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Former Badgers Guard Picks the Packers - “I’ve been a Packers fan since I was a kid"

MADISON, Wis. — Aug. 14, 2025 — Former Wisconsin Badgers guard John Tonje has picked his NFL colors — and they’re Green and Gold. In a lighthearted social post that ricocheted across Wisconsin sports feeds, the ex-Badger and current NBA rookie let it be known he’s rolling with the Green Bay Packers.

“I’ve been a Packers fan since I was a kid — that part never changed,” Tonje said with a grin. “I just never had the football bug as a player. Basketball chose me, not the other way around. But Sundays? That’s always felt like Green Bay to me.”

Within minutes, Packers Nation did what it does best: embrace one of its own. Comments poured in — cheesehead emojis, Lambeau Leap GIFs, and a chorus of “Go Pack Go” that turned Tonje’s timeline into a miniature Titletown parade. It was a reminder that in this state, the jersey you wore in Madison is a passport to Green Bay, and the door to Lambeau is always open.

Tonje’s basketball path has spanned multiple stops — Colorado State to Missouri, then to Wisconsin for the 2024–25 season — but it was his time in Madison that tightened the knot with the state’s fans. Even if the Kohl Center hardwood was his stage, Tonje’s reveal taps into an old Wisconsin truth: the border between Badger red and Packers green is more bridge than wall. Around here, fandom is a full ecosystem.

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For Packers fans, Tonje’s admission checks every box:

  • Belonging: The narrative of “arriving late” to public fandom but being welcomed instantly.

  • Identity: Green Bay’s community-owned ethos — there’s room for everyone on the bandwagon.

  • Timing: With the 2025 regular season looming and Detroit coming to Lambeau in Week 1, it’s the perfect moment to “pick a side.”

  • Fan Voices 

    • “Once a Badger, always welcome in Green & Gold. #GoPackGo”

  • “You picked tradition, family, and the best venue in football. See you at Lambeau.”

  • “We’ll save you a cheesehead for Week 1.”

  • Green Bay opens its season at home against the Detroit Lions, a rivalry tilt tailor-made for a first Sunday under the Lambeau lights. Don’t be surprised if a camera finds Tonje in the stands, soaking in the hymn of a Wisconsin fall — breath turning to steam, brass bands echoing, and an entire state chanting in unison.

    He may never take a snap, he may never run a route, but fandom isn’t measured in yards gained. For John Tonje, it’s measured in a feeling — the one that starts in Madison, ends in Green Bay, and sounds a lot like a stadium singing: Go Pack Go.

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    Packers host Shilo Sanders for a visit one month after he nearly walked away from football 
    Green Bay, WI — October 7, 2025. Responding to a need for added depth in the secondary and on special teams, the Green Bay Packers are staging a visit/workout with Shilo Sanders — the 24-year-old defensive back known for versatility and a gritty playing style. The meeting takes place one month after Shilo publicly acknowledged he had considered stepping away from football. Shilo’s schedule at the club’s facilities (Lambeau Field/Don Hutson Center) includes a quick conditioning/medical check, interviews with the defensive coaching staff, a session with the special teams coordinator about potential roles (gunner/jammer, personal protector), and classroom work on installs, route recognition, and assignment rules. During a brief media availability, Shilo shared a mix of emotion and professional resolve: “I once missed the chance to come to the Packers — and that stayed with me. Coming back here today, I want to show I’ve grown and I’m ready. The Packers are a first-class organization; they’ve engaged me with respect and a clearly defined role. If I get the opportunity, I’ll repay it with discipline, a team-first mindset, and everything I’ve got.” From a football standpoint, the Packers view Shilo as a fit for nickel/dime packages that emphasize speed and safety-to-slot flexibility, with immediate value on special teams. Boxes to check include stamina after prior injuries, secure open-field tackling, and processing of complex route concepts (banjo/switch, stack-bunch) against high-tempo offenses. If he clears internal benchmarks, contract pathways could include a practice-squad deal (with a promotion plan) or a short-term contract through season’s end with snap-based incentives on special teams/defense. A decision window of 48–72 hours after the workout would align with weekly roster deadlines. Team sources say the staff wants to see two things from Shilo: (1) consistent pre-/post-snap communication, especially versus frequent motions and shifts; and (2) strong run-fit leverage and angles when supporting the run. “If he hits those marks, he can help immediately on ST and gradually earn dime snaps,” one staffer noted. For Shilo, this “return visit” to Green Bay would mean more than another tryout — it would be a self-affirmation after a wobbly stretch. Even if it doesn’t end in a long-term deal, proving his value in front of an organization with the Packers’ standards could open other NFL doors. For Green Bay, it’s a low-cost, low-risk move with potentially high special-teams payoff, consistent with the club’s approach to midseason depth additions.