Carrington Valentine's moment has arrived

Carrington Valentine flashed potential over his first two NFL seasons. Now, he has the chance to seize a starting job and change the complexion of the Packers' secondary in the process.

The Green Bay Packers' secondary will look noticeably different in 2025. That much became clear when the Packers officially released Jaire Alexander, their longest-tenured defensive back and one of the few players on the roster old enough to have firsthand accounts of Y2K.

To account for Alexander's departure, general manager Brian Gutekunst made one major offseason investment. On the first day of the contract-negotiation period, he agreed to terms with Nate Hobbs, a former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback with experience playing on the perimeter and in the slot. With Hobbs now in the fold, Keisean Nixon returning after a successful debut run as an outside corner, and Javon Bullard back to handle nickel duties, the Packers had a starting group they felt comfortable with entering training camp.

But even those facts on the ground have changed over just a few short weeks of camp. After several practices saw Hobbs force too much contact with his new teammates, he ended up hurting his knee. The Packers confirmed on Tuesday that he underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear, though head coach Matt LaFleur said they hope he can return "sooner than later."

"I think it was Thursday's practice. It was a play. It was a collision," Hobbs said of his injury. "It was like a slight, minor bump. I felt somebody run into me. It was cool, but it turned out to be something deeper than that.

"I was for sure having a good camp, and I was proving to my teammates and gaining their trust. That's something I take real serious, just trying to be the best version of myself out there. Whenever you really, truly try to do that and something like that happens, it hurts."

Losing the de facto replacement for a longtime No. 1 corner for any length of time negatively affects a Packers secondary that has little proven depth. While Nixon impressed many after moving to the boundary midway through 2024, he still has to show he can handle the rigors of the position throughout an entire season. Bullard has the potential to grow into a quality starter, but he has found himself on the wrong end of several matchups so far in camp. At a minimum, the rest of Green Bay's presumed starting corners still have major questions to answer.

Meanwhile, another player has stepped forward, ready to take advantage of the opportunity: Carrington Valentine.