The Packers got their first preseason win Friday night, rolling past the Broncos 33-13, and the biggest takeaway was simple: there were plenty of Green Bay players who made noise.
That’s a big change from last week, when the list of standouts was a lot shorter. This time, the offense had several players who jumped off the screen, while the defense did enough to keep Denver in check. As usual, the game balls are being tracked all season, with the number in parentheses showing how many each player has earned so far.
Trey Smack kept his perfect preseason going in the most direct way possible. After going three-for-three in the opener - and four-for-four if you count the field goal that was wiped out - he drilled four more against Denver, connecting from 51, 59, 43 and 38 yards. At this point, he’s done everything he can to make Green Bay feel good about its kicking situation, at least in live action.
Jordan Love only needed one series to make his point. The Packers quarterback finished 5-for-7 for 56 yards and a touchdown, and the highlight came on a 19-yard completion to Matthew Golden on fourth-and-one.
Love had to show off some quick feet before getting the throw off, and the whole drive had the feel of a quarterback already in rhythm. It was a short night, but he looked ready.
The touchdown itself went to Marshawn Lloyd, who turned an 11-yard option route into six points. Lloyd shook his defender and showed the burst the coaching staff has been talking about. He flashed that quickness on other snaps too, and while the biggest question around him has always been durability, he left Friday with that box checked.
Pierre Strong Jr. kept making the most of every touch. He may not have a realistic path to the 53-man roster unless Josh Jacobs is suspended, but he’s still building a case for the practice squad, if another team doesn’t scoop him up first. Strong led the Packers on the ground with eight carries for 37 yards, an average of 4.6 per attempt, and he also broke loose for a 68-yard kickoff return that showed off his speed.
Kyle McCord continued to look like a quarterback worth keeping around. He completed 12 of 19 passes for 118 yards and showed he can run the offense competently. He doesn’t appear to have a route to the active roster right now, but he’s still making a strong case as a developmental option on the practice squad.
Will Sheppard kept forcing his way into the conversation at receiver. He might be ninth on the depth chart, but that says more about Green Bay’s depth than anything else.
Against Denver, he caught a team-high six passes for 47 yards and capped it with a slick toe-drag touchdown near the pylon. In a crowded room, he’s still finding ways to stand out.
And then there was Anthony Campbell, the defensive player who made the clearest splash. Green Bay’s defense allowed just 13 points and generally handled its business, but Campbell brought a different kind of energy.
He may have moved ahead of Nazir Stackhouse in the battle for a roster spot after powering through two blockers for a sack. For someone fighting for one of the final jobs, that kind of play can matter a lot.
In Other News...
Packers Suddenly Have A Familiar Tight End Decision To Make
Josiah Deguaras latest stop in the NFL ended quickly, as the former Packers tight end was released by the San Francisco 49ers less than a month after signing a one-year deal. Since his rookie contract in Green Bay expired, Deguara has bounced between practice squads and active rosters, a reminder of how hard it can be to stick in a league that keeps asking versatile players to keep proving themselves.
Now the question circles back to Green Bay, where tight end depth is thin enough to make a familiar name part of the conversation again. A reunion would not come as a surprise given the Packers need at the position, and Deguaras familiarity with the team only adds to the appeal, even if nothing is settled yet. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Love Just Got The Respect Packers Fans Want Him To Earn
Jordan Loves rise in Green Bay is starting to show up in places that matter beyond the Packers own building. FOX Sports slotted him eighth among NFL quarterbacks, putting him ahead of names like Justin Herbert and Jared Goff, a notable sign of how far his standing has come after the Packers committed to him with a four-year, $220 million deal in 2024. Love backed up that confidence with a solid previous season, throwing for 3,381 yards and 23 touchdowns as Green Bay continued to build around him.
Now the conversation shifts from proving he belongs to showing he can keep climbing. The Packers open the 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings, and Love enters the year with the expectation that his play will keep trending upward, especially with the league starting to treat him like one of its better quarterbacks rather than just a young starter on the rise. For Packers fans, the ranking is a reminder that the respect is finally catching up, but the bigger test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Linked To A Trade That Could Reshape Their Defense
A potential defensive shake-up has put Joey Porter Jr. in the conversation around Green Bay, with one trade proposal floating the idea of the Steelers dealing the cornerback to the Packers. The timing is notable because Porter is still on Pittsburghs physically unable to perform list with a back injury, and the lack of a contract extension only adds another layer to a situation that already feels unsettled.
For Green Bay, the appeal is obvious: the Packers have the draft capital to make a move if they decide the fit is right, and Porter would bring another young piece to a defense that already has Micah Parsons working his way back from surgery. It is the kind of addition that could change the look of the unit in a hurry, even if the real question is whether Pittsburgh would ever be willing to part with him. [Read more 🡒]