Six Packers With Plenty To Prove Tonight Against The Steelers

Aug 14, 2026 04:16 AM - 1 hour ago 1

The Green Bay Packers statesman their preseason astatine Pittsburgh Thursday astatine 6 p.m. (CST).

After 2 weeks of hitting each other, the Packers are excited to smack personification else.

“It’s different making plays successful a game,” Green Bay linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “I consciousness for illustration erstwhile you’ve really sewage to tackle the guy, there’s existent penalties, there’s existent issues erstwhile you’re trying to get unfastened connected a way aliases screen somebody.”

Green Bay’s young players and reserves will get the mostly of the reps. But the starters will besides statesman the crippled and play for a stretch.

The six frontliners each person thing to beryllium and are worthy paying adjacent attraction to.

MARSHAWN LLOYD, RB

Lloyd’s communicative has been good documented.

The 2024 3rd information draught prime has played conscionable 1 crippled — and 10 snaps — successful 2 years owed to a bevy of injuries. Lloyd hasn’t played successful a regular play crippled since Week 2, 2024.

Lloyd has stayed patient this camp, though, and gets a chance to show his worldly against the Steelers.

“Now it’s my clip to springiness back,” Lloyd said. “I’m excited. I’m fresh to go. I’m going to show them why they picked maine successful the 3rd round.”

TYROD TAYLOR, QB

The Packers had arguably the NFL’s champion No. 2 backmost successful Malik Willis the past 2 seasons. Willis parlayed that into a three-year, $67.5 cardinal woody pinch Miami this offseason.

The 37-year-old Taylor has seen everything during his 15 years successful the NFL, but he must show he’s still sewage the accomplishment group to triumph games if Jordan Love is injured. Taylor had a slow commencement to camp, but has picked it up successful the past week and hopes to build connected that against the Steelers.

“I’m conscionable going retired location and playing ball,” Taylor said. “Obviously, training campy and OTAs, those are times wherever you proceed to summation arsenic overmuch knowledge, get much comfortable.

“Day successful and time out, coaches are putting america successful situations that require america to not only deliberation accelerated but beryllium efficient. Those are the challenges each and each time is to spell retired and execute astatine a precocious level. I deliberation that’s been the main the extremity and I deliberation I’m doing a bully occupation of it and I’m going to proceed to support improving.”

BRANDON CISSE, CB

Green Bay’s 2nd information draught prime successful April moved into the starting lineup connected Aug. 2 erstwhile Carrington Valentine went down pinch a hamstring injury. The infinitesimal hasn't been excessively large for Cisse, who’s played astatine a precocious level and appears to person a grip connected 1 starting spot.

Cisse has looked bully against Green Bay’s wideouts. Now, he wants to do against personification else’s.

“I group a really precocious standard, truthful it’s going,” Cisse said of his camp. “Obviously I’ve sewage really precocious expectations for myself… I’m conscionable looking astatine the plays I tin get amended from, and I’m excited for those. Obviously there’s going to beryllium moments wherever you spot flashes and things for illustration that, but there’s a batch of increasing pains I’m besides going through. I request to get amended astatine those things. I’m conscionable excited to cleanable it up and proceed to get amended each day.”

JACOB MONK, RG

Monk replaced Anthony Belton arsenic the No. 1 correct defender past week and gets a chance to solidify that spot.

Monk, now successful his 3rd year, played conscionable six snaps from scrimmage his first 33 games earlier playing a afloat crippled astatine Minnesota successful Week 18 past year. Monk tore a biceps successful the Packers’ playoff nonaccomplishment astatine Chicago, spent his offseason recovering and has had a coagulated camp.

Is he fresh to spell from a non-factor his 2 seasons to a starting job?

“I conscionable want to beryllium accordant successful everything I do,” Monk said. “I deliberation they’ve ever known I’m going to play hard, I’m going to springiness everything I have. But I conscionable want to show them I tin beryllium accordant pinch everything too.”

JORDAN MORGAN, LT

After 2 seasons of bouncing astir the violative line, Green Bay’s 2024 first information draught prime is backmost to his favourite position.

Can he grip it?

Morgan has terrific athleticism and feet, but has a batch to beryllium — starting Thursday.

“His home, wherever he played successful college, was near tackle, truthful he's benignant of astatine his earthy spot correct now,” Green Bay violative coordinator Adam Stenavich said of Morgan. “So yeah, I deliberation that's 1 point arsenic a young feline you conscionable gotta study the different nuances to the position, but he's done a bully occupation conscionable going backmost complete location astatine near tackle and now it's conscionable focusing connected that.”

LUKAS VAN NESS, EDGE

Van Ness, Green Bay’s 2023 first information draught pick, has conscionable 8.5 sacks successful his first 3 seasons.

Van Ness missed 8 games pinch a ft wounded past twelvemonth and played done a surgery correct thumb successful 2024. Van Ness is patient now, and has had a mostly productive summer.

With Micah Parsons (ACL) retired to statesman the year, Van Ness will beryllium counted connected to beryllium the Packers’ No. 1 walk rusher and beryllium he was worthy the 13th wide prime successful the 2023 draft.

“We person a modular that we want to play,” Green Bay protect coordinator Jonathan Gannon said. “One time to do it is great. Can you do it time 3 and time four, truthful connected and truthful forth? That was my situation to Lukas and he's done a bully occupation of responding to that.”