DENVER – On Friday, the Packers practiced for more than two hours against the Broncos, ate together at food trucks parked near the field and took their best shot at a local Topgolf.
All with one thing in mind: Team.
Finding fresh ways to promote camaraderie and cohesiveness among players has been one of Matt LaFleur's primary tenets since being hired as Green Bay's head coach in 2019.
While the experience of practicing against another NFL club is invaluable, so too is the process of bringing teammates together in a more relaxed setting after a grueling, pressure-packed month of playbooks, practices and film review.
"Just (finding) moments to try to connect outside of football, I think that's important," said LaFleur before Friday's practice. "Because adversity's going to come in some form or another. The teams that typically can stay close together, stay connected can weather that adversity and get out the other side of it."
The 2023 Packers are a prime example of that. Green Bay, which began its season with a joint practice last summer in Cincinnati, went through some growing pains during the first two months of the regular season.
Following a 3-6 start, the NFL's youngest team rallied during the second half to seize the final spot in the NFC playoffs. The Packers then became the first No. 7 seed to upend a No. 2 when they trounced the Dallas Cowboys, 48-32, in the wild-card round.
As satisfying as that surge felt, the Packers recognize this is a completely new year with heightened expectations. In that regard, you can't take chemistry for granted.
This year's squad already has had several team-bonding events, with this trip to Denver providing a special opportunity to get better not only as players but also as a team.
"Anytime just being around the guys, doing things outside of football, it's time to bond, time to get together as a team," quarterback Jordan Love said. "Out here, we don't have much to do, so definitely doing some activities is going to help us kill some time."
The Packers got right to it after flying in Thursday night, holding a team dinner at Shanahan's Steakhouse, which is owned by former Denver coach Mike Shanahan.
It was a meaningful moment for LaFleur, who received his first opportunity to be an NFL position coach from Shanahan when the two worked in Washington together from 2011-13.
Check out photos of the Green Bay Packers during their team-building activity at Top Golf on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024.
On the field, Green Bay got some good work in during their padded practice on Friday. Cheering the team on was a solid contingent of Packers fans, who even broke out a "Go Pack Go" chant near the start of practice.
Afterwards, cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, defensive linemen Preston Smith and Rashan Gary, receiver Jayden Reed and several others signed autographs and took pictures.
As he exited to the locker room, Alexander played to the crowd with his trademark "Sword" celebration to a loud ovation.
"It always motivates me," Alexander said. "It always brings me back to a time where I was in that position, looking up to players in my city like Steve Smith. I know what it's like for them to have a player like myself come up and sign (autographs). It's always humbling."
The Packers finished Friday at Topgolf, the popular driving range that electronically tracks distance.
Love, defensive lineman Kenny Clark and safety Evan Williams all joked about their questionable golf skills, with Williams setting the modest goal of keeping the ball straight.
Still, it's one more chance to unwind a bit and have fun.
"Since Coach has been here, he's been preaching not only to compete and get better football-wise, but we gotta take the time to get to know each other," Clark said. "That's how we become great teams and be able to fight for each other throughout the year. I think he's been really doing a good job with that."
All-Pro running back Josh Jacobs is still relatively new to the Packers after signing as an unrestricted free agent in March but believes small excursions like these can lead to big things.
The three-plus days Green Bay spends in Denver are only a beginning of a much larger story, but it's those types of experiences that good teams often harken back to in the midst of a championship pursuit.
"Obviously, it's gonna take everybody that's on this team to accomplish and do what we want to do," Jacobs said. "The tighter groups, I've learned, you fight a little harder for each other. You strain a little harder for each other and those are the teams that end up going further in the end."
