Here’s Why Packers’ Javon Bullard Has New Number, Sees ‘Special’ Season

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Javon Bullard’s got a new number but the same mentality.

The Green Bay Packers’ starting nickel defender swooped in to grab the No. 7 worn previously by his former NFL and college teammate, Quay Walker.

“I always wanted a single digit,” Bullard said during a break in OTAs on Wednesday. “And when my boy Quay left, we got to keep that jersey in the family. We got to keep No. 7 in the Georgia family. I knew when he left, I was like, I’m snatching that number up.”

Bullard wasted no time. Upon hearing that Walker was signing a big free-agent contract with the Raiders, Bullard reached out to Walker and coach Matt LaFleur.

“Hell, yeah, hell, yeah. I ain’t wasting no time,” Bullard said. “As soon as he left, because me and Quay got a personal relationship off the field, so I asked him. I really didn’t want my boy to leave, but when he did, when I did find out he was leaving, I was like, you know, let me call Matt and then see if I can get this number switched, man.”

Bullard likes how he looks after ditching No. 20, which is now worn by rookie cornerback Domani Jackson.

“Oh, yeah, I like it for sure,” Bullard said.

Green Bay Packers safety Javon Bullard tackles a dummy during OTAs. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bullard has a new number but the same mentality as he gets settled into new coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s defense. After splitting his rookie season between safety and the slot as a second-round pick in 2024, Bullard moved permanently into the slot last season. While the numbers weren’t anything special – 83 tackles, zero interceptions and three passes defensed – he had a strong season.

Asked what stands out about Gannon’s defense, which picked off Jordan Love twice on Tuesday, Bullard said the number of disguises in the secondary is “crazy,” he said.

“I’m just excited, to be honest with you,” he added. “Talked to J.G. throughout the offseason, and I’m excited not only for myself but for this team, for this defense. I think we’re going to have a special year.”

The key to Green Bay’s defense taking the next step as a unit is taking the final step in games. Due to their team-wide struggles, they developed a season-killing habit of failing to finish off games.

The Packers coughed up a big lead in a season-changing loss at Denver, then blew another big lead in a loss at Chicago. They were 9-5-1 at that point when they were in position to be 15-0. Then, of course, they gave away the playoff rematch against the Bears.

If the Packers can’t solve that problem, nothing else will matter.

“You got to find a way,” Bullard said. “There’s no perfect way to end the game. You just got to find a way. And that’s where grit comes in, that’s where love, that’s where brotherhood really comes in at, because you got to lean on your brother.

“When you ain’t got nothing left in the tank, you’re depending on your brother, who might have a little bit left in his tank. That’s the thing, man. We got a saying when we was at UGA, man, one plus one equals three. So, even though I’m one person, you’re one person, our bond together, that’s going to give us an extra person, you know what I’m saying?”

It’s that bond that builds a great team, Bullard said. A player will work hard for himself; he’ll work harder as a member of a connected team.

“The love that we have for your teammates, the love that you have for your brother, it’s going to give you that extra gear, that extra push, especially to finish out those close games,” he continued. “And when we play those good teams like Chicago and the rest of this league, man, you’re going to need that.

“Being good is not good enough, as y’all can see. You got to be great in those moments.”

One area where Green Bay’s defense regressed last season was takeaways. It finished fourth with 31 in 2024 but tied for only 26th with 14 in 2025.

In all of those close losses last season, a turnover here or there could have made a difference in either closing out a close win or extending the lead to an insurmountable margin.

In typical Bullard fashion, he talked about the key to cranking up the takeaway count.

“You got to seek the ball, man. It’s so important, they named the game after it,” he said. “So, you really got to seek the football. Your mind got to be on the football at all times. You got to dream about it. You got to sleep with it. You got to smell it. It’s all types of stuff. Like the ball got to be on your mind all the time.

“And it’s really a conscious effort to go get the ball and it’s a skill. People don’t understand it that it’s a true skill to be able to hunt the football and get the football. So, with that being said, we didn’t get as many as we wanted to last year, but we’re trying to make a difference this year, for sure.”

With a new number, maybe there will be new results for Bullard. Bullard has been a solid player for two seasons. With zero interceptions or forced fumbles, he has not been great.

Maybe a new number combined with a new defense will bring the best out of the 23-year-old ascending player and leader.

Asked if he feels faster in his new jersey, he said: “Nah, I mean, sh--, I just feel like Bull. I feel good, anyway, you know what I mean? But I definitely like the look of the single digit.”

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY PACKERS NEWSLETTER

Add us as a preferred source on Google