GREEN BAY — Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that starters will play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Jets, citing injury prevention data from the National Football League as a key factor in the decision.
Watch: McKinney out, starters in: Packers ready for first preseason test against Jets
"They'll tell you, according to our medical people and our sports performance people, that if you get X amount of reps, you're how many ever times less likely to get injured within the first four to five weeks of the regular season," LaFleur explained.
The decision includes quarterback Jordan Love, though LaFleur indicated backup Malik Willis will receive significant playing time.
Final practice before the Packers first preseason game against the Jets.
— Ashley Washburn (@ashleyjwashburn) August 7, 2025
Matt LaFleur said they’ll “do their best” to get all four QBs in on Saturday, but then followed it up by saying Malik Willis will probably get more playing time than anyone. pic.twitter.com/V1QKq8cC9b
"[Malik Willis] is going to get a lot of opportunities," LaFleur shared. "He's probably going to play as much as anybody at that position or more than anybody at that position."
Running back Josh Jacobs expressed enthusiasm about facing another team.
"I think it's going to be very exciting just to hit somebody else, see a different scheme, see unfamiliar faces, just go against somebody else for a while," Jacobs said.
Xavier McKinney makes it sound like he won’t practice for a while because of the calf injury that sidelined him today. He doesn’t expect to play in the preseason. Said the injury has been lingering, but emphasized he’ll be ready for Week 1.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 7, 2025
One notable absence will be safety Xavier McKinney, who is dealing with a lingering calf injury. McKinney sat out Thursday's practice and doesn't expect to participate in the remainder of preseason activities, though he believes he'll be ready for Week 1 of the regular season against the Detroit Lions.
LaFleur plans to work all four quarterbacks into Saturday's game, but Willis is expected to handle the majority of snaps at the position.
