Packers Offseason Outlook: Cap Crunch, Key Free Agents, and a Roster at a Crossroads
With the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror, the NFL offseason is officially underway - and for the Green Bay Packers, the road ahead looks anything but smooth. The team enters this critical stretch facing a tough combination of roster uncertainty and a salary cap situation that leaves little room for error.
A recent ranking of the top 100 free agents for 2026 paints a clear picture: the Packers are staring down the possibility of losing some key contributors. Green Bay has five players featured on that list - second-most of any team, trailing only the Seahawks.
Those names? Romeo Doubs, Malik Willis, Quay Walker, Kingsley Enagbare, and Rasheed Walker.
And while Emanual Wilson didn’t crack the top 100, he deserves a mention. He’s been a valuable depth piece and stepped up in spots when the Packers needed him most.
Now, not every name on that list will spark panic among fans. But the volume of potential departures underscores a bigger issue: general manager Brian Gutekunst has a serious puzzle to solve. And the pieces don’t fit easily.
Let’s talk cap space. Green Bay ranks 25th in cap flexibility heading into 2026.
That’s near the bottom of the league. Even with a full round of restructures - the kind of financial gymnastics teams often use to create wiggle room - the Packers are only projected to free up about $52 million.
That might sound like a decent chunk of change, but in today’s NFL, it’s modest at best. Especially when you consider the looming financial commitments to cornerstone players like Jordan Love and Micah Parsons.
So what does that mean? Simply put, Green Bay won’t be a major player in free agency unless they make some tough decisions. Letting veterans walk, cutting contracts to free up space, and leaning on internal development will likely be the name of the game.
And that brings us to the roster itself. The Packers have real depth questions - particularly in the trenches and in the secondary.
Those aren’t easy areas to patch up on the cheap. Unless Gutekunst and his staff hit big on the draft and get another leap from their young core, the 2026 version of this team could look a lot like a work in progress.
There’s also the matter of head coach Matt LaFleur, who’s returning for Year 8 despite the team’s longest season-ending losing streak since 1990. His new contract offers some security, but let’s not pretend the pressure isn’t mounting. The margin for error is shrinking - and fast.
The Packers have long prided themselves on building through the draft and developing from within. That philosophy will be tested more than ever this offseason. With limited cap space, a handful of key contributors potentially on the move, and several roster holes to fill, Green Bay’s front office has its hands full.
This isn’t about panic - it’s about precision. The Packers don’t need a splashy offseason; they need a smart one.
One that keeps their long-term vision intact while addressing immediate needs. If they can thread that needle, they’ll stay competitive in a crowded NFC.
If not, 2026 could be a reset year more than a reload.
One thing’s for sure: the decisions made over the next few months will shape the trajectory of this franchise for years to come.