The Green Bay Packers are butting heads during practice, and while that might sound like a bad thing at the onset, it's actually a great sign of things to come when you peel back the layers on what linebacker Zaire Franklin and tight end Tucker Kraft are actually establishing here.
Let's start with the facts: The Athletic's Matt Schneidman reported that Franklin and Kraft were chirping with each other when Kraft lowered his shoulder to knock Franklin down during a high-intensity play in Packers practice. The two reportedly chirped back and forth with each other, which Schneidman said is not surprising since they did the same thing during a Colts/Packers joint practice last offseason.
When asked about it later on, here's what Zaire Franklin had to say:
"I felt like that's what the team was missing. He bring that same energy, that same competitive edge, that same a**hole mentality that I feel like I bring on the defense," Franklin told reporters. "Me and Tuck eat breakfast together every morning. We could just decide we gonna fight that day and then we still gonna eat breakfast together the next morning."
So while the initial shock of two Packers players getting into it during a practice might sound like an issue, this is an example of two locker room leaders setting the tone for their respective groups coming into a season when Green Bay knows it's being doubted.
The Green Bay Packers need to adopt the same competitive edge that Zaire Franklin and Tucker Kraft are showing.
These aren't just any two players. Franklin is one of the most productive linebackers of the last decade in the NFL, and Kraft is one of the fastest rising stars at the position. They have the respect of their peers both around the league and in their own locker room. So if they're going to display such a competitive, hard-nosed mentality, then maybe the rest of the Packers should follow suit.
One of the biggest concerns about this year's Packers group is whether they have the physicality and intensity to perform at the highest level over the course of a full game. As outlined by Jordan Love and Micah Parsons alike, Green Bay's biggest issue has been closing out games where they already put themselves in a position to win.
So maybe this Packers core needs to take things a little bit more personally heading into the 2026 NFL season. If the rest of the lineup had that same intensity as Franklin and Kraft do, they would've been in a much stronger position to contend for a Super Bowl last season. Let's see if they make up for lost time and come back with a stronger competitive edge this season, in turn.
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