Packers have little margin for error in 2026 if these six impactful developments fail to go as expected
This is how the Green Bay season could fall short once again. Some are more likely than others, but all generate some real reasons for concern.
The Green Bay Packers undoubtedly have a high ceiling entering the 2026 season. Despite some talent loss in the offseason, the roster suffered with important injuries late last season, and that factor alone should create higher expectations for 2026.
However, not everything is perfect. The Packers have some real question marks heading into next season. And while there are some reasonable expectations to answer those questions, you never know exactly how the outcome will be until bullets start flying.
Micah Parsons and Tucker Kraft take more time to get fully healthy
The two biggest injuries of the 2025 season are still dark clouds over the Packers’ heads. Kraft should be ready to go in Week 1, Parsons is expected to miss the first few games. Sometimes, players get back from ACL injuries like nothing had happened — Christian Watson is a great example. Sometimes, though, it takes longer for a full recovery. Hopefully for the Packers, Parsons and Kraft will get back and play at their normal level, but you never know with these things. And if they need more time or are not the same from the get go, the ceiling of the team will inevitably go dramatically down.
Jordan Morgan doesn’t establish himself as the LT
The Packers allowed Rasheed Walker to leave in free agency, opening the door for former first-round pick Jordan Morgan to start at left tackle. The plan is solid, and Morgan has been fine in his previous opportunities at tackle. But it’s a small sample size, and Morgan has had only 51 NFL snaps at the position — and it was blocking for Clayton Tune, not Jordan Love or even Malik Willis.
If Morgan doesn’t pan out at his primary position, there isn’t a great alternative. The most logical one would be moving Zach Tom to left tackle, with Darian Kinnard at right tackle, but that would significantly lower the offensive ceiling. Maybe Anthony Belton could move back to tackle, but the evidence there isn’t amazing either.
No major development from Matthew Golden
Whenever Golden touched the football as a rookie, he looked pretty good. So, there’s natural expectations around what he can do in Year 2. But the reality is that Golden was on the field, he was just not receiving as many targets for some reason.
The advanced stats confirm that reality. He had 1.35 yards per route run — that was only seventh on the Packers own wide receiver group, behind Christian Watson, Bo Melton, Jayden Reed, Savion Williams, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks. His 89.7 passer rating when targeted was behind Williams, Watson, Reed, Doubs, and Jakobie Keeney-James.
We should expect an improvement from Golden, but development isn’t always linear — and not a guarantee either.
Cornerback room is still a question mark
The Packers made investments in the cornerback position by adding Benjamin St-Juste in free agency, plus drafting Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson. But that doesn’t mean the problem is automatically solved — especially in the short-term. Cisse and Jackson are young, developmental players, and their immediate impact could be limited.
St-Juste has potential to be a solid depth piece or low-end starter, but he was just a role player for the Los Angeles Chargers last season. The Packers also released Nate Hobbs, who never lived up to his free agent contract. Right now, the starters are Keisean Nixon, Javon Bullard in the slot, and some combination of Carrington Valentine, St-Juste, or Cisse. It might work. But if it doesn’t, you can see a repetition of what the defense showed in 2025.
Matt LaFleur keeps his worst traits
LaFleur had to answer the first questions about his job security in 2025, especially after the playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. While those reactions were overblown, there was some merit to a few of them — the conservatism, the run-heavy approach, the inability to beat some bad teams, the inefficiency to finish games with comfort. Matt LaFleur is still a great offensive mind and a respected head coach, so this is not necessarily a major concern. But if he keeps those bad traits, the questions won’t stop.
If Jonathan Gannon is a real downgrade
With coaching changes, you never fully know until you see those on the field. Jonathan Gannon is a proven defensive coordinator in the NFL, and even his time with the Arizona Cardinals had promising schematic trends despite the talent limitations. But if Gannon is a significant downgrade compared to Jeff Hafley, or even if his scheme doesn’t fit the group as well, it may get hard to replicate the success Hafley had as the Packers DC. And Green Bay fans know very well what a bad defensive coordinator job could look like.