Preseason begins Tuesday with the Panthers facing the Patriots and the Lions taking on the Giants. The Packers play the Browns on Saturday in Cleveland. Following that, they face the Broncos in Denver and the Ravens in Green Bay.
Last year, the Packers played starters for a few series in each of their three preseason games. It’s unlikely that starters won’t see snaps this preseason. The question is: how much should they play?
In previous seasons, Green Bay faced rust when starters didn’t play in preseason. They lost 38-3 to the Saints in 2021 and 23-7 to the Vikings the following year.
Matt LaFleur said, “Time will tell,” when asked about Jordan Love playing in the preseason. He added, “I would anticipate him … What I told our coaches — haven’t talked to the team about this yet — is to anticipate all our guys playing at some point. Just when is that point?” LaFleur continued, “A lot of it is going to kind of be where we’re at. There’s going to be a little bit of feel to that. We’re less than two weeks from our first preseason game, so we’ll know sooner rather than later.” On Thursday, LaFleur confirmed that Love will play in Green Bay’s preseason opener.
Veterans like Preston Smith, Elgton Jenkins, and Jaire Alexander should get enough snaps to shake off any rust. Jordan Love will likely play a few series but might not play all three games. Zach Tom, Tucker Kraft, and Kitan Oladapo are returning from injuries, so their playing time is uncertain, if any. Additionally, the Packers are paying Josh Jacobs a top-five running back salary. It might be wise to play him for a series or two but avoid risking more.
Most starters on the front seven will likely play a few series to get accustomed to Jeff Hafley’s system. Expect Evan Williams and Javon Bullard to see significant playing time in all three games.
It will be interesting to see how the Packers handle the kicker position in the coming weeks. Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph are competing for the job. Joseph has a lead over Carlson, but the competition remains open.
It’s always nice to see our favorite players in action again. However, the coaching staff must be careful with their playing time. The season starts in September, and the Packers will need everyone healthy for a championship run.
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