GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs won’t be practicing for a while after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus on his right knee over the weekend.
How much time he will miss remains uncertain.
“I’m not going to put a timetable on it, but unfortunately he had to have something cleaned up,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday. “We’re hoping to get him back here sooner than later.”
While talking to reporters after Tuesday’s practice, Hobbs was asked about his confidence level about being ready for the start of the season. Hobbs expressed his optimism by referring to his faith.
“I’ve been hurt before,” Hobbs said. “I came back before. I played in big games. I’ve been asked to do things that I didn’t know I could do till I did them. So, I have full confidence in God, first and foremost.”
Hobbs said the injury arose from a collision during Thursday’s practice. Hobbs hasn’t been practicing since. Hobbs said he initially didn’t consider it anything more than a minor bump but added that “it turned out to be something deeper than that.”
The Packers signed Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract in March after he spent his first four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. The 26-year-old Hobbs started 38 games, forced three fumbles and intercepted three passes during his time in Las Vegas.
He made his presence felt early in training camp by displaying such a physical style that LaFleur had to offer a warning about not getting overly aggressive as the Packers try to remain as healthy as possible.
Now Hobbs is the one dealing with an injury.
“I was having a good camp and I was proving to my teammates and gaining their trust,” Hobbs said. “That’s something I take real serious. Just trying to be the best version of myself out there. And so, whenever you truly try to do that and something like that happens, it hurts. But you either take that and use it or take that as something that’s going to hold you back or look at it like a lesson. I’m a big spiritual guy, so I felt like God’s trying to talk to me, tell me something and send me down, honestly.”
Hobbs is expected to help the Packers absorb the loss of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, who got released in June and has since signed with the Baltimore Ravens. The Packers entered training camp with Keisean Nixon, Hobbs and Carrington Valentine as their top three cornerbacks.
The Packers have attempted to increase their cornerback depth by having wide receiver Bo Melton work primarily on defense in training camp. They also added a familiar face Monday by signing Corey Ballentine, three days after the Indianapolis Colts released him.
Ballentine, 29, made seven starts and appeared in 37 regular-season games and three playoff games with the Packers from 2022-24. He contributed primarily on special teams last season.
“I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Ballentine said. “I had fun when I was here and I know the guys already. I know the defense, I’m familiar with it. I was looking forward to the opportunity.”
Ballentine said he didn’t have any hard feelings after the Packers had allowed him to leave for Indianapolis via free agency five months ago.
“I think traditionally the team has been a younger team in the league and I’m going on Year 7, so I wasn’t really surprised that that happened,” Ballentine said. “There wasn’t any type of bad blood, I feel like. I wasn’t upset about it. So things happen. It’s business. It’s the league. So, yeah, I wasn’t to stressed about it, but I’m happy to be back.”
Quay Walker discusses his surgery
Linebacker Quay Walker participated in 11-on-11 drills Tuesday for the first time in this training camp after undergoing ankle surgery. The 2022 first-round pick discussed the surgery while speaking to reporters.
“I came back for OTAs (organized team activities) and tried to do something and I just knew something ain’t feeling right,” said Walker, who has led the Packers in tackles each of his three seasons. “I didn’t want it just to linger on throughout the season, so I was like, I think the smart idea, probably go in and have surgery during OTAs and get it out the way.”
NOTES: LaFleur said he has decided on whether he will play starters in the Packers’ preseason opener against the New York Jets, but he didn’t detail those plans in his Tuesday news conference. He has told his starters to be ready. “Well, they’re football players, so everybody’s got to go into it expecting to play,” LaFleur said. … The Packers signed offensive lineman Lecitus Smith and waived wide receiver Sam Brown because of injury.
