The Green Bay Packers have won three straight to improve to 5-1-1, and have an excellent opportunity to extend their win streak to four as they host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. While Carolina is expected to have quarterback Bryce Young back under center, the Packers' defense, which has been playing well above expectations all season, should still have a relatively easy matchup going against a team averaging less than 20 points per game.
Once again, one of the biggest points of discussion in Green Bay is the Nate Hobbs situation. After finally getting benched in Week 8 in favor of fellow cornerback Carrington Valentine, like most Packers fans have wanted all season, what the future holds for Hobbs was up in the air.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley addressed this on Thursday, saying that "Everyone wants to point the finger at Nate Hobbs. Nate Hobbs isn’t benched," per The Athletic's Matt Schneidman. Hafley added that Hobbs has responded well in practice during the week, and we will see more of the former Raiders cornerback.
This is certainly understandable from the coaching staff. The Packers gave Hobbs a four-year, $48 million deal in the offseason. He hasn't even come close to meeting the expectations that come with that sort of contract. The team desperately wants the signing to work, and doesn't want to give up on him after less than half a season.
Jeff Hafley's Nate Hobbs Praise Won't Mean Much to Packers Fans
At the same time, Hafley's endorsement of Hobbs rings hollow in the context in which it came. In the same presser, the Packers' DC first praised Valentine for his performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, saying that he thought the third-year CB played "one of his best games since he's been here," and had a huge part in holding star wide receiver DK Metcalf in check, per USA Today's Ryan Wood.
In that game, Valentine played 62 defensive snaps compared to Hobbs' four. Would the Packers really give Hobbs more playing time at the expense of Valentine immediately after that performance?
Because the Panthers' offense doesn't instill much fear, the Packers could be incentivized to get Hobbs out there to help him get his confidence back. Besides rookie Tetairoa McMillan, the Panthers' WR corps is not particularly dangerous and could allow Hobbs to bounce back. Another option could be giving him more of a look at nickel corner at Javon Bullard's expense.
Yet, it's not like the Steelers have a scary offense. They rely more on their tight ends than their receivers, Metcalf being the only elite option on the outside. Even then, the Packers trusted Valentine over Hobbs. That should continue to be the case going forward.
Regardless of the role Hobbs plays in Week 9, a better test to show how much faith the coaching staff still has in him will be the huge Week 10 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.