GREEN BAY – The Packers conducted their final public practice of training camp in a joint session with the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday at Nitschke Field.
- Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave stole the show on offense.
With the receiving corps still a little banged up, quarterback Malik Willis turned to the Packers’ tight end tandem against the Seahawks.
Perhaps the play of the day came on Musgrave’s twisting catch over Seattle’s 6-foot-4 cornerback Riq Woolen on a pass down the sideline for a 40-plus-yard pickup.
The connection drew a roar from both the Green Bay sideline and the crowd at Nitschke Field. As Musgrave rose to his feet, Woolen remained kneeling with his hands on his hips after the play, seemingly frozen in disbelief by the connection.
“It was a perfect ball,” Musgrave said. “(Willis) put it where I could see it and (Woolen) couldn’t. If the defender’s back is turned, you’re open technically, right? Because he doesn’t know where the ball’s going. It probably looked cooler than it felt but it was an amazing ball.”
Musgrave also caught a touchdown from starting quarterback Jordan Love during a 7-on-7 red-zone period earlier in practice and ended the day with a downfield catch to convert on a third-and-15 pass from Willis during the No. 1’s two-minute period.
Kraft likely led the Packers in overall catches during the joint practice, including catching Willis’ first pass in 11-on-11. Kraft also beat Woolen for a big catch in the seam and hauled in Love’s other TD pass during 7-on-7.
Green Bay has high hopes for its top two tight ends, but injuries have largely prevented Kraft and Musgrave from getting on the field together during their two seasons with the Packers.
Musgrave, who missed 10 games with an ankle injury last year, said this is the best his body has felt in a while. Thursday was a reminder of how dangerous Green Bay’s two-tight end looks could be when both he and Kraft are healthy and available.
“It’s all coming to fruition, all the hard work,” Kraft said. “Our entire tight end group, we’re just such a competitive bunch but the leaps and bounds that I’ve seen Luke make and just trusting his footwork in the run game, running through the catch, strong hands. It’s going to be a great year for our room.”
- Xavier McKinney will be ready to go.
The All-Pro safety was pleased to return to practice for his first on-field work since a calf injury sidelined him exactly two weeks ago.
McKinney has remained steadfast about his availability for the regular-season opener against Detroit on Sept. 7, which remains the plan.
“Everything felt good,” McKinney said. “Right now, I’m just trying to make sure my wind is where it needs to be and then just staying locked into the calls and different things. It was a good to put the pads back on and run around a little bit.”
McKinney didn’t take any team reps against the Seahawks but enjoyed watching second-year safety Evan Williams make one of the biggest plays of the joint practice, intercepting Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold during the No. 1 two-minute period.
- There were a couple dustups during practice.
After a relatively uneventful joint practice against the Colts in terms of extracurricular activities last week, the Packers got into two separate incidents with the Seahawks during red zone.
Right tackle Zach Tom said the incident started when a Seattle player entered Green Bay’s huddle. While Tom laments his role in the ensuing confrontation, he was proud of how the team stuck together.
“I saw Tucker, he got in there and Messiah (Swinson) got in there. It was pretty much the whole offense got in there,” Tom said. “It’s cool to know that everybody’s got each other’s back. Obviously, maybe it would be better if we found that out in different ways, but it is what it is.”
To help cooler heads to prevail, rookie Anthony Belton stepped in for Tom at right tackle with the No. 1 offense for the rest of practice. Sean Rhyan later subbed in at center for Elgton Jenkins in two-minute.
With the regular season drawing near, the Packers still felt the practice was beneficial.
“Joint practice always has been productive because you’re still getting good work,” cornerback Keisean Nixon said. “The fights, it just is what it is, but you’re still working. You’re still going against other competition in like a physical setting that you’re not gonna usually get versus your own teammates, especially during the season.”
- Jordan Love found his 7-on-7 work helpful, feels no discomfort in surgically repaired thumb.
As Head Coach Matt LaFleur forecasted before practice, Love took all 12 snaps of the 7-on-7 red-zone period Green Bay scheduled against the Seahawks.
Seattle had several breakups, but Love hit running back Josh Jacobs for an underneath pass before connecting with Kraft and Musgrave on TD passes.
It was another step forward for Love, who underwent a procedure last week to repair a ligament in his left thumb that caused him to miss the joint practice with the Colts.
“There’s some stuff that we’ll watch it and definitely clean up,” Love said. “Red-zone 7-on-7, windows are a little bit tighter, everything happens quicker down there. Obviously, a couple plays that we left out there and we wish we could’ve gotten back, but it’s good stuff to go back and look at.”
Love said he doesn’t feel any discomfort in the thumb, though he continues to wear a protective wrap over it.
Unlike Monday and Tuesday, Love didn’t start off plays with the ball sitting atop a stool. Instead, he held the ball in his hand during his drop-back. Love acknowledged it’s “a little bit different” to practice with one hand, but nothing “too crazy.”
“It’s the left hand, so it’s just having something on the hand and right now not having contact with the ball on my thumb,” said Love of the protective wrap on his left hand. “But it’s nothing that’s going to stand in the way of anything.”
- Packers hoping to get Savion Williams healthy.
The Packers’ rookie third-round pick has had moments on the field this summer but a series of injuries has stymied his momentum in training camp.
After a shoulder injury caused Williams to wear a non-contact jersey during OTAs, the 6-foot-4, 222-pound wideout suffered a concussion last month and is now working his way back from a hamstring injury.
“I would say he’s done a great job being engaged, and when he’s been out there, we really like what we see, but it’s been very limited,” LaFleur said. “I think you’d feel a lot more comfortable if he had a full week of practice with a game plan and seeing how that looks before you’re going to just unleash him.”
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