Alex from Bozeman, MT

"So I had that going against me, which sucked." Might have to be a line I steal as a frequent user of the more oft-quoted version.

Ditto.

Mark from Madison, WI

When might we expect the Yearbook to come out?

If all goes well, it's heading to the printer in about a month, give or take, and will be available shortly after that.

Kerry from Lakewood Ranch, FL

If they can all stay healthy, would you take the potential production of Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden and Tucker Kraft against most teams' best four?

Yes.

John from St. Paul, MN

Do you think the Packers will take a look at veteran receiver?

No.

James from Appleton, WI

Malik Willis probably makes Miami the team Packers fans will more want to keep an eye on, but which coach are you more curious to see how they do, the Dolphins' Jeff Hafley or Arizona's Mike LaFleur?

Definitely Hafley, because I know him personally, and he ranks as one of my favorites in the coaching business that I've ever worked with, however briefly.

Mike from Allen, TX

Gents, fans have their opinions, as you well know. They ascribe motives and intentions, drawing grand conclusions from scant (or no) evidence. Can you name a player and coach from your time in GB who were unfairly castigated by fans?

Jarrett Bush and Bob Sanders. Lightning rods for criticism who went vastly underappreciated.

David from Chestertown, MD

Hello Insiders. Is it considered taboo to discuss fantasy football in this forum? I don't see many relative posts, though some might allude to it. GPG!

I quit playing fantasy football nearly 30 years ago and never resumed. If I see references to it in submissions, I generally hit delete.

Marc from Crandon, WI

Good morning! Regarding the question about rookie of the year honors, I believe Tom Flynn accomplished that. Per Wikipedia, Flynn was selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 1984 NFL Draft. In his rookie season he led the NFC in interceptions with nine, and was voted Pro Football Weekly's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He was unexpectedly cut by the Packers early in the 1986 season. He was kind of a one-hit wonder from what I recall.

According to the Packers media guide, Flynn received defensive ROY from the Pro Football Writers of America in '84, which is not the league's official award bestowed by the AP. That went to Chiefs NT Bill Maas.

Jason from Ammon, ID

Greetings and good morning, friends. Last night, my son showed me video of a college baseball player who had a fly ball bounce off his head for a home run. I took the opportunity to watch the infamous Bill Buckner play with him. What's the NFL's mental and physical version of that gaffe? The Packers' versions? On a side note, there's very little better than shared sports memories with your kids. Priceless.

The NFL's version is probably Cowboys tight end Jackie Smith in Super Bowl XIII vs. the Steelers. The Packers' version shan't be discussed.

Steve from Ankeny, IA

The recent questions about whether the cap will reach a peak made me think, with the games being played out of country now there is a huge market the NFL can still tap. Where do you think the NFL is going with this? Are we really going to add teams from other countries to the league, and if so, what's your prediction on how soon that will be?

It won't be anytime soon, but a whole division of teams overseas may be the ultimate goal if potential transoceanic travel advances become reality. That's the super long-range projection.

Doug from Neenah, WI

Good morning, Mike. Have you ever had the opportunity to study the QB's armband with all the play calls? Is it mostly numbers, words or hieroglyphics?

Never have, but I'm certainly curious. I'll have to ask Jordan sometime if he'd be willing to show me, as long as I keep my camera phone in my pocket.

Joe from Swansea, IL

Yes, it's mid-June, but what's your assessment of the rest of the NFC North at this juncture? Will strength of schedule have a major impact, as it pertains to the Bears and Lions? What do you think will happen behind center for the Vikings? What else do we need to watch for? Thanks in advance for the insight.

I haven't studied the other teams by any stretch, but I think each one has a key question to answer, or something to prove. Is what the Bears did last year sustainable after 30-plus takeaways and so many fourth-quarter comebacks? Are the Packers better than a bottom playoff seed after three straight 7s? Is the Lions' window still open after missing the playoffs entirely? Is all the Vikings need a QB after winning nine games amidst so many struggles at that position? Buckle up.

Alex from Fort Collins, CO

What players can we expect a breakout year from that are otherwise not being talked about as potentials for doing so?

I doubt there's anybody we've failed to mention entirely, but if there are guys who perhaps haven't been mentioned enough, I'll go with a trio of Year 3 guys from the 2024 draft: Edgerrin Cooper, Javon Bullard and Evan Williams.

Herb from Mosier, OR

It seems like the football gods created a player and sent him to Green Bay – enter Tucker Kraft. I haven't felt so good about a Packer player since Jordy Nelson. Both have everything we could wish for: humility, respect, talent and a genuine feel that seems too good to be true. Is Tuck really that genuine? Does he have any unredeeming qualities? Does he hate bratwurst or crappie fishing?

I haven't heard much about his hobbies and such, but there's no doubt he's genuine. Through and through. What you see is what you get with Tuck.

Jack from Chicago, IL

The man vs. zone coverage questions are exhausting. I recommend people review "Attacking Coverages With the Passing Game" by Steve Axman. NFL defenses are so much more complex to boil it down to "Will Gannon run man?" There can be mixed coverages, zone to man (match), and many other techniques. Every coverage has its weak spot and what DCs will run is a function of philosophy, player skills/techniques, matchups, situations, and opponent tendencies.

That's basically what I've been trying to explain for years.

David from Janesville, WI

Gents, all the injury discussion seems to have focused on key players like Kraft, Micah Parsons and Zach Tom, but is there an update on Jordon Riley? In his brief opportunity as a Packer last year he made an interesting addition.

He did, but unfortunately he tore his Achilles in Week 17 vs. Baltimore, so he was in the rehab group throughout OTAs and minicamp. I have no idea what his potential return timeline is.

Charlotte from Eloy, AZ

Edge rusher is a very interesting unknown right now. Between injuries and inexperience there is a multitude of variables. Brenton Cox Jr. has very intriguing physical gifts, but has not yet broken through. The opportunity is definitely there. Do you foresee him ever being the breakthrough player this defense is looking for?

We're going to find out in the first month of the season. The pass-rush skills have always been there for Cox. It's a matter of shoring up as a run defender to be an every-down player, not a package specialist. Last season became a wash for him due to injury, but he got a ton of first-team reps this spring.

Randy from Raymond, IA

Great story on Tucker Kraft, Mike! I love his attitude and his work ethic. It's nice to see players that truly want to be in Green Bay. I hope he gets the contract he deserves soon. And wow, 21½ mph seven months after his injury is impressive. What is your fastest time ever? My record is 24 mph. (Does it matter that I was on my bicycle?)

Wes told his 40 story yesterday. I've never been clocked in the 40 or had my speed measured, but back in my college baseball days I was timed – very unofficially, with a hand-held stopwatch – from home to first (30 yards) in the 3.9s. I thought that was pretty good. But I doubt I'd crack 5.0 now.

Samuel from Skokie, IL

It is said that a top team needs to pay a QB, shutdown corner, elite pass rusher, and top LT. We have only two of the four. I like Keisean Nixon but he's not a shutdown corner and Jordan Morgan is an unknown at best in that position. Do you think the premise is wrong or we took our eye off the ball a little?

It would be ideal to have premier players at all four of those premier positions, but the reality is it doesn't always work that way because they aren't always available. I think the Packers are working their way back to that based on how draft/trade resources have been spent in recent years, but it takes time, and no guarantees regardless. Not having to spend top dollar at all those spots allows for spending elsewhere, potentially creating other advantages, but shortcomings can also hold a team back. It's all about how it comes together over the course of a long season.

H.R. from Henderson, NV

I just read "5 things" from Day 2, and the theme I got throughout the article was optimism. Not forcing things after how last year ended, not angry, not worried about the next step. Hungry, lean, wanting to learn. Optimistic about what is happening. That can be a very powerful thing when the whole team is swimming towards the same shore.

That's typical this time of year. With this particular group, it knows it has a chance to be good, maybe even really good. But it also knows it can't skip any steps along the way.

Chip from Bev Hills, MI

Okay, first game of 2026. What are some real things you think the Packers will have in place to fix the "letting some games get away from them" thing?

For the players, it's not getting mentally tied up in it, honestly. The worst thing for the Packers when something starts to go wrong in the fourth quarter will be for any players or coaches to be thinking back to last season. Notice I said when, not if, because it'll happen. The narrative is inescapable, I get it, and they've been answering questions ad nauseum about it all offseason. The Packers have addressed it, but specifics are ephemeral, because in the immortal words of Allen Iverson, we're talkin' 'bout practice. If everybody could train themselves to execute their best in the biggest moments, nobody would ever lose. Once the games start, it's all about the here and now. I have a refrain I use in the live blog all the time when not everything is going right in a game, as if Dory from "Finding Nemo" were in a football game: Just keep playing. Just keep playing. That's all you can do. Everything else has too much power to distract.

Jessi from Sterling, KS

You're leaving us until training camp? No "Unscripted" for 6 weeks?! Sigh. I hope you know how long my Airbnb cleaning days just got. Anyway, I digress *wink*. Enjoy the break, just know I won't! Take that as a compliment, it is meant to be gents.

You're too kind. Wes told me after the show that we're going to record our 900^th episode at some point during training camp. That's hard to believe.

Steve from Flagstaff, AZ

I don't know about how you guys feel but I myself am really hoping for a salary cap in baseball. We see how well the Brewers have been doing without being a top spender but I would love to see how teams like the Yankees and Dodgers would do only having a $200M limit. The Yanks have faltered before with high payrolls as have the Mets and Padres. I would just like to see more of a level playing field amongst teams. Let's just not have a strike first to ruin another season.

I've reached the point if it takes a prolonged strike or lockout to get meaningful change to baseball's economic system, I'm willing to make that sacrifice. I've enjoyed the sport more than any other in my 53 years on the planet, and however many of the next 53 I'm still here, I want to enjoy a better sport. The work stoppage that canceled the '94 World Series accomplished nothing. Whatever it takes to actually get something done this time, I'm all for it.

Hugh from Asheville, NC

Mark from Snellville, GA: Love what you do. Can you share something special? Mike from packers.com: No. Bah, humbug. I'm paraphrasing of course. Props for Vic aside, isn't it a bit early to present as curmudgeon?

Occupational hazard.

Andy from Lowell, MI

All the best to Vic over the next month or so. Hope he doesn't stub his toe too much fumbling around in the dark with his blinds firmly closed all day.

That's a good place to end the week. Happy Friday.

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