The Green Bay Packers person questions galore successful their moving crippled pinch Josh Jacobs connected the NFL commissioner exempt list.
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Just 2 years ago, the Green Bay Packers had 1 of the NFL’s apical moving backmost rooms. Today, it’s being held together pinch duct portion and bailing twine.
The violative line, walk unreserved and cornerbacks are each mobility marks. And the Packers won’t person their champion subordinate disposable — separator rusher Micah Parsons — until astatine slightest mid-October.
Green Bay ended the 2025 run pinch 5 consecutive losses and vanished pinch a 9-8-1 mark. Now, aft a less-than-inspiring summer, the Packers person much questions entering a play than possibly immoderate clip since coach Matt LaFleur was hired successful 2019.
Green Bay wide head Brian Gutekunst was incredibly progressive erstwhile mounting his 53-man roster connected Sunday. Among the notable moves were:
• Acquiring moving backmost Kaleb Johnson from Pittsburgh for a 2028 sixth-round pick. This came aft moving backmost Josh Jacobs was placed connected the commissioner exempt database aft he was charged pinch artillery and criminal harm to spot connected Aug. 27.
That intends Jacobs — Green Bay’s starring rusher the past 2 seasons — cannot believe aliases be games. He’s besides not connected the Packers’ 53-man roster.
• Trading No. 3 backmost Kyle McCord to Miami for a 2028 sixth information draught pick.
• Acquiring tight extremity Mark Redman from the Los Angeles Rams for a 2028 seventh information pick.
Without Parsons for astatine slightest a 4th of the play and Jacobs retired indefinitely, the Packers are without 2 of their apical 7 players. Tight extremity Tucker Kraft is connected a transportation count arsenic he useful his measurement backmost from a torn ACL he suffered connected Nov. 2, 2025. Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele (torn patellar tendon), Green Bay’s champion violative lineman, and near defender Aaron Banks (knee tendinitis) hardly practiced each summer.
Add it each up and the 2026 Packers person astir arsenic overmuch momentum arsenic a parked car.
That’s why I judge Green Bay will miss the playoffs for the first clip since 2022 and decorativeness 8-9 overall.
Here’s a breakdown of the 53-man roster Gutekunst finalized Sunday pinch an study and positional grades.
QUARTERBACKS (B+)
Starter: Jordan Love
Reserve: Tyrod Taylor
Traded: Kyle McCord
Summary:Love’s 2025 run was his champion play since becoming a starter successful 2023 and he should beryllium discussed among the NFL’s elite.
Love group career-bests successful passer standing (101.2) and completion percent (66.3%) past year, and had a sensational 23-to-6 touchdown to interception ratio.
Love followed that pinch an awesome summertime wherever he made quicker decisions and threw disconnected his backmost ft little frequently.
The 27-year-old Love — now the longest-tenured Packer — has ever had the beingness gifts to make each throw. Through the years, though, his accuracy, determination making and activity person each improved.
“For maine it's conscionable astir continuing to support my caput down and do my job,” Love said. “Focus connected what we're doing present successful this building and trying to lead this squad to beryllium the champion squad we tin be.
“It starts pinch the NFC North and the teams we look there, but I conscionable effort and support my caput down, support trying to power what I tin control, attraction connected doing the champion astatine my occupation and I fto everything other conscionable grip itself.”
No. 2 Tyrod Taylor, now 37, originates his 16th NFL season. Taylor had an uninspiring commencement to training camp, but picked up his crippled arsenic summertime went on and still showed capable velocity and elusiveness for the Packers to judge he tin triumph a crippled if Love goes down.
“He's had an unbelievable career, and we've seen what he's done,” Green Bay quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy said of Taylor. “But it’s still awesome to spot what benignant of style that he's in.”
RUNNING BACKS (D-)
Starter: MarShawn Lloyd
Reserves: Chris Brooks, Kaleb Johnson
Released: Pierre Strong Jr., Damien Martinez, Jaden Nixon
Commissioner exempt list: Josh Jacobs
Summary: Jacobs was first arrested connected May 26 connected 5 imaginable charges, including a felony count of strangulation and suffocation. Last week, Jacobs was charged pinch 2 of those — misdemeanor artillery and misdemeanor criminal harm to property.
The Packers person known for much than 3 months that Jacobs mightiness not beryllium disposable successful Week 1 and should person been moving eden and world to find a value back. Instead, Green Bay will participate the play pinch the slightest productive moving backmost room successful the NFL.
Lloyd, the projected starter, has six profession carries for 15 yards (2.5 average). He’s besides played conscionable 1 of 34 profession games owed to a bevy of injuries.
Third down backmost Chris Brooks has 395 profession rushing yards connected 82 carries (4.8). And Johnson, a 3rd information draught prime by the Steelers successful 2025, had 28 carries for 69 yards (2.5) during his disappointing rookie season.
Add it up and Green Bay’s moving backmost trio has 479 mixed rushing yards — successful their careers.
Yikes.
Jacobs’ arrest, which came 1 period aft the draft, was surely unfortunate timing for Green Bay. The Packers person done little, though, successful the clip since to beef up a position of evident weakness.
WIDE RECEIVERS (B)
Starters: Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden
Reserves: Bo Melton, Skyy Moore, J. Michael Sturdivant
Released: Will Sheppard, Isaiah Neyor, Kisean Johnson, Chris Hilton Jr., Kaden Prather
injured reserve/designated for return: Savion Williams
Summary: The Watson-Golden-Reed trio could beryllium 1 of the much explosive trifectas successful football. The key, though, will beryllium staying healthy.
Golden played successful 14 games during his 2025 rookie season. Reed is averaging 13.3 games per twelvemonth successful his first 3 seasons, and Watson is astatine 12.0 games during his first 4 years.
If the Packers tin get 45 games, aliases more, from that trio, the passing crippled should hum.
“My extremity going guardant is conscionable evidently to put myself successful the champion position to evidently enactment patient passim the full season,” Watson said. “Get a afloat play crossed 17 games-plus.”
Watson had a sensational return from a torn ACL past season, and figures to beryllium moreover amended successful 2026. Watson had 35 receptions for 611 yards and six TDs successful conscionable 10 games and averaged a whopping 17.5 yards per drawback a twelvemonth ago.
Golden, the Packers’ first information prime successful 2025, had a quiet rookie play pinch 29 catches and didn’t people his first touchdown until the playoffs. Golden had a sensational summer, though, was 1 of Green Bay’s champion players each time and could beryllium poised for a breakout year.
“I consciousness for illustration I'm vulnerable wrong and out,” Golden said. “I consciousness assured pinch what I could do outside, and you know, obviously, conscionable being comfortable pinch my hands, man. I consciousness for illustration I could drawback the shot anyplace Jordan places it, and you know, that's thing that I've ever been large connected is making contested catches, and you cognize I consciousness for illustration I sewage that I sewage that beautiful good.”
Reed played conscionable 7 games a twelvemonth agone and vanished pinch a career-low 19 catches. Reed led the Packers, though, successful receptions successful 2023 and 2024.
Melton is the apt No. 4 aft a productive summertime that saw him return to wide receiver afloat clip aft playing cornerback a twelvemonth ago.
“I consciousness for illustration this was my champion summertime yet,” Melton said. “It’s the fastest I’ve been. I’m doing typical teams. I’ve been making play aft play, truthful I’m excited.”
TIGHT ENDS (B)
Starter: Tucker Kraft
Reserves: Jonnu Smith, Mark Redman, Josh Whyle
Released: Drake Dabney, Messiah Swinson, McCallan Castles, Thomas Yassmin
Reserve/physically incapable to perform: Luke Musgrave (neck)
Summary:This position has been wholly revamped from a twelvemonth ago, erstwhile Luke Musgrave, Ben Sims and John FitzPatrick were the reserves erstwhile the play began.
And Gutekunst deserves in installments for beefing up this room pinch the additions of Smith and Redman since the extremity of past week.
The cardinal to the group, though, remains Kraft — and really quickly he tin return to All-Pro form.
Kraft posted 32 receptions, 489 receiving yards and six touchdowns successful the 8 games he played successful 2025. Kraft was the only tight extremity successful the convention pinch 30-plus receptions, 475-plus receiving yards, six-plus receiving touchdowns and an mean of 15-plus yards per drawback done Week 9.
Kraft was activated from the PUP database connected July 31, returned to 11-on-11 squad drills successful mid-August and will play Week 1 astatine Minnesota. Kraft’s reps will beryllium constricted early, though.
“They're going to return into relationship my rep scope astir apt until halfway done the season,” Kraft said connected Aug. 16. “Then they're conscionable going to pat maine connected the (butt) and nonstop maine retired there, nonstop maine to the wolves.”
Smith, who caught 88 passes and had 8 touchdown receptions successful 2024, signed a one-year woody pinch Green Bay connected Aug. 27. By midseason, the Kraft-Smith duo could bring backmost memories of the Keith Jackson-Mark Chmura days.
Whyle, who began past play connected the believe squad, played 8 games aft Kraft was injured and had a coagulated summer. Redman spent each of past play connected the Rams’ believe squad, but could carve retired a domiciled arsenic a blocker and typical teams player.
OFFENSIVE LINE (C-)
Starters: Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk, Zach Bako-Bewele
Reserves: Anthony Belton, Jager Burton, John Williams, Donovan Jennings, Travis Glover
Released: Darion Kinnard, Dylan Barrett, Josh Gesky, Brant Banks, Dalton Cooper, Dillon Wade
Summary: The Packers support 9 linemen galore seasons, but apt kept 10 this twelvemonth owed to concerns pinch Banks and Bako-Bewele’s early play availability.
Even if the Packers are healthy, there’s logic for concern.
Green Bay fielded its worst violative statement successful respective years past season, ranking 27th wide by Pro Football Network and 19th by Pro Football Focus. And location are questions everywhere.
Can Banks and Bako-Bewele get afloat patient successful 2026? Is Monk fresh to beryllium a starter astatine correct guard? Is Rhyan, who moved to halfway midway done past season, the reply astatine that spot? And will Morgan, now the near tackle, beryllium an upgrade from Rasheed Walker?
Belton, a 2nd information draught prime successful 2025, had a unsmooth summer. And while Burton impressed overmuch of training camp, he is simply a rookie.
“I mean, maine personally, I want to get to backmost to wherever we were astatine the extremity of past season, rolling arsenic soon arsenic we can, truthful that we tin proceed to push past that,” Rhyan said. “Because I deliberation we could beryllium moreover amended than we were towards the extremity of past year.
“You know, I'm ambitious. I deliberation each 1 of america are. So I deliberation that's good, though. You know, we're not boxing ourselves into what we could be. You know, we're conscionable much looking for what we tin do.”
DEFENSIVE TACKLES (B)
Starters: Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, Karl Brooks
Reserves: Warren Brinson, Chris McClellan, Jonathan Ford, Anthony Campbell
Released: Nazir Stackhouse, Jaden Crumedy,
Reserve/physically incapable to perform: Jordon Riley (Achilles)
Summary:Green Bay’s champion subordinate is Devonte Wyatt, who was having a terrific play earlier going connected injured reserve past twelvemonth pinch an ankle injury. Wyatt is quick, explosive and has 14.5 sacks rushing from wrong the past 3 years.
“I tin play it all,” Wyatt said of protect coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s scheme. “I tin spell from chemoreceptor to 3 to 5 to 9, conscionable being each complete the field. So you conscionable ne'er know. It's for illustration a difficult defense, a difficult beforehand to block. I consciousness for illustration it's going to help. A batch much 1-on-1s, particularly erstwhile we get Micah (Parsons) back, truthful it's going to beryllium awesome for me.”
Hargrave, a free supplier acquisition, is simply a two-time Pro Bowler pinch 49.0 profession sacks. Hargrave had a coagulated 2025 play successful Minnesota and still appears to person state near successful his tank.
“We cognize he tin effect the game,” protect coordinator Jonathan Gannon said.
Green Bay’s extent present is besides dramatically amended than a twelvemonth ago.
“It's very talented,” Hargrave said of the group. “Everybody tin play shot here. I consciousness for illustration immoderate places you could show definite group don't belong, but present I honestly don't cognize who – we're beautiful heavy astatine this position.”
EDGE (C-)
Starters: Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell
Reserves:Brenton Cox, Dani Dennis-Sutton
Released:Arron Mosby, Nyjalik Kelly, Arden Walker
Reserve/physically incapable to perform: Micah Parsons (ACL)
Injured reserve/designated for return: Collin Oliver
Summary: Packer Nation will anxiously await the return of Parsons, who won't beryllium expected backmost until astatine slightest mid-October.
“It's astir knowing erstwhile to spell and it's each astir emotion great,” Parsons said. “Like I don't deliberation (general head Brian Gutekunst) aliases (head diversion trainer) Nate (Weir) aliases (coach Matt (LaFleur) wants maine to spell retired location if I'm not astatine 100 percent and consequence re-injury and suffer maine for the twelvemonth and it's conscionable a discarded of a year.”
Until then, the biggest mobility is tin Van Ness measurement up?
Van Ness, a first information draught prime successful 2023, has conscionable 8.5 sacks successful his first 3 seasons. Van Ness had a highly productive summer, and pinch Parsons retired early, will beryllium asked to do large things.
“I consciousness for illustration I tin beryllium a beautiful smart subordinate connected the field, but almost to my ain demise wherever I'm conscionable almost analyzing excessively much,” Van Ness said. “So that's been a large constituent of accent this year, spell vertical, make plays successful the backfield, sound backmost and get to the backmost and I consciousness for illustration it's been moving retired beautiful well.”
Sorrell, who had 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks during his rookie play a twelvemonth ago, takes connected a bigger domiciled pinch Parsons out. Cox, who had 4.0 sacks successful 2024, will besides person an expanded role.
LINEBACKERS (B)
Starters: Edgerrin Cooper, Zaire Franklin
Reserves: Isaiah McDuffie, Ty’Ron Hopper, Nick Niemann
Released:Kristian Welch, TJ Quinn.
Summary: Cooper wasn’t rather arsenic impactful successful Year 2 arsenic his rookie play successful 2024, but is simply a move jock pinch immense upside.
“I don’t want to beryllium slept connected nary much aliases immoderate of that,” Cooper said this summer. “That’s each I look for. But I conscionable want to do what I do. I consciousness for illustration my 2nd twelvemonth had a small slump early successful the season, but it happens. It’s astir really you respond. I felt for illustration I did a bully occupation responding, played decent shot astatine the extremity of the season. I’m conscionable fresh to elevate.”
Franklin, led the NFL pinch 173 tackles successful 2024, past slipped successful 2025.
Franklin had a paltry people of 38.0 from Pro Football Focus, which classed 87th among 88 qualified linebackers. Franklin besides vanished past play pinch 125 full tackles (62 solo), 19 pressures, 3.0 sacks and allowed a 109.3 passer standing erstwhile targeted successful coverage.
He brought immoderate nastiness to Green Bay’s defense this summer, though, and hopes to rebound successful 2026.
“Last year, I mean, you could telephone it, like, my profession lows are immoderate guys profession highs,” Franklin said. “So I don't understand what that really means, but astatine the aforesaid time, this a twelvemonth by twelvemonth league, it's a week by week league, I gotta spell retired location and gain it each azygous year, and each azygous week, truthful I'm looking guardant to going retired location and earning it.”
McDuffie and Hopper supply depth, while Niemann is simply a coagulated typical teams player.
CORNERBACKS (C)
Starters:Brandon Cisse, Keisean Nixon
Reserves: Benjamin St-Juste, Carrington Valentine, Kamal Hadden
Released: Domani Jackson, Jaylin Simpson, Shemar Bartholomew, MJ Devonshire
Summary: This group is mediocre, astatine best, and could beryllium exposed pinch Parsons out.
Cisse, the Packers’ 2nd information draught prime successful April, had an awesome summer, but he’s besides a rookie. Green Bay’s coaches judge Cisse tin beryllium a star, though, and they’ll fto him descend aliases aquatics from the jump.
“Obviously I haven't played successful this convention yet, truthful I don't cognize what it takes yet,” Cisse said. “So I request to proceed to turn and beryllium overprepared if I can, truthful conscionable trying to beryllium fresh for those moments erstwhile it comes and conscionable beryllium excited, spell retired location and make plays.”
Nixon was a 17-game starter successful 2025 for the first clip successful his career, and was up and down throughout. He struggled mightily astatine times this summer, but seems for illustration a bully stake to commencement Week 1 successful Minnesota.
St-Juste, a 3rd information draught prime successful 2021, has tremendous size (6-3, 200), but hasn't been capable to either win, aliases support a starting occupation successful some Washington and pinch the Los Angeles Chargers. St-Juste has replaced Nixon pinch the No. 1 defense astatine points this summer, and could still triumph the starting occupation other Cisse.
Valentine, who started other of Nixon past season, missed portion of training campy pinch a hamstring wounded and was passed by Cisse and St-Juste. Hadden, who collapsed his correct tibia and fibula, and suffered terrible ankle harm during a Week 17 crippled against Baltimore past season, made an awesome return this summer.
SAFETIES (A-)
Starters: Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard
Reserves: Kitan Oladapo
Released:Mark Perry, Murvin Kenion III, Trey Dean III, Tra Fluellen
Summary: This is undoubtedly Green Bay’s champion positional group.
McKinney earned a people of 81.2 from Pro Football Focus past season, which was eighth among 98 qualified safeties. McKinney besides hasn't allowed a touchdown arsenic the nearest defender since joining the Packers successful 2024, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Watching Williams is reminiscent of watching erstwhile Packer Micah Hyde a decade ago. Smart, reliable and crafty, Williams has the expertise to go 1 of the league’s elite safeties.
“You know, going into twelvemonth three, having put immoderate bully worldly connected tape, but astatine the aforesaid time, it's for illustration I for illustration showing up each time for illustration I haven't proved nothing,” Williams said. “Like you benignant of sewage to still person that occurrence nether your ass, wherever you're showing up each time pinch thing to prove.”
Bullard missed overmuch of the summertime pinch a ft injury, but will beryllium bully to spell for the opener. Bullard, a 2nd information draught prime successful 2024, is 1 of the Packers’ astir ferocious and convulsive players successful immoderate time, and could beryllium poised for a 3rd twelvemonth jump.
SPECIALISTS (B-)
Specialists: PK Trey Smack, P Daniel Whelan, LS Matt Orzech, KR/PR Skyy Moore
Released: LS Cal Adomitis
Summary: Smack, a rookie sixth information draught pick, went 9-for-9 connected section goals successful games this summer, including 3 from beyond 50 yards. He struggled connected the believe field, though, and must beryllium he tin radiance erstwhile the games mean something.
Whelan is 1 of the NFL’s elite punters. Last season, he group the single-season franchise grounds pinch a 51.7-yard gross mean and a 43.9-yard nett average.
Orzech is simply a dependable seasoned who missed each of campy pinch a calf injury, but said past week he’ll beryllium fresh for Week 1. That gave the Packers the assurance to much connected from Adomitis, who performed admirably pinch Orzech sidelined.
COACHING (C+)
It was a dreadful 2025 play for Matt LaFleur, who grounded to return advantage of an elite roster. LaFleur was beforehand and halfway successful Green Bay’s drawstring of epic collapses, pushing the incorrect buttons clip and again.
Green Bay’s discourtesy is LaFleur’s baby, and that broadside of the shot fell to 15th successful full yards and 16th successful points. LaFleur besides vanished successful the bottommost six convention coaches successful the NFLPA's yearly subordinate survey. LaFleur besides received unfavorable marks came erstwhile it came to "respect for players.”
“I don't consciousness that way, but unluckily immoderate guys did,” LaFleur said.
Many expected LaFleur to beryllium fired aft the play ended, but caller squad president Ed Policy amazed galore and gave him an hold instead.
LaFleur, entering Year 8, is the NFL’s 4th longest tenured caput coach. He’s besides the longest tenured coach that hasn't been to a Super Bowl.
The 3 coaches pinch much tenure than LaFleur — Kansas City’s Andy Reid, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan — person won a mixed 4 Super Bowls and played successful the large crippled 10 times.
LaFleur does clasp an awesome 76-40-1 wide grounds successful Green Bay (.654). He is conscionable 3-6 successful the playoffs, though, and has conscionable 1 postseason triumph since 2020.
At immoderate constituent you either get your squad to the promised onshore aliases personification other gets a ace astatine it.
So moreover pinch a caller contract, 2026 could beryllium a make-or-break twelvemonth for LaFleur.
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