GREEN BAY – It didn't take long for the Packers to call when the Colts made cornerback Corey Ballentine available.
Ballentine, who signed as a free agent with Indianapolis this spring after spending the last three seasons in Green Bay, said he drew interest from multiple teams when the Colts released him late last week – including the Packers, right away.
Coming back was an easy call for the veteran, and it made a lot of sense for Green Bay, too, given current circumstances.
"I like my coaches here, I feel like they helped me get better, and I like the guys here, we push each other to get better," Ballentine said after Tuesday's practice, his first since returning. "So I definitely would prefer for it to be here over another team."
The signing appears to be just what the Packers need at corner, with starter Nate Hobbs out indefinitely following knee surgery and much of the depth behind front-line corners Hobbs, Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine both young and unproven. Hobbs is expected to be back in a few weeks, but one of the young corners vying for a spot on the depth chart, Kamal Hadden, is also currently out with a hip injury.
The 6-foot, 191-pound Ballentine brings experience on both Green Bay's defense and special teams into the fold. The seventh-year pro originally came to the Packers in 2022 after stints with the Giants, Jets, Lions and Falcons, working his way up from the practice squad to the active roster and playing as a defensive reserve and special-teamer.
In 2023, injuries in the secondary thrust Ballentine into the starting lineup for six games, and he along with a then-rookie Valentine helped stabilize a difficult situation. Ballentine even got his first career interception that season, at Minnesota in Week 17, and he came off the bench to play in both playoff games, too.
Last year, it was back to a reserve role, with just one start, but he remained a regular on special teams, where he's recorded 12 coverage tackles and forced two fumbles in his time with the Packers.
"It's good to have him back," said safety Xavier McKinney, who's known Ballentine since the two were Giants teammates back in 2020. "I think it helps the morale of our room. Everybody's real cool with him."
Ballentine didn't get into why the Colts released him, but he's learned in his nomadic career not to be surprised by anything. He wasn't all that upset about the Packers not re-signing him after last season, either, chalking it up to the business of the NFL.
If anything, getting cut loose by Indy early gives him a better chance to stick somewhere else, and he's pleased that chance is in Green Bay.
"I was disappointed that it didn't work out," Ballentine said regarding the Colts. "But at the same time, it did work out – because I'm here. You know what I'm saying?
"It's been hard, but I also think stuff like that builds character."
While he came back to many of the same coaches and teammates, there have been some adjustments. He re-entered a cornerback room that no longer has Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes or Robert Rochell, but does include receiver Bo Melton.
He did a similar double take when he walked into a completely updated and renovated locker room that makes last year feel like a lot longer ago.
He's also back to wearing No. 35, which he wore for his first two seasons in Green Bay before switching to No. 26 last year. Seventh-round rookie corner Micah Robinson is wearing 26 now.
He said coordinator Rich Bisaccia prefers him with 35 and was acting like he never left, putting Ballentine out there right away during special teams periods Tuesday. He'll find his way into the defensive rotation soon enough, too.
"I'm familiar with (the playbooks), so some things I was picking up really quickly, but everyone kind of expected me to know everything, so it was like, 'It has been a little bit,'" he said, smiling. "I'm still learning, but I'll get the hang of it."
With all the ups and downs he's endured since being drafted in the sixth round by the Giants six years ago, he simply focuses on keeping a clear head. He'll use extended sauna sessions as a type of meditation, and he's making a conscious effort to stay positive in the face of whatever doesn't go right.
He certainly knows what it takes to make it in Green Bay, and that's all that matters now.
"What anybody has to do – make plays, be where I'm supposed to be, execute, not make the same mistake twice, and just show up every day with a good attitude, honestly," he said. "Sometimes the road gets hard, things don't go your way, (but the best approach is) not getting down on yourself, coming back the next day and fixing all the issues … and helping the team in whatever way we can to win games."
