Today was the heaviest work day of the week for the Packers and the zoom cameras were busy before and after practice. With the NFC Divisional Playoff against the Los Angeles Rams coming first among the four post-season games this weekend on Saturday, today was like a regular season Thursday with a lengthy workout on Clarke Hinkle Field. Five players and a half dozen coaches all went before the zoom cameras for media sessions and the day ended with a scary twist for the newest arrival and that’s where this note column begins.
Veteran offensive tackle Jared Veldheer was such a neat story Tuesday when he was signed by the Packers after playing left tackle as a practice squad call-up for the Indianapolis Colts on Wild Card weekend. He drove to Green Bay from Indy to join the team at practice on Tuesday but wasn’t on the field today. We found out why in the dinner hour as the Packers placed him on the Reserve/Covid list. It set off alarms not unlike the ones heard in Cleveland last week but it was quickly reported that contact tracing found no other players are headed to the reserve list. The round of testing for everyone, players and coaches, will have to remain clean both Thursday and Friday to make sure it stops with Veldheer. If he wants to become the first player in NFL history to play for two different teams in the same post-season, it will have to be in the NFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl if the Packers advance.
The health of the rest of the team appears good as Kingsley Keke (concussion) and Marcedes Lewis (knee) were the only non-participants. Out in Los Angeles, Aaron Donald was withheld for a second straight day be he reportedly told the media he’s feeling fine and will be ready to play this weekend. Cooper Kupp, Dave Edwards and John Wolford also didn’t practice but Jared Goff was a full participant leading you to believe he’ll get the starting call but Head Coach Sean McVay still hasn’t made anything official.
One of the most respected NFL writers in the country, Rick Gosselin of Dallas, released his annual and very well regarded Special Teams Rankings today. Each team is ranked in a detailed range of special team categories. He’s compiled this list for over 40 years and the team with the best teams in 2020 was the New England Patriots, a perennial contender. As you could imagine, the Packers were well down the list as they had several calamities take place all year, giving up two punt return touchdowns, getting a punt blocked and having all kinds of difficulty generating a return game. As it turns out, the Packers wound up 29th out of 32 teams. They ranked dead last in kickoff return average, dead last in punt coverage. There were bright spots. Mason Crosby was 16 for 16 on field goals tying for first at 100% and the Packers also committed the third fewest special teams penalties this year with only six. As concerning as the ranking may appear, consider the Los Angeles Rams ranked right behind the Packers at number 30 this year.
Among the players meeting the media today was tight end Robert Tonyan. Talk about a breakout season! He finished second on the club with 52 receptions and tied the team record held by Paul Coffman with 11 touchdowns. Many felt he deserved at least a Pro Bowl nod for the campaign but Tonyan said just exceeding his expectations for the season was reward enough. A work ethic he developed in college at Indiana State and then refined by training with 15 year veteran Marcedes Lewis, not to mention with All Pro George Kittle of the 49ers, transformed Tonyan into a bona fide NFL tight end. About Lewis, Robert said he has become a huge influence in both his game and his life. When Marcedes signed a one year contract to return to the Packers this spring, he told Tonyan he wanted to come back for him, to help him become a complete player and person. Tonyan said Lewis is so looked up to in the locker room and throughout the organization, even office staff and other employees seek him out for advice.
