GREEN BAY – Javon Hargrave has never put a number on how long he wants to do this football thing.
Since his days at South Carolina State, the goal for the newly minted Packers defensive tackle simply has been to make the ride last as long as possible.
One decade and 49 sacks later, Hargrave is still knifing his way through offensive lines, collapsing the pocket on quarterbacks and dragging running backs to the ground like he did when he entered the NFL as a third-round pick with Pittsburgh in 2016.
The fact Hargrave is doing that at 33 years old has earned him a nickname in Green Bay's locker room.
"They call me 'The Old Head,'" said Hargrave with a smile. "I just appreciate it and seeing how hungry they are and just learn and try to get better every day. It kind of reminds me of when I first came into the league and not knowing much but just going so hard every day."
The Packers view the 6-foot-2, 307-pound defensive tackle as a catalyst for the defense they want to build under incoming coordinator Jonathan Gannon, a coach whom Hargrave is quite familiar with after partnering in Philadelphia in 2021-22.
That two-year stretch that saw the Eagles win 23 regular-season games and advance to the Super Bowl while Hargrave tallied 18½ sacks and earned his first of two Pro Bowl selections.
After coordinating one of the league's most fearsome and disruptive defenses, Gannon parlayed that production into becoming the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.
Three years later, the two have reunited in Green Bay hoping to finish their story. So far, jumping back into Gannon's scheme has been smooth for Hargrave, who played in San Francisco and Minnesota before joining the Packers in March.
"He's switched some names of a lot of stuff, but it's kind of the same," Hargrave said of Gannon. "It's just kind of remembering, a lot of familiarity with it but just getting in the playbook and remembering and going over it."
During his first news conference as Packers defensive coordinator, Gannon downplayed his role in Hargrave's breakthrough in 2021. Instead, he pointed towards the veteran D-lineman's talent, toughness, football IQ and work ethic.
Hargrave believes his success in Gannon's system runs deeper than that, though. Complementing his effort was a scheme that freed him up for one-on-one opportunities.
While the pads aren't on yet, the Packers already have seen flashes of what Hargrave can bring to a retooled defensive front that includes Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks and rookie third-round pick Chris McClellan.
"Team-first guy, loves football, smart, and he works his butt off and he's tough as nails," said Gannon of Hargrave. "Anybody that kind of checks those boxes, you want to acquire them if you can. He checked all those boxes. I'm excited to get back with him."
The Packers have done a lot of shuffling on the defensive front over the past 10 months. First, Green Bay dealt three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark to Dallas to complete the blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons at the end of training camp last summer.
Colby Wooden, Clark's in-house replacement, started the rest of the season but was then traded to Indianapolis in March to acquire former All-Pro linebacker Zaire Franklin.
Meanwhile, across the Mississippi River, Minnesota released Hargrave in a cost-cutting move. The Packers quickly pounced. Not only did the organization feel strongly about what Hargrave could add to their D-line but also his signing wouldn't count towards the compensatory pick formula because he was cut.
"I believe he still has a lot of ball left in him," Green Bay defensive line coach Vince Oghobaase said. "Playing ball for this long, he's learned a lot of things from a technique standpoint, the nuances of the game, from a shade, zero, nose, three-technique. He's played in a lot of different systems and he's been very successful."
After playing the Packers five times over the course of his NFL career, Hargrave has developed a good feel for Green Bay and its rich history. He also believes he's a solid defensive fit in Year 1 of the Gannon era.
He sees talent and hunger in the locker room, too. At the top of that list is Wyatt, who was having a Pro Bowl-caliber year before suffering a season-ending leg injury in Detroit last Thanksgiving.
As Wyatt edges his way closer to a return, Hargrave has taken reps with Brooks, McClellan and returning second-year defensive linemen Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse during the early portion of organized team activities.
For a career that began in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision back in 2012, Hargrave is excited to still be chasing Super Bowls in 2026.
"I'm just blessed to be in this situation and still be playing in my 11th year in the NFL," Hargrave said. "I prayed and hoped that I could make it, but it was so far then, but it's kind of crazy just looking at now to see how far I done came."
