Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) is battling to keep his starting job.
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The Green Bay Packers held their 14th practice of training camp Wednesday, a closed affair on a gorgeous, 70-degree morning. The practice lasted 1 hour, 26 minutes.
The Packers now head to Denver, where they’ll face the Broncos in their second preseason game Friday at 8 p.m. (CST).
Just two open practices remain: Aug 24, then a joint practice with Arizona on Aug. 26. Green Bay will then trim its roster to 53 on Aug. 30.
Here’s the good, bad and ugly — compiled from multiple reports — from practice No. 14.
THE GOOD
INNER BANKS: It’s been a frustrating summer for Aaron Banks and the Packers’ offensive line, as the left guard battles tendinitis in his knee. This comes after a season where Banks had back, ankle and groin injuries.
Banks had been operating on a day-on, day-off schedule throughout the summer, and doing only individual drills. Banks returned to team drills Tuesday for the first time, then was back on the practice field Wednesday doing team drills for a second straight day.
Banks started at left guard with the No. 1 offense, and rookie Jager Burton — who’s seen time with the first string — was with the No. 2s. Burton later saw time with the No. 1 offense at right guard.
“The whole thing has just been getting healthy enough to get out there and practice and get team reps,” Banks said. “Team reps lead to game reps, and just getting ready for Week 1 right now. Preseason is a preseason. Like, [you can] worry about that however much you see fit, but I just want to get to Week 1 and go out there and be ready to go.”
TIME FOR COX TO SHINE?: Fourth-year edge rusher Brenton Cox could see significant action as Micah Parsons recovers from his torn ACL at the start of the season.
Cox has had a productive summer, and was at it again Wednesday when he had an early “sack” of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Cox later helped blow up a running play to MarShawn Lloyd for a loss.
“Same mentality. Just trying to go attack,” Cox said. “That’s my main thing. I know when I’m attacking, I’m hard to stop. Nobody wants their face peeled off every play like that. So when I’m attacking, it’s either I’m going to peel your face off or you might get me, but I’m coming back to you.”
MAKING HIS MARK: Cornerback Kamal Hadden dislocated his right ankle and fractured his fibula and tibia on Dec. 27, 2025.
Hadden has had an impressive summer, though, and recently started getting some work with the No. 1 defense in the slot. On Wednesday, Hadden made a tremendous catch and intercepted No. 3 quarterback Kyle McCord.
“He’s done a nice job,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Hadden. “I think he’s put in a ton of time.
“He’s a competitive player. One thing that we saw from him a year ago is he’ll throw his face in the fire a little bit and fit up in the run game. That’s what you need at that position.”
MCCORD MAGIC: No. 3 quarterback Kyle McCord has had a strong summer, highlighted by a 12-of-16 night for 102 yards in Green Bay’s preseason opener.
McCord kept it going Wednesday, hooking up with wideout J. Michael Sturdivant for an explosive gain.
McCord was also picked off by slot corner Kamal Hadden, but the good continued to outweigh the bad.
McCord, a sixth round draft pick by Philadelphia in 2025, spent last season on the Eagles’ practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with Green Bay on Jan. 20 and has been a pleasant surprise this summer.
“I mean, one thing about the NFL is you really never know what’s going to happen next,” McCord said. “Obviously getting drafted to Philly last year, you think you’re going to spend four years there and then, boom, end up in Green Bay a year later. I think the thing is to continue to put your head down and working, and that ultimately leads you to success and puts you exactly where you need to be.”
MR. NASTY: The Packers haven’t had a lot of nastiness on their defense in recent years.
Linebacker Wayne Simmons, a standout on the Packers’ 1996 Super Bowl championship team, is arguably their most vicious defender in the last 30 years. Others like Nick Barnett, Desmond Bishop and Clay Matthews played with terrific physicality.
Now, free agent acquisition Zaire Franklin seems ready to bring a wickedness to the defense that’s been missing at times.
“My mentality in between the white lines is, ultra competitor — like, ultimate alpha,” said Franklin, who spent his first eight seasons with Indianapolis. “Like I want to challenge the best, the biggest. I don’t want no little guy. I want to go against the baddest (expletive) out there. That’s how I feel. I feel like I’m the best. I’m the baddest (expletive) on the planet when I’m on the field. That’s just my mentality.”
THIS AND THAT: Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who returned to practice Tuesday, had two “sacks.” “I feel like in the NFL, you gotta prove yourself every day, every week, every year,” Hargrave said. … Wideout Bo Melton (stinger) and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (heat related illness) returned to practice
THE BAD
O-LINE WOES: Green Bay’s offensive line ranked 19th overall in Pro Football Focus’ final offensive line rankings last season. In 2024, Green Bay ranked No. 6 by PFF, and in 2023 the Packers ranked No. 3.
Right now, Green Bay’s line appears closer to the 2025 group than the 2024 or 2023 unit.
The Packers have struggled getting their run game on track all summer, and on Wednesday, edge rusher Brenton Cox buried MarShawn Lloyd for a loss.
Green Bay will have three new starters from the beginning of 2025 — left tackle Jordan Morgan, center Sean Rhyan and right guard Jacob Monk. Left guard Aaron Banks is also battling back from knee tendinitis and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele had offseason surgery to repair a partially torn knee tendon.
Green Bay’s defensive line — which is missing star edge rusher Micah Parsons — has gotten the better of the offensive line most days this summer. The Packers are hoping that means the defensive line will be formidable, while praying the offensive line will be at least serviceable.
FROM THE INFIRMARY: Here’s how the Packers’ injury list looked Wednesday.
Not practicing: safety Javon Bullard (foot) and offensive lineman Darian Kinnard (ankle)
Reserve lists: edge rusher Micah Parsons (knee), tight end Luke Musgrave (neck), long snapper Matt Orzech (calf) and defensive tackle Jordon Reilly (Achilles).
THE UGLY
ROUGH DAY FOR NIXON: Veteran cornerback Keisean Nixon is fighting to keep his starting job. Wednesday’s practice won’t help.
The Packers rotated Brandon Cisse, Nixon, Benjamin St-Juste and Carrington Valentine with the No. 1 defense. And Nixon struggled immensely wherever he played.
When Nixon worked with the No. 1 defense, he slipped on a slant by Christian Watson and gave up a big play. Nixon spent plenty of time with the No. 2 defense.
But the worst came when Nixon was working with the No. 3 defense and was beat by Savion Williams for a big gain.
By the end of practice, Cisse and St-Juste were Green Bay’s No. 1 corners.
Nixon was a 17-game starter last season and widely regarded as Green Bay’s best corner. Right now, though, it’s highly questionable if he’ll be in the starting lineup — or even on the team — when Green Bay faces Minnesota on Sept. 13 in Week 1.
Nixon said on Aug. 16 he was being “punished right now.”
Perhaps, but Nixon certainly isn’t giving the coaches many reasons to leave him in the starting lineup.
“If he feels a certain type of way, I mean, it is what it is,” LaFleur said. “But I do think that it’s a benefit to the team to have people that you feel are capable to go in there and play, and we’ll all be better for that.”
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