Packers kick off 2025 training camp

Five Keys To Packers Becoming Contenders In 2025

The Green Bay Packers won 11 games last season, a two-game increase over 2023. However, the Packers failed to win a playoff game last season after winning one the previous year, which left a sense of disappointment in the air. The Packers are a young and talented team, but can they take the next step forward and become more than just a playoff team? We took a look at five keys to success for the 2025 Green Bay Packers with training camp less than a week away.

Number One: Jordan Love Stays Healthy and Shows Progress Jordan Love was injured during the final series of the Packers season opener against the Eagles in Brazil last season. He missed two games and parts of two others with assorted injuries and never seemed truly healthy during the season.

Love played through the injuries and still managed to have a slightly better season statistically than he had the previous year. Still, he did not play as well as he did in the final eight games of the 2023 season when he appeared to be one of the league’s elite quarterbacks.

To take that next step, Love needs to improve his accuracy and footwork and become a more vocal leader. Keeping Love healthy and seeing him grow as a player and as a leader would go a long way towards helping the Packers become an elite team. If Love becomes an elite quarterback, the talent the Packers have on their roster gives them a realistic chance to beat any team in any game.

Be sure to check out four other keys to the Packers contending in 2025.

2025 Training Camp Day One News and Notes

The Packers hit Ray Nitschke Field to kick off the start of their 2025 training camp on Wednesday morning. Be sure to check out our news and notes from the first practice of the 2025 season.

Elgton Jenkins dealing with back issue, Collin Oliver to miss time

CHTV Aaron Nagler discusses the latest injury information coming out of Brian Gutekunst's season opening press conference, including updates on veteran offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins and rookie pass rusher Collin Oliver.

Teams Pay for the Future, Not for the Past

When Elgton Jenkins signed his four-year extension in December of 2022, he was slated to be the Packers' left guard of the present and future up until his contract expired in 2026. There were times when Jenkins slid over to center, but he only did so on a needful basis when injuries occurred to current centers. With the signing of left guard, Aaron Banks, to a large four-year contract in free agency, it became obvious that Jenkins was going to be asked to move to center permanently.

This move comes with a bit of a caveat. Generally, NFL centers do not make as much as guards. Jenkins is a proven guard with two Pro Bowl appearances. If he moves to center, how is that going to work out when he attempts to negotiate a new contract following the 2026 season? Is he going to be asked to accept center money from the Packers? Or will he be compensated fairly for his abilities to play all over? He is willing to move to center, but he does not want to do so if it could jeopardize his future contract negotiations.

Teams pay players not for what they've done necessarily, but for what's to come in the future. Elgton Jenkins is well aware that if his future is center, his past as a guard may not matter, and he may not be compensated as well as he would be a left guard, so he's reluctant to make that move without the Packers adding a bit of collateral or job security to the negotiation table.

5 storylines to watch as the Packers prepare for the 2025 season

Aaron welcomes in Packers columnist Pete Dougherty from the Green Bay Press-Gazette to discuss his article looking at five compelling storylines heading into the 2025 NFL season.

Packers sign Zach Tom to four year extension

The Packers and offensive tackle Zach Tom agreed to a four year contract extension worth up to $92 million. The deal includes a $30.2M signing bonus, the largest ever for an offensive lineman.

Tom was a fourth round draft pick in 2022. The versatile lineman has played all over the offensive front for the Packers, settling in at right tackle the last two years.

“I think he can play any position,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said of Tom earlier this offseason. “I think his versatility is one of the things that makes him special. I think he can play all five and there’s not a lot of guys that can do that, but I would say that he’s got the athleticism. I think he’s a very intelligent football player and he’s played pretty consistent over the course of the last few years.”

Tom is now under contract with the Packers through 2029.

@cheeseheadtv

🚨 Reacting to the Packers signing RT Zach Tom to a contract extension

Check out exclusive Cheesehead TV merch!

3 Packers Looking to Earn an Early Contract Extension in 2025

Entering the 2025 season, the Packers who are going to the final year of their rookie deals are well known and have been discussed plenty. But there are also a whole host of players entering year three who could set themselves up for a life changing contract extension a year from now with a strong showing in 2025. Here are the top three candidates to earn a long term deal with their play this year.

Jayden Reed: Reed has led the Packers in receiving yards since his rookie year in 2023 with 1,731, as well as receiving touchdowns with 14. While he may not be the prototypical ‘WR1’ build, if you had to pick someone to describe as Green Bay’s top dog, it would probably be Reed. His production is probably the least under threat from the selection of Matthew Golden in the first round of the draft, helping his case to continue producing and hopefully eclipse 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in 2025. Although Savion Williams and Mecole Hardman could take some of the punt return and gadget work away from him, this may ultimately do Reed a favor and allow him to do more traditional receiver work. It could also help to keep him healthy throughout the season. The drop issues Reed dealt with in 2024 masked the fact that he actually improved in almost every under the hood metric to measure wide receiver performance. If he can clean that up, Reed could be in for a huge year and a contract extension to match next offseason.

Tucker Kraft After coming along slowly in 2023 before ending the year strong, Kraft broke out in his second NFL season, almost doubling his yardage from 379 to 733 and taking his touchdown total from three to seven. The Packers have had no problem talking about wanting to get Kraft even more involved in the offense and making him more of a focal point, with a specific emphasis on the intermediate and deeper areas of the field. Kraft has made a living on short, yards after the catch opportunities in his first two seasons, suiting his rugged, never say die style with the ball in his hands. If he can become a more well rounded pass catcher in 2025, he could start to get recognition as one of the best tight ends in the league, and become a priority for Green Bay to keep around long term.

Carrington Valentine Valentine is probably the Packers’ best cover corner, and as a former seventh-round pick, has played to an impressive level over the last two years. Entering his third season and still only 23 years old as of writing, the sky is the limit for him in coverage. The big question is whether he can make enough progress in run defense, which has been poor so far. With nickel defense the new normal in the NFL, Valentine will see the field plenty alongside Nate Hobbs and Keisean Nixon, but in base, he may miss out due to his teammates being more reliable against the run. 2025 looks to be a pivotal year for what the ceiling of Valentine’s career will be. If this season goes the right way, he could become a pillar of Green Bay’s defense for years to come and be set up to command a sizable contract from the Packers next offseason.

The Battle for the Packers Third Starting Linebacker Job Is Wide Open

With training camp kicking off, the Packers have a few position battles that are unresolved. One of the most wide open battles is the fight for the third starting linebacker spot. While the third linebacker may only be on the field for 25-30 percent of defensive snaps, it’s still a role that can be important to the defense. With Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper all but locked in at the other two starting spots, there appears to be a three-way battle for the third spot on the depth chart.

The incumbent is veteran Isaiah McDuffie. The former Boston College star started all 17 games last season and finished second on the team with 97 total tackles. McDuffie provides the Packers with intelligence, leadership and reliable tackling.

The second candidate is 2024 third-round pick Ty’Ron Hopper. The Missouri alum has the speed and athleticism that McDuffie lacks, but he struggled to learn his assignments in Jeff Hafley’s defense last season. As a rookie, Hopper played only 18 snaps on defense despite playing all 17 games for the Packers last season. Most of his action came on special teams. The key for Hopper will be to show that he knows the defense and can make an impact on the field in year two.

The third major candidate for the third linebacker spot is Isaiah Simmons. Like Hopper, Simmons has elite athletic ability. That’s why the Cardinals drafted him eighth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Simmons has yet to turn that athleticism into consistent NFL production. He lasted just three years with Arizona before joining the New York Giants in 2023. In two seasons in New York, the Clemson alum started a total of just five games including just one last season. Other than that, he’s played on special teams and been a rotational defensive player.

While this will be an interesting battle in training camp, it remains a possibility that Hafley will utilize all three players in different packages. McDuffie could be on the field in obvious running situations. Simmons may be a part of some blitz packages as he recorded four sacks in 2022 with the Cardinals. The battle for the third linebacker spot will be one of the more interesting ones in training camp this season for the Packers. It will be worth keeping an eye on how these three players stack up once training camp gets under way.

Be on the lookout for Carry The G Cream Ale!