The Packers are drawing real buzz heading into the 2026 NFL season, and the chatter isn’t limited to fans hoping for a leap from a young roster. Some rival executives are already treating Green Bay like a legitimate Super Bowl threat out of the NFC.
“Jordan Love has been getting better,” an AFC coach recently told Between The Hashmarks. “He’s been in that system for a while, and this is the year the Packers finally break through.”
That belief is showing up beyond league circles, too. CBS Sports analyst Zachary Pereles pegged Green Bay as a sleeper team worth watching, pointing to a roster that looks ready to take another step.
“It seems like it’s said every year,” Pereles writes of Green Bay, for CBS Sports. “But perhaps this is actually the year the offense becomes one of the league’s best. Jordan Love has three talented, young receivers: Christian Watson and Jayden Reed both got extensions this offseason, and Matthew Golden is a strong second-year breakout candidate.
“Parsons is anticipating an early- or mid-season return. Green Bay made several additions on defense during the offseason - including coordinator Jonathan Gannon - and has a relatively friendly early-season schedule, when they’ll be without Parsons.”
That Parsons timeline matters. His return from the PUP list, and how fast he gets back to All-Pro form, could shape just how dangerous the defense becomes.
Still, the bigger picture is hard to ignore. The Packers have a young core that appears to be moving in the right direction, Love continues to trend upward, and the offense has enough talent to keep people talking. Add it all together, and Green Bay looks like a team plenty of people are circling for a deep run this fall.
In Other News...
Jordan Love Is Showing Why The Packers Stayed Patient
Jordan Loves growth has been easy to trace if you watch the details before the snap. The Packers quarterback said his years behind Aaron Rodgers gave him a front-row view of how much control a quarterback can have at the line of scrimmage, especially when it comes to protection adjustments and getting everyone settled before the play starts. It is the kind of lesson that does not always show up in the box score, but it has clearly helped shape the player Green Bay has now.
Love has gone from apprentice to steady starter, and the last three seasons have only reinforced why the Packers were willing to wait. He has developed into a quarterback who can handle the mental side of the job as well as the physical one, and that matters most in January, where Green Bay has been back in the playoff picture multiple times. The next step is less about proving he belongs and more about just how far that command can carry him. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have A Forgotten Draft Pick Worth Watching
John Williams barely got a chance to show what Green Bay thought it was getting when it drafted the former Cincinnati Bearcats guard, because a back injury wiped out his entire rookie season. Now he is back in training camp, and the early return has been encouraging for a Packers offensive line that can always use more flexibility. General manager Brian Gutekunst has already pointed to Williams progress, especially the way he has handled a variety of responsibilities up front.
What makes Williams interesting again is not just that he is healthy, but that he has been movable across the line in a way that gives the Packers options if he keeps building on this camp. Preseason games will matter here, because roster spots are never handed out on potential alone, and Williams still has to beat out the other names in the mix before Green Bay decides whether this forgotten draft pick is ready to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Matt LaFleur Opens Up About A Personal Loss Beyond Packers Camp
Packers coach Matt LaFleur had planned to leave training camp and make the trip to a funeral service for Cristina Ulbrich, the wife of his longtime friend Jeff Ulbrich, but a mechanical problem with his private plane kept him from attending. The aircraft failed its preflight check, interrupting a personal obligation that had been on LaFleurs calendar as he balanced camp duties with a difficult off-field moment.
Cristina Ulbrich died last month after a battle with cancer, and the Falcons announced her death on July 30. LaFleur and his wife had intended to fly in for the service, a reminder that even in the middle of camp, football people are still carrying the kinds of personal losses that pull them away from the field. [Read more 🡒]