3 Packers starters who could be benched by end of training camp

2. Rudy Ford being an incumbent won’t help him at Packers training camp

It’s no secret that the Packers safety room got a big shakeup this offseason, mostly by way of the lack of impactful moves that Brian Gutekunst made.

Adrian Amos, after showing signs of decline in the 2022 season, was allowed to walk in free agency, signing late in the process with the New York Jets. Meanwhile, Green Bay signed guys like Tarvarius Moore and Jonathan Owens in free agency while drafting Anthony Johnson Jr. in the seventh round. But again, there has been little evidence that they are starting caliber.

Because of that, the belief has seemed to be that one of the only incumbents at the position, Rudy Ford, will pair up with Darnell Savage at the safety spots when Week 1 rolls around. That might be true when it’s all said and done, but consider me dubious.

Ford joined the Packers last offseason and played a limited role with 443 snaps on the year. He was admittedly good in coverage at time, but the consistency was lacking with spike games and splash plays offsetting some less desirable moments.

This is a player, though, who is already on his fourth team over six NFL seasons. If he was a true impact starter, that wouldn’t be the case. Even if he has undeniably improved, there are better options out there.

Point blank, I don’t see anyone on the Packers roster right now taking Ford’s starting job. But with veterans such as John Johnson III, Duron Harmon, Andrew Adams, Logan Ryan and more still available in free agency, I’d be shocked if Green Bay didn’t end up bringing one of them in. With their experience, Ford would almost surely be relegated back to being a role player in the secondary.