Written by Iain Schreiber
With training camp finally getting underway for the 2026 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers are one team to keep an eye on. After a disappointing end to the 2025 season, with a 31-27 wild card loss to the division rival Chicago Bears, the Packers aim to avoid all the speed bumps they seemed to hit last season.
There are question marks aplenty for Green Bay this offseason. Departures of key players like defensive end Rashan Gary and wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Dontavion Wicks leave the Packers scrambling to fill the void. New veteran additions Zaire Franklin and Javon Hargrave bring leadership to a team heavy on youth players. Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon adds another layer to the offseason puzzle. Not only will they have to adjust to players leaving and new ones arriving, but they will have to learn a whole new defensive scheme from one of the great minds in the NFL.
The Packers face five major storylines as they prepare for the 2026 season.
Keeping players healthy is a top priority
One of the major factors in the late-season collapse of the Packers last year was injuries. Sure, injuries are part of the game, and teams who make it far in the playoffs make sure to prepare for that with depth. But I don’t think there was anyway for Green Bay to prepare for the losses they experienced late in the year.
A season-ending ACL injury to tight end Tucker Kraft in week 9 against the Carolina Panthers raised questions about his readiness for the 2026 season. At the time, Kraft was one of Green Bay’s most explosive offensive weapons. Kraft was a key target for quarterback Jordan Love, who had racked up 489 yards and six touchdowns in his first eight games.
Week 15 served up another huge loss for Green Bay. In a disappointing 34-26 loss to the Denver Broncos, Micah Parsons also suffered an ACL tear, not only swinging the momentum of that game but also derailing the entire season. Yes, the Packers were still a playoff team after this loss to the Broncos, but when a player with Parsons’ impact is taken off the field, the whole defensive identity changes.
Both Parsons and Kraft are expected to return early in the 2026 season, but keeping them healthy is the top priority.
Jordan Love was also battered and bruised throughout last season. Love missed several games with a shoulder injury and concussion and even played some games where he probably wasn’t 100%. Backup quarterback Malik Willis filled the void nicely, but he’s now in Miami on a big contract. New backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor provides veteran leadership, but lacks Willis’s spark, making it even more crucial to keep Love healthy.
Offensive Line
Keeping your quarterback healthy begins with a strong offensive line, something the Packers didn’t have much of last year. Injuries were also a problem for tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, center Sean Rhyan, and guard Aaron Banks, all missing several games last season.
Question marks persist this training camp, with Head Coach Matt LaFleur saying no positions are solidified yet. This leaves room for players like rookie interior lineman Jager Burton to step up. Burton has caught the eye of both Packers coaches and the media so far throughout OTA’s and training camp, showing signs that he could be a potential starter on the offensive line come week one.
One thing I believe the Packers need to reinforce with their offensive line this year no matter which players end up out there is chemistry. Last year, the Packers used eight different lineups on the offensive line throughout the 17-week season. Shuffling players in and out each week made it impossible to build chemistry.
Success on the offensive side of the football starts and ends with the O-line. The Packers have significant depth at the position, especially if Jager Burton lives up to the hype he’s recieved this preseason.
The Secondary
The Packers face depth issues in their secondary, particularly at cornerback. In 2025, their defense allowed 194 passing yards per game, ranking 11th in the league. However, the issue wasn’t yards allowed; it was the lack of turnovers created. With only 7 interceptions, 28th in the NFL, the Packers need to prioritize turnover production.
Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are two of the returning cornerbacks who will probably be one and two on the depth chart. Valentine showed lots of upside in his third year with Green Bay. Matt LaFleur in a recent press conference mentioned that Valentine had done everything they had asked of him up to this point. Nixon is coming off one of the best, if not the best, years of his career. Nixon had a standout year, earning Pro Bowl honors at cornerback for the first time. Nixon is now going into the last year of his contract, with talks of an extension on the rise. Now, he’s in a prove-it year, with contract talks rising.
The new additions to the cornerback room for the Packers include Benjamin St-Juste, a tenured player that has shown promise during his time with the Commanders and Chargers. St-Juste has been demonstrating that veteran presence early in Packers training camp, taking more of the leadership role amongst the young corners.
The Packers also added two SEC corners in the draft class: Brandon Cisse from South Carolina and Domani Jackson from Alabama. Both have a chance to earn first-team reps with the limited depth. I’m excited to see what Cisse’s and Jackson’s fast-twitch abilities can do at the pro level.
Second-Year Leaps
The 2025 draft class showed promise, particularly Matthew Golden, Anthony Belton, and Barryn Sorrell. Belton immediately filled a role at offensive tackle, starting 14 games. Belton is expected to start at right guard this season, and with a year of experience now under his belt, there is no doubt expectations are high. Sorrell only started one game last season but got a decent bit of playing time after the unfortunate injury to Micah Parsons. Coaches are excited about Sorrell, who could replace Micah Parsons for the first few weeks. Golden is one player that I think really has the ability to break into a star role for the Packers this season. He had a slow start to the 2025 season, but mouths to feed in Green Bay made it tough. Now with some of those targets gone, Golden could replace that production. The rookie didn’t score a touchdown in the regular season last year, which hurt his stats. But in the playoffs, Golden produced his best game, catching four passes for 84 yards and his first career touchdown. With a full offseason to build chemistry with Jordan Love, this duo could be one of the league’s best QB/WR pairs.
New Defensive Approach
Over this past offseason, Green Bay’s defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, was hired as the Miami Dolphins’ new head coach. The position was filled by former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. Gannon has proven that he is one of the great defensive minds in the league. Gannon has a history of running multiple defenses and likes to use two high safeties, a strategy that could be deadly with Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, and Javon Bullard. Safety is one of the positions where the Packers have an extreme amount of depth. McKinney and Williams combined for five of Green Bay’s seven interceptions last year. With forcing turnovers being something the Packers need to improve upon, I like the move of bringing in an aggressive playcaller like Gannon.
Of course we can’t forget about the other weapons on the defensive side for Green Bay. Micah Parsons is one of the league’s most talented edge rushers, capable of lining up anywhere on the defensive line. We saw Parsons line up in nearly every position on the defensive line last year, and I expect to see more of the same now with Gannon calling the plays. Edgerrin Cooper is another key piece in this Packer defense. Coming off an impressive sophomore season with 118 combined tackles and two forced fumbles, I can’t wait to see how Gannon utilizes him.
When asked about his new scheme, Gannon said he doesn’t have a specific formation in mind. He praised the Packers’ defense for its versatility and forecasted that the players needed to win will be on the field. I’m eager to see how Gannon adapts to the coordinator role and think this could be one of the most exciting groups to watch this season.
Wrap It Up
With a new defensive scheme and tons of starting positions up for grabs, I’m excited to see what’s to come for the Green Bay Packers. Training camp will give us a glimpse of what the team looks like heading into September.
The NFC North is one of the league’s most competitive divisions, and the Packers need to keep up. The Chicago Bears, led by Caleb Williams, are coming off a strong year, including a playoff win over Green Bay to cap it off. If the Packers want to be a top contender in the NFC, they need to avoid the roadblocks that hurt them last year.
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