The NFL season is right around the corner, with training camp ramping up in a couple of weeks and the preseason following that. The Green Bay Packers are a team that has its fair share of questions heading into the 2026 season. Departures of key players, lack of draft capital, and cap space made for a challenging offseason.
Question #1: Will the offensive line show improvement?
For the past several years, the Packers have had one of the more consistent offensive lines across the entire league. In 2025, that unit appeared to have taken a step back; whether that was due to injuries or regression, the line must do better this season for the offense to flourish again.
Two players who will need to anchor the improvement will be 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan and 2025 second-round selection Anthony Belton. Morgan has been in and out of the lineup since his rookie season and is projected to play LT full-time heading into 2026. While Belton played a very limited role last season, he looks to have his sights set on a starting guard spot. A healthy Zach Tom and Aaron Banks will also be crucial for the offensive line.
Question #2: How will the defense perform under the new regime?
Going into 2026, the Packers will have a new defensive coordinator calling plays. Former Arizona Cardinals head coach and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will be manning the defense in Lambeau. Gannon will have some big shoes to fill with former DC Jeff Hafley accepting a Head Coach position with the Miami Dolphins.
Despite a short stint of only two seasons, Hafley had quite a bit of success in Green Bay, completely turning the defense around, starting in 2024, when they were one of the league’s best at creating turnovers. Gannon did have a solid stay with the Eagles, but his Cardinals tenure certainly left something to be desired.
The move to Gannon will result in the team moving back to a 3-4 base defense and a more conservative zone scheme compared to Hafley’s more aggressive playcalling style.
Question #3: Who will emerge at cornerback?
The Green Bay Packers cornerback room has been a big topic of discussion all offseason. A strong argument could be made that it is one of the weaker units across the entire league, lacking that true number one guy. Regardless of having a franchise guy, they will be rolling out veterans Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine, who have been with the team since 2022 and 2023, respectively.
The team added two players to bolster that room, one being veteran Benjamin St. Juste and the other rookie Brandon Cisse. The latter of which the team will be looking at as a building block of the future. At just 21 years old, it may be a tough ask for Cisse to come in and start Week 1, but he will certainly be given every opportunity and will be part of one of the bigger battles in camp.
Question #4: Is Matthew Golden the real deal?
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected a WR in the first round for the first time since 2002, when they drafted Javon Walker. That WR was none other than Texas standout Matthew Golden. Golden broke out during his last season in college and posted a sub-4.3 40-yard dash time at the combine, which made him an intriguing prospect at the time.
Fast forward to the 2025 season, where he was essentially a non-factor. Appearing in 14 games and posting a stat line of 29 catches, 361 yards, and most notably 0 touchdowns. In 2026, Golden’s role in the offense should be bigger with the departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks; he should be seen as no lower than number three on the depth chart.
Question #5: What is the depth behind Micah Parsons?
The biggest question that the Packers will have to answer is how well the team can perform without their star player. Micah Parsons suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 15 against the Denver Broncos. Parsons is expected to start the season on the PUP list, meaning he would miss at least four games, and it could be even longer.
Beyond not having their superstar edge rusher, the team will also be relying on 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness to remain healthy and step up his play, as he will be replacing Rashan Gary on the defensive line. Behind Van Ness, the team will be looking to receive quality snaps from a couple of fourth-round draft picks in Barryn Sorrell and Dani Denis-Sutton.
As a whole, the group will be looking to replace a total of 20 sacks with the losses of Gary and Parsons, which will be no easy feat considering the lack of production so far from Van Ness and the lack of experience for Sorrell and Denis-Sutton.
Training camp is just a few short weeks away, and the Green Bay Packers are going to need every rep of camp to find an answer to some of these questions. I think it’s fair to say that the team is heading into the year with its back against the wall. Parsons’ injury status is a topic on everyone’s mind, as is how the replacements for players who left the team will fare.
The team suffered losses at key positions and coaches all across the board and is coming off three straight years where they entered the playoffs as a seven seed, with only one win in the Jordan Love era. 2026 will be a crucial year for the current front-office regime as fans grow tired of the same result over and over.
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