From Four Snaps to Potential Starter: The Ben Braden Story

In his first four NFL seasons, Ben Braden played four snaps from scrimmage.

Four.

All four – three runs by John Lovett and a kneel-down by Tim Boyle – came at right tackle at the end of the Green Bay Packers’ blowout win at San Francisco last season.

With the most meager of professional resumes, it practically defies belief that Braden has spent a decent chunk of training camp running with the starters. And it’s not because the first eight people on the depth chart were injured and the Packers were forced to turn to the next warm body to get through practice. With Pro Bowl left guard Elgton Jenkins bouncing out to left tackle for All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, Braden and Jon Runyan have rotated at left guard. Plus, Braden has worked ahead of incumbent starting right guard Lucas Patrick at times, as well.

Considering the grind just to stick on a roster, what does it mean for Braden to have put himself in this position?

“The first thing that comes to mind is gratitude,” he said after Monday’s practice. “I went undrafted to (the) New York (Jets) and, being an offensive linemen, I think generally those guys are just really great people. And I’ve had a lot of good vets along the way, even now here in Green Bay, to really take my hand and show me the way and keep grinding. So, super-thankful. There’s a lot of great guys in this room and I’m so happy to be here and to be competing at a place like this.”

Considering Braden had done almost nothing of consequence in his first four NFL seasons, this line from offensive line coach Adam Stenavich at the June minicamp seemed like utter nonsense.

“I think he’s going to really compete for a starting job at guard or tackle,” Stenavich said.

Stenavich sent the same message to Braden.

“When Steno reached out to me in the offseason, he said, ‘We were really happy with what you did last year on practice squad and we’re looking for you to be pushing and really competing at any spot, so be ready anywhere, both sides of the ball,’” Braden recalled. “I’ve never had a coach text me or even call me in the offseason to say that, so I was super-thankful that he reached out to me and their expectations for me for OTAs and training camp. I think that really lit a fire in me even more to really keep pushing and find out how I can really push the envelope as far as my level of play and just keep trying to find areas to grow.”

Braden, who went undrafted out of Michigan in 2017, has spent camp bouncing back and forth between the left and right sides. That’s not easy. Former Packers standout Josh Sitton and, more recently, starting right tackle Billy Turner have infamously compared it to “wiping your [butt] with your opposite hand.” Patrick, for instance, struggled with that move when he had to switch sides for three late-season games last year. For Braden, he said it’s become second-nature over time. That versatility has allowed him to be in the starting conversation at left guard for as long as Jenkins is on the move as well as right guard, where Patrick had a solid season last year.

While this is Braden’s first shot at a starting job, it’s not his first rodeo in Green Bay. He served a 2 1/2-month stint on its practice squad in 2019. He finished the 2019 season with the Jets but was released before the start of camp in 2020. Shortly thereafter, he signed with New England but was released at the end of training camp. At midseason, he re-joined the Packers’ practice squad. He wound up playing in four regular-season games and both playoff contests. Along with the aforementioned garbage-time reps against the 49ers, he played a total of 27 snaps on special teams in those six games.

It was Braden’s work on the practice field – not to mention his imposing 6-foot-6 frame – that prompted Stenavich’s text message and made years’ worth of perseverance worthwhile.

“It was definitely tough. I’d say in the last couple of years, there were some moments where I was kind of …” Braden said before switching gears. “I was very proud of what I had done to that point but, at the same time, I have a wife and a son and I have a family. I was kind of like, at what point is this too much on all of us and do I need to make a decision that’s best for our family? After talking to my wife, we’ve been really smart financially. It’s not like I have to do this; if I wanted to, I could. At the end of the day, I love football. Being here, I love it even more. I’ve made so many great friends. In my heart, I felt like I wasn’t done yet. I’m really glad that I haven’t stopped and I decided to keep going, even at those points when I wasn’t sure. I’m super-happy about, obviously, where I’m at right now. It’s just been awesome.”