It has been a season from hell for the Green Bay Packers' offseason acquisition, Nate Hobbs. Signing a four-year, $48 million deal with the Packers in the spring, Hobbs was expected to give the team a boost in the secondary after Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes' departures. Instead, the former Raider has been one of the most disappointing players in Green Bay this season. And now, he may have permanently lost his starting spot.
In addition to underwhelming on the field, Hobbs has also been dealing with injuries. It started in the summer when he needed a meniscus surgery. He missed Week 1 and has been slow to integrate into the lineup. Over the last few weeks, he has been dealing with another knee injury. Due to a Grade 1 MCL sprain, Hobbs missed the Eagles and Giants games. He was initially thought to have a chance to return in Week 12, but Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Silverstein reported that Hobbs didn't participate in Thursday's practice. This firmly puts Hobbs' status for Sunday in jeopardy.
Carrington Valentine's Emergence Leaves No Snaps for Nate Hobbs
In Hobbs' absence, Carrington Valentine has been performing admirably. Since the start of the season, Packers fans have been calling for Valentine to play more, and they have gotten their wish in recent weeks. After four straight starts, the third-year player has proven the fans right as he has been a fresh breath of air after weeks of watching Hobbs' struggles.
Valentine finally became an every-snap defender in the last two weeks and delivered two of his best performances of the season. He allowed 39.6 and 42.4 passer ratings in coverage in back-to-back weeks, respectively, per Pro Football Focus. He gave up a total of two catches for 15 yards in the last two weeks, despite getting targeted eight times. He received 79.4 and 71.2 defensive grades on PFF, bringing his season grade to 76.0. This puts him as the third-highest graded Packers defender on the season.
It also makes it hard to imagine how Hobbs carves out a role for himself upon his return. Javon Bullard has also been consistently playing well as a nickel corner, not leaving much room for Hobbs. Throughout his career, Hobbs has been more effective in the slot, but the Packers have not utilized him there since his arrival. With how well both Bullard and Valentine have been playing, there is no reason for Jeff Hafley or Matt LaFleur to make any changes in the defensive backfield.