GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers rookie kicker Trey Smack was unlucky that a planned in-stadium promotion came after his fifth kick of the night.
Smack had just hooked a field goal attempt wide left from 51 yards when public address announcer Bill Jartz asked fans at Lambeau Field an ill-timed question.
“You think YOU can kick a field goal?”
A kid then chipped in a 20-yarder, but no, he’s not taking Smack’s job.
Smack actually had perhaps his best day of training camp. Entering Family Night 8-for-13 on live field goals this summer, the 2026 sixth-round pick went 6-of-7 on Friday night. He was good from 33, 35, 38, 43, 45, and 47 yards, but missed his longest attempt.
Head coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst have stressed patience with Smack as he navigates the inevitable roller coaster rookie kickers ride. Still, Friday night can be considered a peak after a rocky start to camp.
“Definitely built a little bit of confidence up tonight,” Smack said. “But we can always kick better.”
Tucker Kraft back in action at Packers training camp
Jourdan Rodrigue and Rachael Tinde
Here are nine other observations from practice No. 8 of camp.
1. Wide receiver Christian Watson and rookie second-round cornerback Brandon Cisse had a couple of competitive battles during one-on-ones. Watson beat Cisse on a slant before making a catch on the first rep, and Cisse broke up a slant for Watson on their second. After that one, Watson dapped up Cisse to show his respect.
“I’m just really impressed with his confidence,” Watson said after the practice, later adding, “He doesn’t look like he’s panicking when he’s going up against the first group.”
Cisse has been running with the first string as cornerback Carrington Valentine nurses a hamstring injury, which isn’t considered long-term, according to LaFleur.
On their third rep, Cisse stuck with Watson in the end zone before the veteran wiggled free, but then couldn’t corral a Jordan Love pass that zipped between his hands. On the first play of the next team period, Watson made a nice catch from Love on the sideline with Cisse in tight coverage.
“Try to go against the best of the best and hold your own, and that’s what I’m trying to do every day,” Cisse said. “I’ve still got a long way to go.”
Christian Watson, completing a catch at training camp earlier this summer, has developed a strong rapport with Jordan Love. (Ross Harried / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
2. Second-year wideout Matthew Golden made mincemeat of cornerback Keisean Nixon during their three one-on-one battles, once on an in-breaking route over the middle, once on a sluggo-type route deep for another catch on an underthrown ball by Love and once on an end zone fade when Golden deftly tapped both feet on green grass for six.
“In practice, he pushes me and I push him,” Golden said. “For us, I feel like the competition we’ve got between each other is good, and I feel like overall, I’m getting better from practicing against him.”
3. Perhaps the most notable player from one-on-ones between the pass catchers and defensive backs was defensive back Jaylin Simpson. He notched an interception and a pass breakup in his first two reps against wide receivers Isaiah Neyor and Kaden Prather, then jammed Neyor hard at the line of scrimmage on an attempted fade that fell incomplete. Simpson, a 2024 fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, played only in the Packers’ meaningless Week 18 game last season and is fighting for a spot at the bottom of the cornerback depth chart.
4. Barryn Sorrell is the No. 2 edge rusher behind Lukas Van Ness with Micah Parsons sidelined, and Sorrell could very well push for more playing time when Parsons returns midseason. Two practices after his long pick six, Sorrell began 11-on-11s with two sturdy run stuffs of MarShawn Lloyd and Pierre Strong Jr.
5. If you’ve been reading these daily camp recaps, you’ve read about Anthony Campbell multiple times. The 2025 undrafted defensive tackle keeps making plays, enough that he’s earned intermittent run with the first-team defensive line (in fairness, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has cycled guys through that unit as if he gets paid more with each change). Campbell made a couple of more splash plays Friday night, making light work of offensive lineman Dylan Barrett on the interior before batting down yet another pass. That’s his fifth of the summer, and this one came near the sideline after he chased quarterback Kyle McCord to the edge.
6. Other standout plays on defense included linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper stuffing running back Damien Martinez for a safety in 11-on-11s, starting defensive tackle Karl Brooks bursting through the line for what might’ve been a sack, defensive tackle Jonathan Ford putting Barrett on his behind right in McCord’s lap and defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy and edge Nyjalik Kelly logging decisive wins during a team period over guard Dillon Wade and left tackle John Williams, respectively.
On offense, Love hit Golden for a long touchdown over safety Javon Bullard on a quarters coverage beater (edge Brenton Cox Jr. appeared to pull up instead of hitting Love before he threw). Undrafted rookie wideout J. Michael Sturdivant had an impressive diving catch for a 38-yard gain down the right sideline on a ball from Tyrod Taylor during the second-string two-minute drill to help set up a tying field goal. Wide receiver Savion Williams also made a nice high-point touchdown grab over safety Kitan Oladapo on a ball from Taylor.
“Savion, his measurables are off the charts in terms of his size, speed and strength,” LaFleur said of the 2025 third-round pick. “And then he’s just a young player that’s still learning and he’s got a long way to go, but I think he’s showcased a lot of great traits and that’s why we drafted him and that’s why we loved him coming out.”
7. The Packers were overly cautious during Friday’s stadium practice with some guys who would’ve otherwise been limited participants. That meant a lengthy DNP list, which included: Parsons, running back Josh Jacobs, cornerback Domani Jackson, Valentine, running back Chris Brooks, cornerback Kamal Hadden, cornerback Johnathan Baldwin, long snapper Matt Orzech, right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, left guard Aaron Banks, tight end Tucker Kraft, tight end Luke Musgrave, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, defensive tackle Jordon Riley and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
Cisse was cramping and missed part of practice, while rookie third-round defensive tackle Chris McClellan got rolled up on and also missed time (LaFleur thought the latter would be all right). Offensive lineman Jacob Monk was tended to on the sideline by trainers, and LaFleur, while not knowing Monk’s injury, said he wanted to stay in. Wide receiver Jayden Reed was holding his helmet in his hand on the sideline during the starters’ two-minute drill, but he appeared fine in the locker room afterward while speaking with reporters.
8. Speaking of Monk, he’s getting more run with the starters at right guard while Anthony Belton has been playing right tackle (Bako-Bewele hasn’t done 11-on-11s yet in camp but said this week that he’s close to joining team periods). Rookie fifth-round pick Jager Burton has seen time at starting left guard while Banks doesn’t do 11-on-11s. LaFleur said Monk and Burton have done a “really nice job and are pushing to crack the lineup.” Meanwhile, Belton didn’t sound too pleased with his play Friday.
“I’ve got to be able to perform. There’s no excuse to, I guess, (do) some of the things that happened tonight,” Belton said. “So ain’t nothing to blame it on about guard or tackle. I’ve just got to be able to do it. It’s that simple.”
9. Next up, the Packers are off Saturday before holding a practice closed to the public on Sunday. They then have open practice Monday and Tuesday before flying to Pittsburgh on Wednesday for Thursday’s preseason opener.
