The Green Bay Packers will be spending some time without rookie wide receiver Savion Williams on the practice field after his latest injury designation.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Williams did not practice Friday for the Packers at training camp because of a concussion. The 2025 third-round pick must now clear the NFL’s concussion protocol before he can return to the practice field for the Packers.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur had mentioned before practice that Williams would not be available for them Friday, but he declined to provide a reason for his absence.
“I think he’s done a great job,” LaFleur said of Williams before practice. “Again, he’s another guy who has showed a lot, and I think there’s a lot going on upstairs — as to be expected. I mean, this is his first opportunity out there with the full team, so we’re excited about him. Unfortunately, he won’t be out there practicing today.”
Savion Williams is Fighting for Role in Packers’ Rotation
Williams is a virtual lock to make the Packers’ 53-man roster as the No. 87 overall pick in this past spring’s draft, but his concussion could set him back in his pursuit of a role.
Williams is trying to break through in a crowded receiver room that includes most of the team’s major contributors from 2024. The Packers return Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks and Malik Heath and expect to have Christian Watson back once he has recovered from January’s ACL tear. They also drafted another pass-catcher before picking up Williams, using their first-round pick on Texas star Matthew Golden.
At full strength, Williams has a good shot at carving out a role, despite the depth. The 6-foot-5, 212-pounder caught 130 passes for 1,576 yards and 14 touchdowns over his final three seasons at TCU. He also had some nice catches early in camp, per Demovsky.
While Williams’ concussion won’t cost him his roster spot, though, it could sabotage his chances of winning a Day 1 role with the team if he misses too much time as a result.
Packers Also Seeing ‘Nice Things’ From Matthew Golden
Williams’ injury is a bummer for the Packers, especially considering LaFleur and local reporters have noted the rookie’s standout plays in the first few practices of camp.
Fortunately for them, their other hotshot rookie — Golden — has also stood out in the early unpadded practices of his first camp as he vies for a starting role for the offense.
Golden is a lightning-fast receiver with excellent hands that helped him come alive in his final season with the Longhorns in 2024. In 16 games, he caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. He also flexed his takeover ability in multiple postseason games for Texas, putting up at least 149 receiving yards in each as the No. 1 target.
For now, the Packers are staying patient with him, but LaFleur likes what he has seen.
“Yeah, he’s doing some nice things,” LaFleur said Friday. “Certainly, he showcases his ability to catch the football. It’s pretty impressive. He uses his hands and he’s an aggressive catcher of the ball, and then he showed the ability to put his foot in the ground and have some good YAC. It’s cool to watch these young guys progress and learn. I still think there’s a lot going on upstairs, so once that calms down and he has a great grasp of what the expectations are, I think you’ll see an even better version where he’s able to play faster.”
How Many Wide Receivers Will Make Packers’ Roster?
With just three practices in the books, the Packers are still a long way off from knowing which receivers will claim prominent roles in their offense in 2025. One of the biggest questions at the onset of camp, though, is: How many receivers will make their roster?
Some receivers are easier to project than others. Unless the Packers receive a too-good-to-pass-up trade offer for Doubs, he will likely make the roster as one of their primary contributors along with Reed and Wicks. Watson might begin the regular season on the PUP list, but he should have a role waiting for him when he is healthy enough to return.
There are also the rookies. Golden is making the roster, and so, too, is Williams — even if his concussion creates the slightest possibility that he could start his rookie season on an injury list.
Presuming Watson starts on PUP, that’s five roster spots already locked up. The team could look to keep six receivers, which would open the door for either Heath or veteran free-agent signing Mecole Hardman Jr. to win a role on the roster. Either way, though, the competition figures to stay heated for the depth spots in the rotation through camp.
Packers’ Aaron Banks Also Dealing With New Injury
Williams was not the only notable injury absence from the Packers’ Friday practice.
The Packers also practiced without veteran guard Aaron Banks after he exited midway through Thursday’s practice with an injury. According to LaFleur, Banks is dealing with a back injury and is considered “very day-to-day” as he works through his issue.
“He just had a little back issue,” LaFleur said of Banks before Friday’s practice. “Everything checked out all right. I would say it’s just going to be very day-to-day.”
The Packers will want Banks back on the practice field as soon as possible after they signed him to a four-year, $77 million contract in free agency with expectations that he would become their new starting left guard. They are also practicing without star Elgton Jenkins, who wants a new contract after they announced plans to move him to center.
