The Green Bay Packers were one of several NFL teams to start OTAs on Tuesday, and while the 2026 season remains months away, this is an important period for the team. OTAs are a foundational step for whatever the team builds this season, and it's a time when seeds are planted.
That's the case for the team as a whole, but it's also the case on an individual player level. While the Packers are focused on being the best team they can be, players are all navigating their own individual journeys as they work to contribute to the team's overall goal.
One common individual journey is the veteran player who's determined to prove he can still be a reliable player. The biggest example of that mindset in Green Bay is Karl Brooks. With the Packers back on the field as a team, it's time for the veteran defensive tackle to show he can still be an impactful contributor in Green Bay.
Karl Brooks is already under pressure as Packers start OTAs
Brooks has been in Green Bay since being selected by the team in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Even as a late-round selection, the defensive lineman emerged as a contributor for the Packers early in his career. As a rookie, he played in all 17 games, recording four sacks, 20 total tackles, and six tackles for a loss. Brooks posted similar numbers in 2024, again playing in all 17 games, racking up 3.5 sacks, 24 tackles, and four for a loss.
In his third season, 2025, Green Bay was ready to see Brooks step into a bigger role and have more impact for the team. Unfortunately, he didn't quite deliver. The defender started seven of the 16 games he played in, but only recorded half a sack, 28 tackles, and just one tackle for a loss.
Following Brooks' underwhelming performance in his first opportunity in a bigger role, the Packers added at his position this offseason. Green Bay signed Javon Hargrave to a two-year deal and also selected Chris McClellan in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Those two moves should have sent a very clear message to Brooks, and that message is that it's time for him to take his game to another level, or get replaced. With the Packers back on the field, it's time for Brooks' response.
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