Fans warmly welcome back Rodgers
Wednesday’s takeaways
With fans back at training camp this year after a one-year pandemic hiatus, it was hard not to wonder how they would react to Aaron Rodgers after an offseason in which the Packers quarterback didn't agree to return to the team until shortly before the reporting day Tuesday. He was well received, and all in all, it seemed like a normal training camp practice from the last decade. When Rodgers took the field running out of the Don Hutson Center with the rest of his teammates, there was nothing but cheers. When the offense and defense split to opposite ends of the field early in practice, one fan on the offense's end yelled, “Aaron Rodgers, welcome back.” A little later, after Rodgers threw a pass to a receiver running a route on air, another yelled, “Nice throw, Rodgers.” Rodgers appeared loose and at ease. If you hadn't known what had gone on in the offseason, you wouldn't have suspected anything.
● The Packers won't work in pads until their fifth practice (next Tuesday), according to a team spokesman, so there was only so much to glean from watching players in shorts and helmets. But the first practice revealed some lineup configurations. Most notably in a carryover from offseason work, it looks like Elgton Jenkins is their choice to start at left tackle until David Bakhtiari returns from ACL surgery. Jenkins lined up at left tackle, with Jon Runyan at left guard, second-round pick Josh Myers at center, Lucas Patrick at right guard and Billy Turner at right tackle. Turner finished out last season at left tackle after Bakhtiari's injury the final week of the regular season. But there probably are two reasons to have Jenkins play there now with a full offseason to prepare. First, he's the team's most talented offensive lineman after Bakhtiari, so he probably is best suited to playing the hardest position on the line. Second, it makes the line's transition easier when Bakhtiari returns. Bakhtiari had surgery in early January, and the Packers' medical staff generally insists that players don't see game action until at least nine months after surgery — players who come back earlier have a higher incidence of compensatory injuries and degenerative problems in the knee. So Bakhtiari likely will miss anywhere from three to maybe eight games. Jenkins' usual position is left guard, so this keeps him on the left side of the line until Bakhtiari returns. If Turner played left tackle, Jenkins probably would have replaced him at right tackle, so both would have to switch positions and sides of the line on Bakhtiari's return.
QB watch
It looks like Kurt Benkert is going to get even less work than a No. 3 quarterback usually gets in training camp. The rotation in team drills had Rodgers taking three or four snaps, and then Love taking the next three or four, instead of Benkert mixing in for a snap or two with the backups. Rodgers and Love took all the snaps until the last period of practice, when most veterans were excused. Love opened that period at quarterback and gave way to Benkert for the last four plays. Though Rodgers skipped all offseason work, his timing appeared to be fine – in one early period he hit Equanimeous St. Brown for a diving 17-yard touchdown pass on an out pattern in the corner of the end zone. Love had only an OK day. His best throw was in a redzone period when he hit third-round pick Amari Rodgers along the sidelines with a touch pass for a four-yard touchdown against tight coverage by Chandon Sullivan. Love also had a couple passes knocked down at the line and missed DeAndre Thompkins badly, low and behind, on one short throw over the middle.
Injury report
Non-football injury list: CB Kevin King, S Will Redmond, S Henry Black, OLB Za'Darius Smith, ILB Isaiah McDuffie, DL Kingsley Keke.
Physically unable to perform list: RB Patrick Taylor, LT David Bakhtiari, TE Josiah Deguara.
Reserve/COVID: ILB Ray Wilborn.
Bits and pieces
● Summer free-agent signee De'Vondre Campbell worked as one of the two starting inside linebackers, alongside second-year pro Krys Barnes and ahead of second-year pro Kamal Martin. The Packers signed Campbell in June to a one-year deal with voidable years that will pay him $2 million, including a $1 million signing bonus.
● Running back Aaron Jones looks like he might be in the best shape of his five-year career after signing a new contract in the offseason that guarantees him $13 million. The running back is listed at his usual 208 pounds, but he looked leaner and sleeker than ever. The guess here is he's 200 or even a little under.
Quote of the day
“There was no stress, I don't know what you're talking about.” — coach Matt LaFleur joking when asked about his stressful offseason because of the Rodgers turmoil.
Practice schedule
The Packers practice at 10:10 a.m. Thursday.