It’s a big season for Carrington Valentine. The cornerback had a shot at starting several games over the past couple of years, and despite his ability in coverage, the lack of willingness to tackle has been a massive problem. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Valentine will have to handle another challenge.

The Packers invested much more in the cornerback position than they had since Valentine was drafted in 2023. The team took Brandon Cisse in the second round and Domani Jackson in the sixth, creating extra pressure for Valentine to keep an important role.

ESPN’s Ben Solak reflects that pressure

Ben Solak made a list of veteran players on the hot seat after the draft. Unsurprisingly, Valentine is on it — and it’s on him to prove his value to the team. This is what Solak wrote:

“Valentine’s starting job was already in question before the draft, as a bad 2025 campaign invited the signing of free agent corner Benjamin St-Juste. The Packers were still live to take a cornerback, and they apparently ranked the need (or the player) so highly that they drafted South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse with the 52nd pick (the team’s first selection of the draft).

“The Packers are notoriously patient with rookies, and Cisse is far from a finished product. South Carolina rotated its corners, and Cisse often didn’t play full games, even in his final season. But the most favored outcome in the Packers’ cornerbacks room is certainly Cisse winning the job over Valentine, who surrendered a passer rating of 126.1 when targeted last season. Only five outside cornerbacks were worse.

“Even if Cisse doesn’t win the starting job outright, I would not be surprised to see him enter a rotation with Valentine (and St-Juste). Valentine struggles more with larger receivers, and Cisse and St-Juste should match up better.” — Ben Solak

Career path at stake

Because Carrington Valentine is in a contract year, the season is inevitably massive for him. If he has a strong performance, the former seventh-rounder will either extend his deal with the Packers or hit free agency with a better market.

However, if he repeats the mistakes of a flawed 2025 season, he won’t be more than a bottom of the roster depth piece in whatever his next destination will be.

Valentine has been a reasonable part of the cornerback room for the Packers. But with two draft picks and the addition of Benjamin St-Juste in free agency, his role is a big question mark. As a consequence, the next few months will tell a lot about his future in the NFL.