Jayden Reed was hot, tired and ready for a nap.
The Green Bay Packers’ second-year wideout had just wrapped up practice Tuesday and was feeling the effects of training camp.
“Man, these are the dog days. Dog days!” Reed exclaimed. “We’re definitely in the dog days of camp.”
Amazingly, those days are quickly winding down.
The Packers held their 15th training camp practice Wednesday, a lengthy affair that lasted more than 2 hours on a steamy Green Bay day. Now, the Packers are down to just two more public practices in front of the hometown fans — both coming next week.
Green Bay will travel to Denver Thursday, then scrimmage the Broncos Friday at 11 a.m. (CST). The Packers and Broncos then meet Sunday at 7 p.m. in the second preseason game for both teams.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly from Wednesday’s practice.
THE GOOD
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BOUNCE BACK YEAR?: Jaire Alexander, the NFL’s highest paid cornerback (four years, $84 million), had the worst season of his six-year career in 2023 — both on and off the field.
Alexander played in just seven games due to back and shoulder injuries and was remarkably inconsistent when he played. Alexander was also suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team following a Week 16 win in Carolina.
Alexander is hoping to bounce back in Year 7.
Alexander has had an impressive summer, and continued to shine Wednesday. Alexander had an early pass breakup on a fade for Romeo Doubs, then made a nifty interception of a Jordan Love pass intended for Luke Musgrave.
Alexander’s interception was the 19th this summer for the Packers’ defense.
“It's amazing. It's amazing,” Alexander said of the confidence Green Bay’s secondary is playing with. “I think it helps our defense a lot. It helps the team a lot, just having guys with maximum confidence level. This game is gonna have ups and downs, but I know these guys are gonna stick it through. You know why? Because that's what we cut from.”
BUZZ IN THE AIR: Safety Zayne Anderson is one of just three Packers who’s been part of a Super Bowl team.
Anderson was on Kansas City’s practice squad when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 2022. Long snapper Matt Orzech and cornerback Robert Rochelle were with the Los Angeles Rams when they won the Super Bowl in 2021.
Anderson experienced the buzz that goes with being on a championship team in Kansas City, and says he feels a similar sense of excitement with the current Packers.
“You can feel it man,” Anderson said. “I’ve been on a Super Bowl team. I’ve got a Super Bowl ring. So I’ve been a part of teams like that and you know, you can just feel that atmosphere. It’s electric here.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do and it’s one thing at a time and we’ve got to maximize this preseason and getting in these reps with the new defense. But I think we’re headed in the right direction.”
HELLO AND GOODBYE: The Packers added running back Nate McCrary and linebacker Chris Russell to their 90-man roster. To make room, Green Bay released long snapper Peter Bowden and safety Tyler Coyle.
McCrary, who went undrafted in 2021, was in Green Bay for training camp last summer and had 11 carries for 37 yards in two preseason games. McCrary was released on cutdown day, and last played for the UFL’s Michigan Panthers.
Russell, who played collegiately at Texas A&M, went undrafted in April. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds at A&M’s pro day and had a vertical jump of 35.5”.
Green Bay is dealing with a slew of injuries at both positions. Running backs Marshawn Lloyd (hamstring) and Jarveon Howard (ankle), as well as linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hip) have not practiced this week. Linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper (ankle) returned to practice Tuesday after missing time late last week.
BE MY VALENTINE: Second-year cornerback Carrington Valentine returned to practice after missing two weeks with a hamstring injury.
Valentine, who did just individual work Wednesday, was battling Eric Stokes for a starting cornerback job opposite Jaire Alexander. Whether Valentine has missed too much time to still challenge Stokes remains to be seen.
“It was good ... just to get back on the grass,” Valentine said after practice. “I love football, especially when something like that happens, it kind of gets taken away from you for a little bit. So just to get back out there, it felt great.”
RETURN OF THE MONK: Rookie guard/center Jacob Monk was back after dropping out midway through Tuesday’s practice.
“I think, just the couple days off combined with … by Green Bay standards it was a scorcher out there,” LaFleur said of Tuesday’s practice. “I think it kind of got on guys a little bit.”
Monk was one of Green Bay’s more impressive players during the preseason opener in Cleveland and figures to be one of the Packers’ top interior backups.
“Watching that film from the game on Saturday was an awesome,” Packers offensive line coach Luke Butkus said of Monk. “Not a surprise because I know he’s a tough kid and he works his butt off. But before the game during warmups, the look on his face, he was ready to rip somebody’s lips off.
“That’s the way he played, and it was fun to watch. He loves playing the game. He loves the physicality of it and was really excited for him to get out there and play his first snap.”
THIS AND THAT: Tucker Kraft, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle in April, returned to 11-on-11 drills Tuesday for the first time this summer. Kraft is one of the more passionate players on the roster, and his return was a boost. “Yeah, it’s great to get him back out there in those 11-on-11 drills,” LaFleur said. “He’s been chomping at the bit, as you know and working really hard.” … Linebacker Quay Walker was back doing team drills after not taking part in 11-on-11 Tuesday. … Green Bay’s No. 1 offensive line was (from left) Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom. … Rookie safety Javon Bullard worked with the No. 1 defense for a sixth straight practice and the 10th time in 15 practices. At this point, he appears to be the clear-cut starter next to Xavier McKinney.
THE BAD
WHO’S NO. 2?: If Jordan Love were to — gasp — get injured this season, the Packers could be in big trouble.
Sean Clifford, the Packers’ backup last season, has had an uneven camp. And after Clifford threw two interceptions Tuesday, seventh round rookie quarterback Michael Pratt began getting some work with the No. 2 offense.
“It’s super-healthy,” Clifford said of his competition with Pratt. “That’s the thing, I’m honored to compete with Mike just because I respect him so much as a quarterback.
“When you come in and you have an opportunity to get better every single day and you know that if you take a day off, he’s not, it raises the level of the competition in the room. I think ultimately, we’re all here to put the best product on the field for the Packers. That’s the only thing that matters.”
Clifford took most of the snaps with the No. 2’s Wednesday, but Pratt also received time there.
When Packers coach Matt LaFleur was asked how the two quarterbacks would be used in the preseason game against Denver on Sunday, he said: “We’ll see. We’re kind of working through that right now.”
TWO-MINUTE TROUBLES: Green Bay’s offense has struggled in 2-minute situations all summer, and Wednesday was no different.
The No. 1 offense started at its own 35-yard line with 1:40 left and trailing by seven points. Jordan Love then engineered a nine-play drive to the opposing 11-yard line, but time ran out and the defense got the stop.
The Packers’ No. 2 offense also started at the 35 with 1:40 left, but only needed a field goal to tie. Sean Clifford then led a 7-play drive that resulted in a missed field goal attempt by Greg Joseph.
Afterwards, Clifford said he thought the No. 2 offense needed a touchdown to tie, not a field goal.
“It’s on me. I thought that we were in the same situation as Jordan where we were down seven and we were down three,” Clifford said. “I need to check but I just assumed that we were down seven, so I was thinking a little bit differently than I probably would’ve thought if we were down three, which is a bummer because it looked weird at the end. That’s just knowing the situation and being able to relay that with the coaches.”
RUNNING TO A STANDSTILL: Green Bay’s ground game was impressive in the preseason opener, as the Packers piled up 155 rushing yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry.
It’s been tougher sledding on the practice field, though.
Green Bay’s running game has been largely stuck in the mud, and it was much of the same Wednesday.
Rashan Gary blew up early run plays to both Josh Jacobs and A.J. Dillon. Isaiah McDuffie also stoned a run play for Dillon.
Perhaps this is a sign the defense will be terrific against the run. Either way, though, the offense needs to get better in that area.
FROM THE INFIRMARY: Players that remained out were running back Marshawn Lloyd (hamstring), linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hip), and defensive linemen Deslin Alexandre (lower leg) and Keshawn Banks (groin).
THE UGLY
Kickers Greg Joseph and Anders Carlson have both enjoyed solid summers. Wednesday was not their day, though.
Joseph made just 3-of-6 kicks, with misses from 45, 49 and 55 yards. Carlson was 4-of-6 with misses from 41 and 55 yards.
In practices only, Joseph is now 49-of-59 (83.1%), while Carlson is 47-of-59 (79.7%).
