Head Coach Brian Daboll
December 6, 2023
Q: Will (defensive lineman) Dex(ter) (Lawrence II) go today?
A: He won’t. He won’t, (tackle) Evan (Neal) won’t.
Q: Are you still optimistic that Dex can get on the field this week at some point?
A: Yeah, I’m hopeful. I’m hopeful he’ll be out here on Friday. That’s what I’m hoping.
Q: Is there anything Evan can do to – I don’t know, it feels like a lost season for him with all the injuries and whatnot. Is there anything he can do, besides practice, to get better? (Senior Vice President/General Manager) Joe (Schoen) said he needs to get better. Is there anything he’s doing right now to get better?
A: Yeah, he’s rehabbing, he’s in here often with the trainers, doing everything he can do to get back as soon as he can.
Q: How about just in terms of his football techniques? Is he able to do – what’s he able to do?
A: He’s really rehabbing with the trainers. Obviously, active in the meetings, does a good job there, so he’s doing everything he can do.
Q: (Quarterback) Daniel’s (Jones) obviously in the very early stages of his rehab, he’s here a lot, I’d assume?
A: No, he is. I mean, he was here the day after, pretty much, already starting on the rehab with the trainers. Saw him yesterday, he was walking, he had his big brace on, but you know Daniel, he’ll do everything you can do to rehab and get as good as he can.
Q: How engaged is he? He’s got his own things to worry about, obviously, but in the meetings with the quarterbacks.
A: I’d say he’s really focusing right now on his rehab the best he can and certainly if he’s got something to say or (can) help out those guys, he’s there.
Q: You’ve been through that with guys who get hurt and you kind of have to give them their space early and not (say) ‘you need to get more involved’, ‘you need to do this’ or you kind of have to read the room and see what’s going on with those guys.
A: I think the most important thing is for the player to be able to start rehabbing. Obviously, it depends on the injury that you have. In this case, it’s a surgery for his ACL, so I think his priority is to do everything he can in the training room, rehab, and do all those necessary things to start improving after the surgery.
Q: What about (cornerback) Aaron Robinson? Any chance a window opens up for him soon?
A: You know what? Don’t know. Don’t know. Again, he does the same things. He’s getting his rehab in but not sure.
Q: It’s been so long. Is it possible or worthwhile at this stage of the game for him?
A: I’d say every situation is different. He’s in here, he’s with the trainers all the time and every injury is a little bit different. He’s making progress. Enough progress? I’m not sure yet.
Q: We’ve seen flashes from some of your receivers like (wide receiver) Jalin (Hyatt). What do you make of (wide receiver) Wan’Dale’s (Robinson) season? He’s played a lot, but he doesn’t really – hasn’t really flashed to us. What do you make of where he’s at in his second season?
A: Sure, I think he’s coming back from that injury still. But he does everything that we ask him to do. Still has his quickness. I’d say he still is improving from that – you know, tough injury as you come back as a skill player, but everything that we’ve asked him to do. I think that the last couple weeks, he’s done a – healing up even a little bit better. I’m not saying it’s not healed, but you’ve got to go through mentally, physically, so I’m very encouraged by Wan’Dale.
Q: My next question actually was going to be, he was an explosive player in college. He is averaging like seven yards or something. Does he still have that explosiveness and for whatever other reason we haven’t necessarily seen it?
A: Sure. I think Wan’Dale’s a good, young player. Again, happy we have him. I think he has a good skillset and he’s worked – he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.
Q: Why has (wide receiver) Isaiah Hodgins been such a minor part of the offense when you could argue that he was a big part of last year’s success at the end especially?
A: We rotate. We rotate a good amount of players. Him and Jalin play the same spot, so you have Jalin, you have Isaiah. Isaiah has his role; Jalin has his role. There’s different personnel groups that we utilize for both those guys, so when his personnel group is up, he’s in; when Jalin’s personnel group is up, he’s in.
Q: It just doesn’t make sense, though, that Isaiah played such a key role last year – doesn’t make sense to me – and now is truly an afterthought. And he did have the one touchdown in the game where Jalin had the big game against the Patriots.
A: I’d say those guys do a good job of—again, there’s a variety of personnel groups we use, and whoever's in there for that personnel group, that’s the receivers. Whether it's three, whether it's two, whether it's one, or four. He’s been a good teammate. He's worked extremely hard.
Q: Is there anyone who will be limited or out today other than Evan and Dexter?
A: Those two guys.
Q: That’s it?
A: Yeah.
Q: I know you were asked about this a little bit yesterday, but with (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor), how did you see him process the news that you gave him on the practice field and in the locker room, things like that?
A: Like a pro, like I said yesterday. Came out and had a good practice yesterday. He’s a true pro.
Q: Obviously, we know he's a pro. Do you worry at all about the perception that it could send to the team that it doesn't give you the best chance to win? That you are looking to the future, maybe, while trying to win? I'm not saying you’re not trying to win.
A: I’d say I covered that yesterday, the reason why we went with (quarterback) Tommy (DeVito), and we’re moving forward.
Q: I’ve seen a lot of coaches asked this because there's so many season-ending quarterback injuries and I think nine backups are playing this week. Going forward, will you change how much practice reps you give in-season to your backup quarterback? Because it seems like the backup quarterback is needed now more than ever.
A: The way we do it, the backup quarterback takes all the look-team reps, and the guy that’s starting takes all the regular reps.
Q: And nothing about this season would adjust what you’ve done?
A: That’s how we do it. Again, could we adjust it? Sure. We could adjust it. But that's how we approach it.
Q: What would it take for Tyrod to win back that starting job? How do you kind of view that?
A: We’re getting ready here for Green Bay. Talked about that yesterday relative to Tommy being the starter, and that's how we're moving forward.
Q: One thing we didn't talk about yesterday, I'm curious, what was ownership’s role in this? Do they get involved in that? Do you run it by them, or do you just take care of that yourself? Is that on you?
A: I'd say we have good communication. But ultimately, I make that decision.
Q: How did Tyrod look yesterday?
A: He looked good. He was moving around, threw the ball well. I know he was happy to be out here.
Q: He did give us a couple of ‘no comments’ yesterday, which isn’t like him, normally. Did he share anything with you that you can tell us to shed more light on how he did accept the decision because the ‘no comments’ indicated he wasn't necessarily happy?
A: We had a good conversation. Like I said, he's a true pro. We talk a lot, Ty and I, or really all the quarterbacks. You’d have to ask him about that. Talked yesterday, we talked today. Again, as a true competitor, you'd be disappointed. I think any of us would be disappointed. But he’s a true pro.
