels.”

The Packers don’t have a proven No. 2 running back behind starter Josh Jacobs. And uncertainty still surrounds Jacobs after his arrest on May 26 for domestic disturbance.

So it seems like it’s now or never for Lloyd.

“Obviously we know MarShawn’s gone through his fair share of things,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said. “To have him healthy, to have him out there is great.

“That’s a guy we need to have out there, because I know he’s going to be a special playmaker as somebody who can make those big explosive plays in the run game and the pass game.”

MAKING HIS MARK: Linebacker Zaire Franklin, acquired on an offseason trade for defensive tackle Colby Wooden, had an impactful day. The highlight came when MarShawn Lloyd made a reception and Franklin stripped the ball loose.

The only question was if it was a catch and a fumble, or an incompletion?

“First of all, the game is about the ball, so right, wrong or indifferent, you take the ball away, then you did your job for the day,” Franklin said. “So that felt good, but I love to practice. My favorite part of the game is practice. I’m (going to) make plays in practice.

“You make plays in practice, you make plays in the game. I just believe that, so me and Coach LaFleur even talked about it before today, like I couldn’t wait to get out there and just compete, get better and help make my teammates better. So it doesn’t matter if it’s July, May, August, middle of December, every time I’m on the field I’m playing like it’s my last play and any time I can make a play to help the team, that’s what I care about the most.”

UPSIDE FOR O-LINE?: Left guard Aaron Banks came off the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list Wednesday. And Green Bay’s offensive line, which struggled in 2025, could be improved this season.

After several players bounced around the line a year ago, Green Bay’s starters seem set with the quintet of (from left) Jordan Morgan, Banks, Sean Rhyan, Anthony Belton and Zach Tom.

“I really like that group,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “I’ve always talked about the versatility of that group. I think we’ve got some guys in places this year that make a little bit more sense. That continuity – hopefully we can stay healthy – will benefit us moving forward.”

THIS AND THAT: Cornerback Keisean Nixon was out with a hamstring injury. So rookie second round draft pick Brandon Cisse joined Carrington Valentine with the No. 1 unit. … Center Sean Rhyan did some long snapping with Matt Orzech (calf) out. … Undrafted cornerback Marlon Jones intercepted quarterback Kyle McCord and went 99 yards for a touchdown. “I had been watching the guys in front of me, just taking mental reps,” Jone said. “And so when I got in, I kind of had an idea of what was going to come. The coaches called a good play, and I was able to just make a play on the ball, celebrate with my teammates at the end there. Good way to end practice.” … Quarterback Jordan Love had two rushing touchdowns. … Skyy Moore, known primarily for his return skills, made a leaping catch for a touchdown.

THE BAD

ALREADY BEAT UP: The Packers haven’t played a game since Jan. 10. They won’t put on pads until Sunday.

Yet the following players are either on the PUP or the NFI list: edge rusher Micah Parsons (knee), tight end Tucker Kraft, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (knee), running back Chris Brooks (hamstring), tight end Luke Musgrave (neck), long snapper Matt Orzech (calf), tackle Brant Banks (hamstring), cornerback Kamal Hadden (ankle) and defensive tackle Jordon Reilly (Achilles).

Cornerback Keisean Nixon (hamstring) was also out.

“I mean, you can’t control who’s available, who’s not available?” coach Matt LaFleur said. “Certainly, the medical isn’t in charge of that piece, and all you got to, you have to adapt as a coach and try to make it work at the end of the day.”

WAIT AND SEE: Green Bay’s place kicking battle is between rookie sixth round draft pick Trey Smack and fellow rookie Lenny Krieg. But with Orzech out, the Packers didn’t attempt any field goals.

“Obviously, with Matt out there, it kind of throws a wrench into some of the things we wanted to do,” LaFleur said. “But you know, yeah, it’s there’s always competition whether it’s at kicker, every position on the roster. Certainly, you know we drafted Trey, so we definitely have high hopes for him and understand that with all young kickers there’s typically some growing pains that are associated with that, but yeah just want to push him to be his best.”

THE UGLY

TURN BACK THE CLOCK: When Mike Sherman took over as Green Bay’s coach in 2000, he held 51 practices his first training camp.

This year, Packers coach Matt LaFleur has 13 scheduled practices.

The NFL world has changed dramatically in the last generation or two. And today’s training camps are far softer and gentler than the ones of yesteryear.

“Yeah, it’s really changed from when I first started and a lot of you guys were back there then too when we had the two practices a day,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “Sometimes we had two padded days (practices).

“We had one in the morning. We’d come back, watch the film, eat lunch, get ready for the second practice, come back that night and watch the film. I think we had an 80-man roster at that time. We had smaller practice squads as we went into cutdown. So it was a lot different.”

The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement that was approved in 2020 has severely limited the amount of time that teams can be on the practice field.

For example, there’s a mandatory five-day acclimation period that’s required for players, where the focus is on meetings, medical exams, and controlled physical activity. Live contact is also prohibited during the first five days of camp and is limited in subsequent practices.

The NFL is definitely a safer place than it once was, and that’s a terrific thing. The daily grind of training camp is nothing like it once was, though, and there certainly aren’t as many opportunities for fans to see their heroes.

“The longer I do this, the more I keep reminding myself of (former general manager) Ted (Thompson) as far as with injuries, just trying to get through it healthy, but at the same time understanding what you have to do to become a good football team and how important this time of year is,” Gutekunst said. “So it’s changed quite a bit.

“I think certainly science and technology have changed some things about how we go. You see the CBA rules have changed things about how we go about it. But at the end of the day, there’s so much value in this time of year in coming together as a team. It’s extremely important. It really sets the tone for the entire season.”