The Green Bay Packers have shaken up their cornerback room again, this time bringing back one of their veteran contributors from the last three seasons.
According to the team’s transaction wire for August 4, the Packers re-signed veteran cornerback Corey Ballentine and released cornerback Gregory Junior on Monday in a pair of corresponding roster moves that add more familiar depth to the position group.
Ballentine, 29, made seven starts and appeared in 37 games for the Packers over the past three seasons, playing just shy of 1,000 total snaps between defense and special teams. He had his most significant run on defense in 2022 when he started six games and recorded 43 total tackles, seven pass deflections and his only career interception.
With Ballentine in the fold again, he should have an opportunity to compete for a depth spot in the Packers’ cornerback room over the next month ahead of the 2025 season.
Corey Ballentine Could Win Depth Role Again in 2025
Ballentine isn’t a high-profile signing for the Packers, but his experience with the team — and, specifically, Jeff Hafley’s defense — could come in handy as they attempt to shape their cornerback room over the next several weeks of 2025’s NFL training camp.
The Packers are in questionable territory at cornerback. They have Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine returning from 2024 and Nate Hobbs joining the mix as an expected starter for their 2025 lineup, but most of last year’s depth walked in free agency. They also cut ties with Pro Bowl starter Jaire Alexander in June after drafting just one new cornerback (Micah Robinson in the seventh round) during April’s draft.
Things have also gotten more complicated over the past week of camp. According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Hobbs underwent knee surgery on August 2 to repair a torn meniscus and will remain sidelined for the rest of camp. He added that Hobbs could return for the regular-season opener on September 7 against the Detroit Lions, but it is unclear at this stage how realistic his chances are of returning without missing a game.
With Hobbs out of commission, Ballentine should have an easier time earning reps in practice with the Packers as he vies for a 53-man roster spot again. His familiarity with the system and the coaching staff could provide him with an edge, but he will also need to show that he hasn’t lost a step on special teams, where depth corners typically play.
Who Else is Pushing for Role in Packers’ CB Rotation?
Ballentine’s history with the Packers makes him an intriguing addition early in camp, but he is far from the only roster-hopeful cornerback looking to win a rotation spot.
The Packers likely have four of their roster spots locked (or near-locked) with Nixon, Hobbs, Valentine and Robinson, which leaves their other eight rostered cornerbacks fighting for somewhere between one and three remaining roles on the active roster.
Ballentine is a solid contender to win one of them, given his experience with the team, but the Packers also have Kalen King (2024 seventh-round pick) and wide receiver-convert Bo Melton looking to earn their keep. King has done well over the first few weeks of camp, even picking off a pass during the team’s Family Night scrimmage.
Additionally, the Packers also have Kamal Hadden — a 2024 sixth-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs — trying to elevate himself from his practice-squad role with the team last season to a more impactful active-roster role in 2025. Unfortunately for him, Hadden is currently sidelined in practice with a hip injury that could hurt his chances.
The Packers must make their 53-man roster decisions before the NFL deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 26.
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