Packers Hoped to Avoid ‘Chaos,’ Well, So Much for That at Training Camp

The Green Bay Packers’ 2025 season ended in what can only be called a disaster. A five-game losing streak that included blowing a 21-3 lead to the Chicago Bears in the playoffs led to questions as to whether Matt LaFleur was the right man to lead the charge for the Packers in pursuit of their fifth Super Bowl title.

One of the reasons was the continuity of keeping LaFleur tied with general manager Brian Gutekunst and quarterback Jordan Love.

Don’t believe me? Ask Ed Policy, who stated that essentially word for word when he spoke at the annual shareholders meeting.

“We had 10 head coach openings throughout the league this past offseason, and that caused a tremendous amount of chaos in a lot of other organizations,” Policy said. “I believe that players, and especially quarterbacks, in championship-caliber teams, develop best in an environment of continuity, not chaos.”

Chaos is an interesting word to use, because with just two weeks left in training camp, it’d be hard to describe Green Bay’s training camp as anything more than chaotic, at least at two key positions.

Two of the biggest issues that plagued the Packers a season ago were a lack of continuity on the offensive line and poor cornerback play once Micah Parsons was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

Fast forward seven months and the Packers have issues with continuity on the offensive line and don’t know who is starting at cornerback.

Chaos on the Line

Let’s start up front. Aaron Banks was one of Gutekunst’s big ticket free agent signings last year, when he signed the left guard to a four-year, $77 million deal to be the team’s enforcer on the offensive line.

The only thing that has been enforced so far is that a contract that was questionable the minute it was signed is trending toward disaster in Banks’ second season.

Banks played well in the second half of his first season in Green Bay after he shook off minor injuries that plagued him early. The hope was that Banks could enter his second season with the team with a clean bill of health and have a much better year.

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Aaron Banks walks to practice at training camp. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

That has not come to pass. LaFleur was visibly frustrated when asked about Banks’ status during Sunday’s media availability.

“I think he’s going to make it extremely difficult” for Banks to reclaim the starting job,” LaFleur said in regards to rookie Jager Burton’s performance. “I think Jager has done a really good job.”

When pressed further, LaFleur looked more frustrated in noting that Banks had not participated in 11-on-11 drills to that point.

Banks’ absence has trickled down to other players on the roster. Coming into camp, the idea was that Banks would be slotted in with Jordan Morgan, Sean Rhyan, Anthony Belton and Zach Bako-Bewele from left to right. The hope was that continuity and players focusing on one spot would lead to better performance up front.

Banks’ absence has hindered that, but so has the progress – or lack thereof – with Belton.

Belton did not play guard until midseason as a rookie. He spent most of his rookie training camp focused on learning how to play tackle. He only kicked inside to guard when he replaced Jordan Morgan at right guard on Nov. 23 against the Vikings and started the final seven games of the season.

Two weeks into camp, Belton has been demoted and has not been in competition at right guard. Jacob Monk and Donovan Jennings got reps with the first team last week, with Monk looking like the leader in the clubhouse.

Perhaps Burton could join that club if Banks were able to get back onto the field.

Meanwhile, Belton had been locked in at right tackle until Sunday, when Morgan was off the field and Belton stepped in at left in his absence.

“I love his versatility,” LaFleur said of Belton. “Certainly, I think the tackle position comes a little more natural for him, just time on task. But I think he continues to show great promise at guard, as well.”

If Belton is showing “great promise” at guard, it’d be hard to know because he’s not playing there anymore. In his season-plus on the team, Belton has not fared well at tackle during his preseason performances and looks better suited to play guard due to his ability to play with power in the run game.

One cannot help but think this is another case of LaFleur and his staff mismanaging the offensive line as they’ve done in the past, most recently with playing a natural left tackle in Morgan at an unnatural spot of guard. Morgan predictably struggled at guard and ended up behind Rasheed Walker for his first two seasons.

Chaos at Cornerback, Too

On the other side of the ball, chaos has begun to ensue at the cornerback position. Cornerback was the biggest pressure point on the defense a season ago.

Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine were never going to remind anyone of the 2010 Super Bowl secondary that included Tramon Williams, Charles Woodson and Sam Shields. Instead, by the end of last season they resembled secondaries that included players like Ahmad Carroll.

They were beaten, penalized and struggled to make tackles. They counteracted that by not taking the ball away, with Nixon being the only player to secure an interception during the regular season.

The Packers went to work this offseason to address that concern to some degree. Benjamin St-Juste was signed to challenge for playing time and Brandon Cisse was picked with Green Bay’s highest draft choice.

Cisse looks like he’s in line to start Week 1, but a competition is burgeoning on the other side. Since Nixon ascended to the starting lineup in 2024, his job has never really been under attack. He has been penciled in as a starter for the last two seasons, and last year was the team’s de-facto top cornerback.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant (87) runs a route against cornerback Keisean Nixon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

He’s better than what he’s been given credit for outside of the organization, but is ill-suited to be the top cover man of an aspiring Super Bowl contender.

Nixon entered training camp on an expiring contract that he would not discuss when he came to camp, but now looks like he could be looking for short-term security in addition to long-term security.

Nixon had been rotating with St-Juste leading into the team’s preseason opener against the Steelers.

Nixon started against the Steelers, but did not make the most of his opportunity, which was highlighted by a poor attempt to make a tackle on Steelers rookie receiver Germie Bernard.

During Sunday’s media availability, LaFleur was asked about the cornerback competition and said bluntly, “We need corners that are willing and capable tacklers."

Perhaps Nixon is capable, but during the game Thursday, he appeared to be unwilling.

Jonathan Gannon brushed the play off as an error in technique, at least to reporters. It remains to be seen if there is any carryover from the play into favoring who may start between Nixon, St-Juste and Valentine, who is coming back from a hamstring injury.

Nixon did little to quell the drama Sunday by stating the competition must be a punishment.

“I guess I’m being punished right now. I don’t know,” Nixon said. I don’t really worry about what I’m running in camp, ones or twos. I just keep my process and just compete.”

Nixon, who took the first-team reps at Pittsburgh and again on Sunday, would reiterate later that he is going to play regardless of what his role is.

“I don’t know. They ain’t really told me nothing,” Nixon said of his role. “Every day I find out a different thing, and I just attack it. I don’t care what it is, whether it’s me taking reps on special teams, whatever it is. I attack it.”

Whether there is actual drama between Nixon and the coaching staff is up to interpretation at this point. What isn’t open to interpretation is that less than four weeks away from the season opener against Justin Jefferson, Brian Flores and the rival Minnesota Vikings, a team that was hoping for continuity has instead invited more chaos into their building.

Here's our second Packers Rookie Progress Report, with updates on how all 15 are trending. ⬇️https://t.co/Y4mks2QuUU
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 17, 2026

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