Aside from the fact the three time NFL Most Valuable Player wasn’t at Lambeau Field or throwing the ball around on Clarke Hinkle Field during practice, Thursday felt a lot more routine for the Green Bay Packers.
Aaron Rodgers of course joined the Reserve/COVID-19 list club on Wednesday, touching off a tidal wave of social media and sports network debate covering everything from his health (which should be the primary concern) to when and where did he wear a mask to his terminology substitution of “immunized” versus “vaccinated.” Whether the quarterback or the team will get swept up in protocol violation discipline remains to be seen but Head Coach Matt LaFleur reiterated his stance that he’s “100 percent certain” the team followed all the rules inside the football operations space, from the locker room to lunch room, training table and meeting rooms. When asked if team protocols extended to the media auditorium where Rodgers met reporters weekly, without a mask, LaFleur snapped that’s not his responsibility. The NFL is taking a look at all of it, protocols both inside and away from 1265 Lombardi Avenue.
With the quarterback on lockdown for another nine days, the task of preparing Jordan Love to face the Kansas City Chiefs revved into high gear. At least Love had QB company today with the arrival of Blake Bortels, officially signed to the practice squad.
The GB QB’s
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett joked after practice, “we keep hooking up.” He coached Bortels at Jacksonville when he was their number one draft choice and again this off-season in Green Bay when he served as the veteran place holder for Rodgers who patching up differences with his employer at the time.
The task of coaching up Love before his NFL starting debut Sunday falls on the entire coaching staff but most directly with Quarterback Coach and Passing Game Coordinator Luke Getsy. He also met with reporters after the workout and talked about how Love’s reps even as the scout team signal caller will help him get ready for the big day with the starters.
Getsy says the game plan development doesn’t change all that much. The first priority is to determine how best to attack the Kansas City defense and then incorporating what Love does well to compliment that plan. Getsy said there are challenges every week in the NFL but the last couple, coming up with a game plan minus the top three receivers in Arizona and now with Love against the Chiefs, keeps things interesting and honestly fun.
At least one, perhaps all three of those receivers will be with Love in the huddle at Arrowhead Stadium. Allen Lazard came off the Reserve/Covid list on Wednesday and Adams was re-activated today. I saw him stretching with the team pre-practice inside the Don Hutson Center but did not see him once the team moved outside for drills during the open portion of practice. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has been practicing for over a week and appears ready to come off injured reserve following his hamstring injury.
Another back from a bout with COVID is defensive coordinator Joe Barry. He told reporters he feels “phenomenal.” Aside from a runny nose, he experienced no other symptoms but being isolated from the team and even his family at home by moving to basement quarters was the hardest 10 days of his life. Watching his unit play in Arizona was like an “out of body” experience but said he thought the defense played very well. They’re in for another big challenge on Sunday with Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and company.
The rest of the medical news continues to improve. Only two players did not participate Thursday, Kingsley Keke with a concussion and Marcedes Lewis who got his usual day of rest. Dennis Kelly remained limited working through his back injury. Dean Lowry didn’t work Wednesday but was limited Thursday with a hamstring problem. Kevin King, Josiah Deguara and Jack Heflin were full participants.
With Kylin Hill lost for the season after tearing his ACL on a kickoff return against the Cardinals last week, the running back room was one player short. Today, the Packers activated Patrick Taylor from the practice squad.
New long snapper Steven Wirtel stepped front and center as one of three players the team made available to the media after practice.
Steven Wirtel
Wirtel admitted it was first press conference since he was at Iowa State. Signed by the Packers late in camp as perhaps COVID insurance should something happen to Hunter Bradley, Green Bay took steps to make sure he didn’t get away. Each week through the first 8 games, he was one of the practice squad player protected by the Packers, no allowing any other team to sign him. When Bradley’s inconsistencies didn’t improve, General Manager Brian Gutekunst made the switch, cutting Hunter and giving Wirtel a shot. The Chicago area native, who actually grew up a Washington Redskin fan (his grandfather played for the team back in the day), Wirtel has a brother who also became a long snapper. So began his journey to refine his craft and finally become an NFL specialist.
Wirtel said he’s going to have a lot of family converging on Kansas City for his pro debut, including his grandfather.
For a team that hasn’t had a lot of good news except on game days lately, they got some yesterday when linebacker De’Vondre Campbell was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October.
“Dre” the honored linebacker
On the steadily improving defense in October, Campbell piled up 45 tackles, he recorded a sack, picked off a pass and forced a pair of fumbles. He’s been the biggest revelation of any newcomer by a mile this year, earning the team’s first Defensive Player of the Month award in over a decade.
Team President and CEO Mark Murphy spent some time in the Titletown District to cut a ribbon and announce a naming rights deal for the new seven story office building. The U.S. Venture Center will be home to several businesses at the west end of the Titletown District with 80percent occupancy expected by the spring of 2022.
