On the final day of August, the Green Bay Packers of the present worked out one more time before the collective bargaining agreement-mandated Labor Day weekend off.
On the final night of the month, a couple of Packer greats from not so long ago will join the exclusive fraternity in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
The last Ray Nitschke Field workout had the team in helmets and shorts and lasted an hour and forty five minutes. Head Coach Matt LaFleur welcomed the two newest additions to the team in tight end Ben Sims, an undrafted rookie free agent from Baylor, claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings and first year safety Zayne Anderson of BYU who jumped on and off the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad the past two years before hooking up with the Buffalo Bills until his release on Tuesday.
Ben Sims sporting the Mad Dog jersey of the past few years.
Zayne Anderson joins the safety group.
Before practice, LaFleur said while the rest of the team will be off all weekend, these two players are going to get the crash course in the Packer system:
In the limited time reporters were allowed to watch practice, now in regular season mode, David Bakhtiari and Darnell Savage weren’t spotted. Bakhtiari’s status will remain “fluid” all season according to LaFleur after practicing sparingly over the past couple of weeks of camp. No explanation for why Savage was absent was forthcoming.
De’Vondre Campbell was back on the field for the first time since an ankle injury midway through camp, a positive sign for the defense.
Wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks were held out but did running and agility drills on the side.
Long snapper Matt Orzech is back on board which gives Green Bay 54 players on the active roster for the moment but it’s expected offensive tackle Luke Tenuta will be placed on injured reserve. Tenuta is sporting a walking boot on his ankle, injured against the Cincinnati Bengals in the pre-season opener. By staying on the 53 man roster through the final cut, the Packers won’t lose the prospect for the season. He’ll have to sit out at least three games before he can be activated and start practicing again.
Some number changes for punter Daniel Whelan and practice squad quarterback Alex McGough. Whelan goes from 41 to 19. McGough shared number 17 in camp with kicker Anders Carlson but he’s now wearing a red number 2 jersey.
LaFleur said he likes the weekend break, negotiated by owners and the players association in the last CBA, allowing for more recovery time after the six week grind of training camp instead of having to play a 4th Preseason game. When the squad returns, the 2023 opener will be staring them in the face and better yet, it’s Bear week.
Tonight in the Lambeau Field Atrium, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame will induct two players who emerged from the same draft class in 2008, wide receiver Jordy Nelson and offensive lineman Josh Sitton.
Jordy Nelson and Josh Sitton hold their Hall of Fame footballs for the first time.
On the eve of the induction ceremony, a reception was held for the honoree’s families, friends and Hall of Fame board members and guests. As a member of the Hall’s selection committee for over a decade, it was a treat catching up with the pair.
Jordy was Green Bay’s first choice, early in the second round of that 2008 out of Kansas State. He played nine seasons for the Packers with the 2015 campaign wiped out by a nasty ACL tear suffered in a Preseason game in Pittsburgh. He came back for two more seasons before he was released and he finished his career with the then, Oakland Raiders. Nelson would eventually come back to sign a one day contract and officially retire as a Green Bay Packer. He put up spectacular numbers. 550 receptions, ranking 4th all-time. His 69 touchdowns, plus the first score in the Super Bowl XLV victory over Pittsburgh, ranks 3rd in team history. He had 25 100 yard games and in 2014, he piled up 1519 yards receiving, second only to Davante Adams.
I had a chance to visit with Nelson overlooking the field where he produced so many memories of deep post routes and back shoulder sideline acrobatics, still as humble a Kansas farmer as always.
Josh Sitton was selected in the 4th round out of Central Florida. The burly guard became a starter in year two and would miss only a pair of games in 2014. He played in 121 games for the Packers with 112 starts and was a three time Pro Bowl selection and was also named to the second team NFL All Pro squad three years in a row. He was the heart and soul of the offensive line that helped the Packers to their 13th World Championship in 2010. While the shaggy hair’s been cut, the affable personality hadn’t changed when I chatted with Josh Wednesday night.
The Hall of Fame banquet will also present the Bob Harlan Leadership Award to Ted Eisenreich who recently retired after a 40 yard career as the Director of Facility Operations at Lambeau Field. The Bart and Cherry Starr Recognition Award will go to Tom Konop who has been with the Hall of Fame Incorporated for 30 years, the last six serving as the Hall’s president. And the Memorable Moment tribute will recall Don Majkowski’s infamous “Instant Replay” game against the Chicago Bears on November 5 of 1989. His last second touchdown pass to Sterling Sharpe was originally nullified by an illegal forward pass penalty. Upon further review of the still infant NFL replay system, the call was overturned, Majkowski barely stayed behind the line of scrimmage and the Packers prevailed 14-13 in a game that incensed their rivals for years.
Enjoy the Labor Day weekend holiday, the 2023 Green Bay Packer train leaves the station on Tuesday.
