Green Bay Packers Training Camp 2021: Predictions, preview, team news, and more
The Green Bay Packers' 2020 season was supposed to be the building block for a run at the Super Bowl this year. But all that changed on draft day.
NFL insider Adam Schefter broke the news that Aaron Rodgers was upset with the organization and didn't want to return to the team in 2021. Three months later, Rodgers is officially a holdout as he didn't participate in OTAs or mandatory minicamp, and there's still no clarity on whether he'll report to training camp.
The Packers will kick off their training camp on July 28th and the main story will obviously be Rodgers' presence or absence. Green Bay will hold 13 public practices in 2021, two with the New York Jets on August 18 and 19.
Green Bay Packers offseason news roundup leading up to training camp
Before the whole Rodgers drama became public, the Packers made a few moves to get under the salary cap. They released Rick Wagner and Christian Kirksey, while Corey Linsley and Jamaal Williams moved on to other teams as free agents.
The roster turnover was small, with no key players leaving the team except Wagner. On draft day, despite their quarterback's complaints, the Packers picked a defensive player in the first round. The Packers did pick a receiver on Day 2, but Amari Rodgers probably won't be a major factor in his rookie season.
In Rodgers' absence, Jordan Love took reps as the starter during the first portion of offseason training. The reigning MVP hasn't announced his plans for the 2021 season yet.
Training camp predictions
Whom to watch?
If Rodgers reports to camp, he'll be the main focus, but if he continues the holdout, all eyes will be on Jordan Love.
The offensive line is also a cause for concern. Wagner and Linsley were both above-average starters who left the team and David Bakthiari is coming off an ACL injury. The Packers had one of the best offensive lines in the league last year, but there are a lot of question marks ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Who'll be playing opposite Davante Adams?
Devin Funchess, Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling will compete for the number two receiver spot. There's also an interesting battle mounting over the tight end spot, as Robert Tonyan faces challenges from Jace Sternberger and Josiah Deguara.
Who'll step up at inside linebacker?
The Packers cut Christian Kirksey for financial reasons and De'Vondre Campbell is set to lead the group, which is not ideal. The position is the Achilles' heel of the defense and somebody has to set up and take the starting spot.