Green Bay Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine left Sunday's practice with a hamstring injury, and according to head coach Matt LaFleur, it sounds like he will miss some time. Notably, his spot with the first-stringers in practice was filled by rookie Brandon Cisse, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky.
Speculation that Cisse could compete for a starting job began the moment he was drafted, with Valentine as the most obvious candidate for demotion. Unfortunately, his injury may be the thing that accelerates the process.
Not only will it hold him off the field, pausing his own efforts to prove himself, but it will give Cisse a chance to expedite his development facing Green Bay's first-team offense.
Packers' transition from Carrington Valentine to Brandon Cisse may already be underway
While Cisse was already expected to put pressure on at least one of Valentine or Keisean Nixon, it's worth noting that Valentine held onto a first-team role in practice before getting hurt. For all his potential, Cisse is still a second-round rookie, while Valentine started 11 games last season. The Packers gave the fourth-year veteran the benefit of the doubt to open training camp.
Things could change quickly depending on how Cisse responds as a first-stringer. Although Nixon and Valentine entered camp with the edge in experience, the cornerback competition was always going to be a no-handouts melee given the Packers' struggles there last season. Valentine's injury flings the door open even wider.
Valentine, in particular, did not quite hold up as an every-week starter, and he was exposed both in coverage and as an open-field tackler as the year wore on. Even as a rookie, Cisse has demonstrated maturity to go with his talent. By all accounts, he is developing quickly.
Fair or not (and it isn't, really), Valentine's absence could naturally vault Cisse into the lead for a starting role. That switch had a decent chance of happening at some point during the year, if not by season's start. If the rookie proves ready for the role out of camp, all the more power to him.
It is, of course, too early to anoint him as a starter. Let's make that clear. What's also clear from everything we've heard thus far, from after the draft to OTAs and now training camp, is that the Packers have high hopes for the 52nd overall pick.
The unfortunate reality is that, in a wide-open race, an ill-timed injury puts Valentine behind the sticks, a setback that, by the same token, could propel Cisse irreversibly forward. If Valentine misses any significant time and the youngster performs well, he may not regain his place in the hierarchy.
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