The Green Bay Packers held their 11th training camp Tuesday on a gorgeous, 77-degree morning. The practice lasted 1 hour, 32 minutes.

Green Bay now heads to Pittsburgh for its first preseason game of 2026 on Thursday at 6 p.m. (CST). The Packers will meet former coach Mike McCarthy and ex-quarterback Aaron Rodgers — a pair that led the franchise to a win in Super Bowl XLV.

Here’s the good, bad and ugly — compiled from multiple reports — from practice No. 11.

THE GOOD

PLAY ON: Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur said quarterback Jordan Love and the Packers’ starters would play at Pittsburgh Thursday.

LaFleur, now in his eighth season, has handled the risk-reward element of playing starters in preseason games both ways. On Monday, though, LaFleur said, “I think just my experiences here is that when we've played in the preseason, we've been better earlier in the season.”

LaFleur also noted that data shows when players get at least 30 snaps in the preseason, they’re less likely to be injured once the regular season begins.

Green Bay, which ended last season on a five-game losing streak, can’t afford a slow start. The Packers face just one playoff team from 2025 in their first seven games, and need to take full advantage of their soft early season schedule.

Critics will scream there’s too much risk playing your frontliners in August games. But there’s also risk walking down the street or driving to work every day.

Nothing toughens you up and readies you more for the regular season than playing your people. LaFleur clearly feels the same.

“I do think there's a lot of value for all our guys to just get mentally prepared to go play a game, whether it's one play, whether it's three plays, 10 plays, the whole game, I think there's a ton of value in that,” LaFleur said. “Just getting your process down.”

LOVE > RODGERS: LaFleur made headlines Monday telling the NFL Network that Jordan Love was the best quarterback he’s worked with when it comes to pre-snap, line protection calls and adjustments.

Considering LaFleur coached Aaron Rodgers from 2019-2022, that’s a bold statement.

On Tuesday, LaFleur doubled down.

“I mean, (Love) is so in tune with everything we're doing, and shoot, it happened today, where he's in there, and we're talking about different looks about what you could do,” LaFleur said. “And he said something that I hadn't thought of, and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s pretty good.’

“So I think he's … really grown in that facet, and he can he has complete command at the line of scrimmage, and then he just, he trusts everything that we talk about in that room, and he goes out there and executes it.”

LaFleur continued …

“Aaron was phenomenal too. Don't get me wrong, and I think Jordan really benefited from watching him and how he operated and how quickly he could process things. But I do think our offense has evolved over time too. So that's all I'm going to say about that.”MINOR STRIDES: Rookie kicker Trey Smack went 4-of-5 on field goals and is now 20-of-28 in training camp (71.4%). Smack’s effort on Tuesday took his average above 70.0% for the first time this summer.

Smack made kicks from 33, 41, 43 and 45 yards, and was also wide right from 45. Smack’s 41-yarder bounced off the right upright and through.

WELCOME BACK: Wide receivers Matthew Golden (toe) and Jayden Reed (foot) returned to practice, as did tight end Josh Whyle (neck) and cornerback Carrington Valentine (hamstring).

Reed, Golden and Whyle all did team drills, while Valentine worked in the rehab group.

COMINGS AND GOINGS: Green Bay added defensive backs Trey Dean (35) and Tra Fluellen (48) to the roster and released tight end Drew Biber and guard Karsen Barnhart.

THIS AND THAT: Love hit Skyy Moore with an impressive deep ball that went for a big gain. … Ty’Ron Hopper forced a fumble from running back Jaden Nixon. … Edge Lukas Van Ness beat Zach Bako-Bewele, forcing Love to step into a sack from safety Kitan Oladapo.

THE BAD

OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES: Green Bay’s defense got the better of the offense, which has been a consistent theme throughout camp.

Love and the offense couldn’t get much going until they faced the No. 2 defense late in practice.

While that’s good news for the defense, the Packers’ struggles on offense should be concerning. Green Bay’s offensive line is unsettled, running back Josh Jacobs is out with a groin injury and there’s little depth at tight end or wide receiver.

The Packers averaged just 19.2 points per game during their five-game losing streak to end 2025. They’ll need to be much better than that when the regular season arrives.

NO ACTION FOR JACKSON: LaFleur said rookie cornerback Domani Jackson, a sixth round draft pick in April, had core muscle surgery in the offseason.

The injury kept Jackson out of the spring and most of training camp.

“He just has been trying to work through some of the stuff, and hopefully he'll be out there shortly,” LaFleur said.

FROM THE INFIRMARY: Here’s how the Packers’ injury list looked Tuesday.

Not practicing: safety Javon Bullard (foot), running back Josh Jacobs (groin), edge Dani Dennis-Sutton (illness) and cornerback Domani Jackson (core). Guard Aaron Banks (knee) was also given a rest day.

Bullard, who was in a walking boot, said Monday his foot injury wasn’t anything to worry about long term.

“It’s nothing crazy. I’ll be back in no time,” Bullard said. “If we had a game tomorrow I’d play. It’s nothing crazy. We’re just trying to proceed with caution right now instead of letting it linger and be dealing with it later on.”

As for Jacobs, LaFleur said Tuesday “he's going to be out for at least this week.”Reserve lists: edge rusher Micah Parsons (knee), tight end Luke Musgrave (neck), long snapper Matt Orzech (calf) and defensive tackle Jordon Reilly (Achilles).

THIS AND THAT: Bo Melton dropped a pass from Love that would have gone for a big gain. … Green Bay’s running backs had little to no room to get started throughout practice.

THE UGLY

GIVE IT UP MATT: Packers coach Matt LaFleur has a career record of just 19-26 when throwing the challenge flag, a dismal winning percentage of.422.

The NFL made a rule change starting this season that allows a designated assistant coach to throw the challenge flag instead of strictly the head coach. Still, LaFleur doesn't plan to give up those duties.

“I probably should give it up based on past actions,” LaFleur said with a chuckle Tuesday. “So no, I'll probably hold the challenge flag.”

Since the start of 2023, LaFleur has challenged 18 plays. Just five have been overturned, giving him a paltry 27.8% success rate in the last three seasons.

Still, LaFleur said he feels good about the process he’s established to challenge plays.

“Where it gets challenging is if you leave, you know, and … if you go talk to the quarterbacks or receivers or whoever or somebody on offense when the defense is out there and you have a bang, bang play,” LaFleur said. “Then you just have to have urgency to get up there and throw the flag.”

LaFleur has a lot on his plate during game days. And his success rate throwing the flag in recent years has been nightmarish.

Perhaps it’s time to pass the torch, or in this case, the flag.