The Green Bay Packers trimmed their roster to 53 players, and while several decisions made sense on the surface, a handful stood out as questionable. From trading quarterback Kyle McCord to shaking up the long-snapping operation, the Packers left room for criticism. Here are the three biggest mistakes Green Bay made on cutdown day, plus a bonus concern.

Trading Kyle McCord

The Packers traded McCord to the Miami Dolphins for a 2028 sixth-round pick. The logic is straightforward, as Green Bay didn’t want to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Getting a sixth-rounder for a player the team signed to a future deal back in January represents solid value. In roughly seven months, McCord went from a street free agent to generating draft capital. From that perspective, the move wasn’t inherently bad.

The problem is that value changes, and circumstances shift in the NFL. McCord played at a high level throughout the preseason and generated significant value for himself. The Packers could have kept him on the roster by carrying three quarterbacks, which wouldn’t have been absurd, especially considering they are rostering seven interior defensive linemen. Green Bay could have also released veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor and kept McCord as the No. 2, because McCord was undoubtedly the better performer this preseason.

The most reasonable path probably would have been keeping all three. Taylor is the veteran, the short-term option if quarterback Jordan Love misses time during the 2026 season. But Taylor is on a one-year contract. Next offseason, the Packers will likely need another backup quarterback anyway, and McCord won’t be available at that point. This is a long-term issue for Green Bay at the position.

Waiving long snapper Cal Adomitis

The Packers signed Adomitis early in training camp because starter Matthew Orzech suffered an injury and spent the entire camp on the physically unable to perform list. Adomitis handled long-snapping duties throughout camp and the preseason, and he performed solidly. More importantly, he developed a strong connection with rookie kicker Trey Smack. The Packers converted 9-of-9 field goals throughout the preseason with that operation in place.

Now Green Bay is changing things again with a long snapper who isn’t new to the organization but is new to Smack. That could create problems, especially with the regular season so close. The decision to waive Adomitis and keep Orzech was surprising, particularly because Orzech isn’t a high-level long snapper. He’s more of a below-average starter. In theory, it wouldn’t have been difficult to move on from him instead, but the Packers chose to keep the incumbent. Adomitis is out the door, and the kicking operation carries unnecessary risk.

Keeping offensive lineman Travis Glover

Green Bay decided to keep 10 offensive linemen, which is surprising on its own. Glover, a sixth-round pick two years ago, has not shown much when he’s played. He had a catastrophic game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs two seasons ago, primarily at guard rather than tackle. Last season, he suffered an injury and missed the entire year.

Glover played over Darian Kinnard on Friday night against the Denver Broncos, a clear indication the Packers would move on from Kinnard. That part isn’t necessarily the issue. The problem is that Glover’s track record doesn’t justify a roster spot. He was fine in the preseason, particularly in run blocking, but his pass protection remains a concern. The Packers likely kept him because he played both right guard and right tackle, and that versatility holds value. Still, this feels like a reach for a player who hasn’t proven much at the NFL level.

Bonus: only 4 edge defenders on the 53-man roster

This isn’t strictly a cutdown-day decision, but it ties into the broader roster construction. The Packers enter the regular season with Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox, Barryn Sorrell, and Dani Dennis-Sutton as their only edge defenders because Micah Parsons starts the year on the physically unable to perform list and Collin Oliver was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return later this season.

That’s a significant hole on defense. The Packers’ inability to generate pressure after Parsons tore his ACL last year exposed how dependent the unit was on him. Green Bay’s decision not to add a veteran at the position is concerning. The hope is that Parsons returns relatively soon and Oliver can contribute later in the year. Players like Arron Mosby and Nyjalik Kelly could land on the practice squad with the ability to elevate for game days, but that’s a thin margin for error at one of the most important positions on the field.