Love Returns To Practice; Martin, Hollman Out Before Cut to 80

Also before practice, the Packers released a 2020 draft pick who started six times as a rookie.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – After missing a week’s worth of critical reps, quarterback Jordan Love practiced as the Green Bay Packers returned to the field on Monday.

“He should be going today,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice.

On Sunday, LaFleur said the plan was for Love to throw during individual drills on Monday and then potentially progress to 11-on-11 drills on Tuesday. Sure enough, Love was part of the four-quarterback rotation during drills. Like the rest of the quarterbacks, he threw with some zip to the running backs and into the nets but with more air and less power on the downfield throws.

If all goes well to start this week, Love could be back in the saddle for the preseason finale at Buffalo on Saturday.

Love suffered a shoulder injury late in the first half of the preseason opener against Houston last Saturday. Not only did he miss the end of that game but the joint practices against the New York Jets on Wednesday and Thursday and the game against the Jets on Saturday. Kurt Benkert played all but the final series against New York.

“He threw with our trainers every day,” LaFleur said on Sunday. “It’s just trying to get the volume up, trying to get the velocity up (and the) distance just to see how he feels.”

Packers release Kamal Martin, Trade Ka'dar Hollman

In other news, the Packers released linebacker Kamal Martin, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky. It was a surprise move considering Martin was a fifth-round pick last year who started six times as a rookie.

“He’s a guy who can cover tight ends down the field,” Packers scout Brandian Ross said after the selection of Martin in 2020. “He has some length and size to him that allows him to be more physical with those tight ends who like to stretch the seam. I think he’s going to be a guy who will give you another versatile piece when dealing with those bigger, faster tight ends because of his ability to run downfield and play out in space and cover backs and tight ends.”

Martin’s path to starting was blocked by the June addition of veteran De’Vondre Campbell. Moreover, he had spent all of camp with the No. 3 defense behind the second-team pairing of Ty Summers and Oren Burks. He got a brief cameo at outside linebacker before a minor knee injury sidelined him for a few days. He was at his customary spot for the days against the Jets.

Cornerback Ka'dar Hollman was not on the field, either, and was traded to the Texans, according to Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson for a seventh-round pick. A sixth-round pick in 2019, he got lost in the shuffle in a crowded cornerback room that was bolstered by the first-round selection of Eric Stokes. He played 15 snaps late in the game against the Jets.

Hollman literally wrote his own NFL story. Hollman worked at a bread factory, loaded Dunkin Donuts trucks and cut meat at a deli, all while writing letters to coaches all across the nation for a chance to play for their school.

With the cut to 80 coming on Tuesday, tight end Daniel Crawford has been released, according to The Athletic's Matt Schneidman. The Packers started the day at the 85-player maximum.

Lost time for Love

Had Love played the expected three quarters against Houston and again against New York, he would be up to six quarters of action. Instead, he’s played only two quarters. That’s a setback not only for his development but the team’s quest to determine whether he’s capable of replacing Aaron Rodgers, if necessary, next season.

While Love wasn’t spectacular against Houston and LaFleur wanted Love to cut it loose, the coaches were mostly happy with his long-awaited debut.

“One of the biggest focuses we’ve had this camp has been just his tempo of his footwork and matching it to the rhythm of each throw,” quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy said a day after that game. “Throughout camp, he’s had really good moments and not-so-good moments of that, getting a good base, going through your progression with your hitches, letting your feet take you through your progression. I thought last night, almost all of them, he did a really nice job. That was good to see. When the lights came on, he didn’t lose that, because that’s been a big emphasis of ours.

“There was a couple of them, there was one he threw a flat route to (running back Kylin Hill), they covered our primary progression, and we’d just love to see him use his hitches and get back across the field and find the completion. Just stuff like that. If we can continue to get him to let his feet do the talking and the thinking and going through progressions, that’s been a big area of emphasis for him. Most of the time it showed up really well but he’s not where we need him to be yet.”