Photo by efks - Getty Images /Illustration by jeremyculpdesign - Getty Images
Football health/heartbeat monitor cocept art - Getty Images
For the Matt LaFleur Packers, every year they are derailed by something new. The potential is there and they almost always make the playoffs, even if it’s by the skin of their teeth as they did last season going 9-7-1. But every year, some enormous, obvious flaw jumps up and bites them.
They face a much more difficult schedule this year as well as a quickly improving division, and above all, the 2026 Packers cannot just tread water. They need to improve just to maintain their level of production from last season, and they’ve lost quite a few players to free agency and via trade this offseason. Gone is reliable receiver Romeo Doubs. Gone are edge rushers Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare. Gone is outstanding backup quarterback Malik Willis. Gone is starting left tackle Rasheed Walker. On the surface it’s difficult to find much reason for optimism.
And yet, the one thing you can always count on in Green Bay is a mature, seasoned front office that understands the limitations of the salary cap, and the ebbs and flows of the league. While the Micah Parsons trade will cause some issues with draft capital and cap constraints this year, the Packers have stockpiled plenty of picks and money in 2027, where they will need to rebuild their depth. The 2026 season figures to be more of a gamble, with the Packers taking a “stars and scrubs” approach without much of a backstop, however, if they have a little luck in the health department, the ingredients for an elite team remain.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
The Stars
On the offensive side of the ball, Green Bay is incredibly efficient, but they run at a snail’s pace. The slow nature of the team existed back with Aaron Rodgers at the helm and is a consistent feature of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. It’s also effective, while depressing in offensive totals. No Green Bay receiver is going to lead the league in yards, they simply don’t run enough plays, however, on a per play basis, the Packers have two absolute studs at the skill positions. Christian Watson is a top five receiver in all “per play” receiving statistics, including a first-place finish in FTN’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) statistic last year. No deep threat was consistently as dangerous as Watson when he was on the field.
The other under-the-radar star is Tucker Kraft, the incredible young tight end who was lost to an ACL injury halfway through 2025. Kraft’s specialty is Yards After Catch (YAC), where he led the NFL among all qualifying pass catchers (including wide receivers) with 10.8 YAC per reception. No player was more dangerous with the ball in their hands than Tucker Kraft.
The only issue was availability as Kraft and Watson both missed substantial chunks of the season while Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks picked up the slack. With Doubs and Wicks both gone, depth will have to come from second year receiver Matthew Golden, who finished strong after an injury-plagued and inconsistent regular season. If Kraft and Watson can both stay on the field, there is no reason the offense can’t be better, but football is a dangerous game, and it’s going to take some luck.
Micah Parsons or Bust
On the defensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was plucked for the head coaching vacancy in Miami and replaced by former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. Hafley did a fine job in Green Bay, but there’s no reason to think that Gannon cannot replicate his success, especially when that success last year was tied to the availability of star edge rusher Micah Parsons.
The simple fact is that when Parsons was on the field last season, the Packer defense was exactly average. Once he was lost to an ACL tear, they plummeted to twenty eighth. Parsons is expected back somewhere around week three, and as he just turned 27 years old, he should theoretically recover fully. If he does and suffers no setbacks, the defense should be good enough to make the Packers true contenders.
While the Packers didn’t have a first round pick this year, they decided to go all in on defense with the picks they did have. Second round pick Brandon Cisse out of South Carolina will immediately improve the cornerback room. Third round defensive tackle Chris McClellan brings some needed beef to a defensive line that had issues stopping the run. And fourth round edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton is one of the most athletic people to ever test at the combine. The addition of defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and a healthy Lukas Van Ness should provide an improved pass rush overall.
The 2026 Packers will rise or fall based on the health of some of the best players in the NFL. While they’re set up well for 2027 and beyond, in 2026 almost anything is possible. Should they suffer a repeat of their injury luck from a year ago, they may be one of the worst teams in the league, but if Christian Watson, Tucker Kraft, Micah Parsons, and Jordan Love all remain healthy, they should contend for a title.
|
|
