Few Green Bay Packers players have been under more fire in 2025 than offseason acquisition Nate Hobbs. Plenty of criticism was directed towards the front office for signing him to a four-year, $48 million contract, and towards Matt LaFleur, who insisted on playing him as an outside cornerback rather than in the slot where he is more comfortable. But the lion's share of scrutiny went to Hobbs. Packers fans desperately wanted Carrington Valentine to play over him, and they got their wish on Sunday.
The Week 8 win over the Steelers only proved Packers fans right. Hobbs was finally benched, only playing in a handful of snaps, while Valentine lined up in 62 defensive snaps. As expected, the third-year player was much better than Hobbs has been. Valentine finished with a pass breakup, three tackles, and received a 64.2 defensive grade and 67.6 coverage grade on Pro Football Focus.
Nate Hobbs' Days as a Packers Starter May Be Over
It's hard to imagine Hobbs getting his starting job back from Valentine any time soon. To make matters worse for the former Raider, Javon Bullard also had one of his best games of the season as the nickel corner. This doesn't leave a spot for Hobbs, who is trending towards being a backup for the second half of the season.
Hobbs has been in and out of the injury report throughout the season, and the past week was no different. The 26-year-old underwent a knee procedure over the summer, and as part of his recovery, he missed Week 1. Since then, he has been getting listed with a knee injury during the week, but hasn't missed another game. So, an injury could have been a contributing factor in the decision to bench him on Sunday, especially considering both DC Jeff Hafley and HC Matt LaFleur spoke highly of him during the week, even teasing "a step forward" from him.
Injury issues are unfortunately nothing new for Hobbs, who has missed at least four games in each of his last three seasons. There is a chance that he is still feeling the impact of his offseason knee surgery, and he may not be 100%.
Valentine, on the other hand, may not have the highest upside, but he gives more than 100% on the field in every single snap. He is tough and physical, and seems to be in better shape than Hobbs at this point. Barring unexpected developments, it should and will be the former seventh-round pick who will get the start over Hobbs.