RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesGREEN BAY – Javon Bullard ’s right foot hurt, but the Green Bay Packers nickel cornerback initially planned not to tell anybody.
The foot had been barking ever since he stepped off the Don Hutson Center turf after practice Aug. 9. It was a rare indoor practice , something coach Matt LaFleur tries to avoid like the plague. Given the slippery field conditions outside and injury-depleted state of his roster, LaFleur made an exception.
In a special-teams drill, Bullard planted hard on the turf and felt the pain immediately. He stayed in practice anyway, only skipping a situational walkthrough at the end.
“I was going to just like thug it out,” Bullard said.
Bullard’s foot kept getting more sore throughout the evening, but he expected to practice the next day. That was until he woke up and couldn’t put his shoe on, the black-and-blue swelling no longer allowing his foot to fit.
He knew then the Packers needed to be made aware.
Bullard wore a walking boot on his right foot Aug. 10, but he said the MRI was clean. He has a bone bruise, something he does not expect will force him to miss any regular-season snaps. Bullard anticipated returning to practice before camp concludes, though he did not want to provide a specific timeline for return.
Except for one pivotal detail.
“Hell no,” Bullard said, “I ain’t missing Week 1. I ain’t missing [expletive] this year. I’m playing.”
The Packers surely will accept Bullard’s bone bruise being the only damage from their indoor practice. LaFleur said the field conditions persuaded him to move practice indoors before returning to Ray Nitschke Field on Aug. 10. But the Packers also know they’ll open the season in Minnesota, playing on artificial turf.
So getting some reps on the turf was worthwhile, especially with no significant injuries. The Packers won’t be on turf in any of their three preseason games, so their next encounter likely won’t come until Minnesota.
“I do like to go outside,” LaFleur said, “but I do think there are some benefits in playing on the turf.”
In his third season, Bullard has ascended to an indispensable role in the Packers defense. His productivity from the slot nickel will be foundational in new coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s scheme.
Bullard’s play style is especially important.
“Bull is a dog, man,” LaFleur said. “You talk about a guy who plays with the right mentality, the right play style, what we want to be about. So it’s been cool just to see his evolution. I think one thing, we’ve put him in more situations where there’s been some man-coverage situations, and I think he’s really progressed.”
Bullard played through a fractured heel as a rookie in 2024. He said his bone bruise is not nearly as severe, and he’s relieved it will not require surgery.
He’ll be out in the near term for precautionary reasons, but Bullard believes he’ll return in time to play the Vikings.
“This one is not as excruciating as the last one,” Bullard said. “So that’s good news. It’s nothing crazy, nothing crazy. I’ll be back in no time. If we had a game tomorrow, I’d play. So it’s nothing crazy. We’re just trying to proceed with caution right now as opposed to letting it linger and be dealing with it later on.”
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Packers nickel Javon Bullard says bone bruise won’t keep him out of Week 1
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