Packers’ Quay Walker: ‘I Know I’m Going To Do It This Year’

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Quay Walker is going into his final season under contract with the Green Bay Packers confident that this will not be his last season with the Packers.

A first-round pick in 2022, the Packers declined his fifth-year option this offseason for financial reasons. With the 2025 season set to begin on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, Walker said he’s focusing on the first game of the upcoming season rather than where he’ll be playing next season.

“Honestly, I never really think about it. Honestly,” Walker said after Friday’s practice. “Of course, we’re in discussions or whatever the case may be. I’m not going to go into full detail about that. But I don’t really like to think about it.

“I just want to play ball. I just want to live up to my ceiling, be the player that I know I can be, which I know I’m going to become this year. I’ve got a ton of faith that I’m going to become the player I want to be because I put the work in, the time in. So, at this point, I’ve just got to go out and let my work show for itself. That’s going to be it. And that’s pretty much all I have to say.”

Walker, whose game has run hot and cold for three seasons, played the best football of his career down the stretch last season. However, an ankle injury sustained at Seattle in December came at the wrong time for Walker and the team. Walker returned for the playoff loss to the Eagles but wasn’t at his best.

“I just think I got in a groove and my confidence was kind of up,” Walker said. “I just felt like I was in a real, real good place at the time. It was a new defense and I was understanding it way, way better, so that allowed me to play faster knowing where guys were going to be at and stuff like that because of all the reps and time.”

That first sentence was big for a player who’s battled confidence issues and has been guilty of letting one bad play – or even one imperfect play – linger into the next.

“It takes a toll on me, honestly,” Walker said.

That was a point of emphasis for defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley during their season-ending exit meeting last year.

“That was something he told me he wanted me to work on because he knows how hard I am on myself,” Walker said. “Anytime I get so hard on myself, my confidence kind of goes down and my play goes down just because I’m so worried about everything and I want to be so right instead of just playing fast.”

That’s easy to say but how will he learn to ease up on himself in a game? By talking to himself and reminding himself to have a next-play mentality.

He thinks he’s off to a good start but acknowledged that his new mindset hasn’t been put to the test.

“I haven’t faced adversity yet during the season,” Walker said. “When that comes to show, then I can be able to remind myself that that was a main goal that I had for this offseason.”

Walker enters this season as confident as ever. Mentally, he’s in Year 2 of Hafley’s scheme and is able to anticipate what the coordinator is going to call. Physically, offseason ankle surgery sidelined him for the offseason practices and the start of training camp, Walker said he feels dialed in after participating in both joint practices and playing one series against Seattle in the final preseason game.

Now, he’s got to stop being an “overthinker” and start giving himself “a little grace” when something goes wrong.

“Just got to go out there and play,” Walker said. “That’s the only thing it is at this point – just play ball. That’s all it is. Just play football. I’m comfortable with everything now.”

Walker has been a productive player. Last season, his 5.54 solo tackles ranked fifth in the NFL. He’s No. 2 in the draft class in tackles and one of only two players in the class with 225-plus tackles and 20-plus tackles for losses.

Now, with the Packers ready to kick off a season they believe can end at the Super Bowl and with Walker trying to solidify his future, it’s time for Walker to play his best football.

He’s ready to do it.

“I’ve been way too humble in not speaking things into existence,” he said, “but I know I’m going to do it this year. So, that’s that.”

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