Jeff from Edgerton, WI

I'm in utter disbelief how fans can be so quick to take a singular strong showing from a player in preseason and want him to be a starter or a backup QB over another that has experience and been in the league many years. The secret is to "stack" success. Any QB can have a good game. Can you stack the good games? If you can consistently do that you very well might find success in the NFL, but the NFL demands consistency over time. I wish armchair QBs would see this. FF drawbacks, I suppose!

Don't you know how this works, Jeff? A guy plays great and he's a Week 1 starter. Someone plays poorly and he's cut. There's no need for rationality when you can simply drift whichever direction the wind blows. I mean, who needs to be the same person every day when you can shapeshift by the hour? There's no better foundation than a faultline.

Paul from Mount Horeb, WI

What should be the priority of the Packers during the preseason?

Stay healthy and gain as much intel as possible on these various position battles. We discovered a few things in Pittsburgh and we're gonna learn a whole lot more in Denver.

Keith from Fishers, IN

To Greg from Myrtle Beach, SC: All three kickers who scored 17 points in one game kicked five field goals and two extra points.

Thank you for ending this existential crisis.

Jim from Hudsonville, MI

This team could use a few more Tucker Krafts…Heck, the WORLD could use a few more Tucker Krafts!

The fact there's only one Tucker Kraft is what makes him so special.

Dale from Holopaw, FL

Good day, good to see Tucker Kraft back but who is our No. 2 guy or is that going to be really decided at the end of preseason? And if I may, are you confident in the tight end position as of now? Thank you again. GPG.

I don't think we're gonna know that answer until we gain more clarity on Luke Musgrave's situation and perhaps John FitzPatrick's. The Packers have a bunch of tight ends who can do a bunch of different things, but the biggest hole they need to fill is an in-line tight end who can block. I thought Luke Lachey might be that guy until his unfortunate injury. Of course, they could still do the sixth O-lineman thing – Anthony Belton did some work there Sunday – but I feel this offense functions best when it operates with two true tight ends. If Kraft is out on a route, who's gonna be that other guy?

Robert from Verona, WI

Excited to see Tucker Kraft continuing to progress through the recovery process. Although injuries can happen in any game, I have to think the entire Packers fan base is going to be on pins and needles watching the two games against Detroit. Guys like Kraft will undoubtedly say they just need to go out there with no fear and play the game, but do you think offensive players going up against the Lions' defensive "play style" adjust their game at all?

Fans might think that way, but players can't operate like that. Not in this game. When it's time to go, it's time to go.

Paul from Ledgeview, WI

Wes, there have been enough comments about Tyrod Taylor being a locker room fit, but what have you seen from him in practice or preseason action that gives you confidence he can be an above average QB2? He's no Malik Willis at this juncture of his career but does he have the juice to be successful if called on to win a game?

Yes. Taylor absolutely can still go win you a football game, but hopefully he won't need to.

Gary from Cross Plains, WI

Following up on the kickoff return question, what are rules around the second return man back? I noticed on Thursday that while one was making the catch, the second man back was running forward with full head of steam to block even before the catch was made. Are there restrictions on what/when that man does or is he just a free-range guy to do whatever? I'd have thought he'd be closer to the ball in case of a muff, but he was just running out to block.

Not really other than you have to keep two kickoff returners back under the "dynamic" return rules. Most teams use that second returner like a fullback, with Bo Melton and Emanuel Wilson playing that role last season.

Jeff from Waterford, WI

What rookie do you think has the best chance of starting this year?

We're still nearly a month away from the regular-season opener, but I think Brandon Cisse is building a very compelling case to be on the field for the first defensive snap in Minnesota. There is so much competition in that cornerback room right now, and it seems to have brought out the best in the 21-year-old rookie.

Jim from Portsmouth, NH

Good morning and thanks for all the ones you two have given me! Question: Do you see any similarity between offensive linemen (e.g. balance, foot placement, shoulder thrusts) and sumo wrestling? Anything that one can learn from the other?

I know nothing about sumo, but I believe there are distinct parallels between line play and wrestling. Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark felt strongly their wrestling backgrounds served as a good base to becoming Pro Bowl defensive tackles. Strength and leverage are critical in the trenches. If they weren't, then you'd simply line up the five tallest and biggest men you could find and say that's your starting offensive line. But the real question is when the ball is snapped, can you move the man (or men) in front of you?

Richard from Caledonia, WI

What aspects of training camp 2026 offer the best insights as to what you are most excited about in the season ahead?

The first open practice after the preseason opener is usually a fun one and Sunday did not disappoint. Guys got after it with Zaire Franklin and Chris Brooks even having a little dust-up. Hopefully, juice is still on today's menu.

James from Appleton, WI

Preseason games aren't games; they're tryouts. A struggling player isn't yanked but left out there to see how much he can figure it out. It's like Pat Murphy making a pitcher finish his inning in early regular-season games, even if he's giving up runs, because it'll pay off at the end of the season. It's hard to watch, but the guys in charge know what they're doing.

That's what I love most about the preseason. There are no elaborate schemes or play designs. It is dudes playing football and may the best – and most fundamentally sound – man win. When adversity hits, how do you respond? Because if you wilt in August, you won't play in September.

Ross from Summerville, SC

Gents, any news on Matt Orzech? Is he any closer to coming back?

Nothing new to report on Orzech. He's one of four players still on physically unable to perform.

Dan from Catonsville, MD

Hi guys: Last Thursday, I attended the game in Pittsburgh and went extremely early specifically to watch Trey Smack kick field goals in practice. He did not disappoint; he was highly accurate with both long and short FGs during practice and also the game. Over the years, I have watched FG kickers from Paul Hornung to Don Chandler to Lou Michels, Jan Stenerud, etc. I'm hoping we have found a real gem in Trey Smack. To me, he has such a huge upside of talent!

Like any rookie kicker, this is going to be a process with Smack. There will be more highs and there will be some lows, but Smack is everything you want in a kicking prospect. In recent weeks, I think we've learned a thing or two about his makeup, as well. The guy is a gamer.

Shannon from Ovilla, TX

What has happened to Anthony Belton? If I recall correctly, he was going to be the starting right guard throughout OTAs. Now he doesn't seem to be mentioned in the first or second string. Seems as a second-round pick just a year ago he is falling instead of rising.

Belton has been spelling Zach Bako-Bewele at right tackle over the past week, taking reps with both the first- and second-team offensive lines. To your point, Jacob Monk and Jager Burton have inserted themselves into the conversation for a starting job on the interior, which is the natural spot for both men. That's not to say Belton is out of the race to start at right guard. The Packers are merely gauging their options at a pivotal position.

Chuck from Richfield, WI

I'll recall watching a free agent named Desmond Howard return a punt for a TD during a home preseason game exactly 30 years ago. I told my buddy (who visiting from Austria; now a Packer fan for life) that Howard likely made the team based that one play. Can you recall any other player who you felt solidified his chances of making the team with one specific preseason play?

Jake Kumerow's 82-yard touchdown catch vs. Pittsburgh in 2018 and Wilson's 80-yard touchdown against Cincinnati in 2023.

Caleb from Knoxville, TN

Do we have an International Pathway player at present, and if so, how are they doing? Thanks for all you do, Go Pack Go!

Australian tight end Thomas Yassmin is the guy right now. He's not a total project. He played at Utah for five years and been with two other NFL teams.

Connor from Berkley, MI

In your many years of covering the team, curious if you are willing to share any examples of rookies who didn't pan out where you could tell they didn't belong by the first few padded practices. Justin Harrell? Jason Spriggs? Hoping there's a few less recent stories that may be past the statute of limitations.

I would say Khyri Thornton or Carl Bradford. Both good college players, but it just never quite materialized at the NFL level. That's just how it goes sometimes.

Dar from Mansfield, TX

Wes, it might be early, but Mark Perry's story is starting to bear resemblance to that of another underdog legend: Chris Banjo. Unheralded free agent. Unnoticed signing. Safety. College ball in the D/FW Metroplex (Banjo at SMU, Perry at TCU). Five letters in each of their surnames. Started at the bottom of the 90 but keeps making plays in practice and preseason games. Shows up on film. Good on special teams. Could he be the one to keep alive the streak of undrafted FAs making the initial 53?

Perry technically wouldn't keep the streak going because he's not an undrafted rookie. In fact, the Packers are the sixth NFL team he's played for over the past two years. He's still a great story, though. Because as difficult as it is for an undrafted rookie to make the 53, it's even harder for a January "futures" signee to do so. Because there is no investment there. Many times, those guys don't even make it to the offseason program before getting cut. I give Perry credit for coming in and refusing to be lost in the shuffle.

Douglas from Brooklyn Park, MN

Washington in 1982 was a shortened strike season. In other words, very unique circumstances.

True. I'm sure they also didn't take into account houses that have more than two television sets and things of that nature.

Dustin from Kansas City, MO

If you could spend one entire day following any one person in the entire Packers organization around, who would you choose and why would you choose them?

Saying the head coach probably doesn't make for the flashiest answer, but I think it would be cool to shadow Matt LaFleur during his workday. So much goes into being an NFL head coach beyond running practice and talking to the media. It would be fascinating to see how everything unfolds.

Dan from Minneapolis, MN

To what extent, if any, do you believe fans who submit questions to Insider Inbox fail to understand that you are in-house reporters, not official spokespeople for the Packers organization? I get the sense lately that more submissions seem to conflate the two roles.

I'm just here for the zipline.

Jim from Augusta, WI

As diehard fans of the Packers, or any team for that matter, we are conditioned to the fact that we want our team to win any time they step on the field and are disappointed if they don't. Any advice on how we can temper our expectations during preseason so that we realize that wins or losses don't really matter at this point in the season?

Drink more or drink less depending on your current level of consumption (and do so responsibly).

Brian from Urbana, IL

In response to the question about blocking for kickoffs – I was an awful O-lineman in high school. I would even sometimes forget what the snap count was on my way from the huddle to the LOS. But I was never the center, just a guard or a tackle, and in that position, you have to line up one foot behind the center and can therefore just see the ball in your peripheral. So, I would just watch to see when it was snapped if I forgot. Terrible habit, yes, but I was never flagged for a false start.

Nothing like playing on your own personal silent count.

Luke from Kaukauna, WI

Why do we Packers fans care so much about the color of the socks? Because we are the Packers, gosh darn it, and we want them to look good! Green socks all the way with the away uniforms.

I could not care less about the socks deal, folks. I've never hit delete faster when going through Inbox submissions. You would've thought they scrapped the "G" on the helmet.

John from Stevens Point, WI

It's funny (funny how?). We wait during the post-draft silly season for training camp to start. Then we wait expectantly for the preseason to begin. Once the preseason begins, we are reminded of why we like the "real deal" (regular season) so much as we suffer through uninspired, vanilla preseason games. We hope and pray for no injuries and wonder and wait some more. Not trying to sound like the kid in the back seat, but are we there yet? Can't wait for regular season to begin. GPG!

We're not as close as I want to be, but closer than we once were.

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