Barely a week out from the Packers’ season opener against the Vikings on September 13, Green Bay still has plenty to sort through. Training camp and the preseason brought some real momentum, but also left a handful of familiar questions hanging over the roster.
Some of those unknowns are already baked into the Week 1 matchup. Others will start getting answers the moment the Packers line up against Minnesota. Either way, this opener feels like an early stress test for a team that has made plenty of changes and still has some loose ends.
The biggest one might be at kicker. Trey Smack was flawless in the preseason, going 9-for-9 on field goals and showing range with a few makes from nearly 60 yards.
But practice has told a different story at times, and even a 37-yard attempt hasn’t always felt automatic. The real question is whether the first live snap tightens him up or sharpens him.
One game won’t settle everything, but it will give everyone something to react to.
Up front, Green Bay’s rebuilt offensive line is another major storyline. The starting five looks almost nothing like it did before camp, with Sean Rhyan at center, Jacob Monk at right guard, and Jordan Morgan at left tackle. Aaron Banks and Zach Bako-Bewele are holding down left guard and right tackle.
Bako-Bewele’s status is especially worth watching. He is still working back from last season’s knee injury, and when asked about Week 1, he didn’t exactly calm nerves. He expects to be ready, but there’s a real chance he’s not close to full strength.
Monk is the other name that jumps off the page. He won the right guard job over rookie Jager Burton, and that decision did not land as a popular one.
Not long ago, it looked like Monk might not even make the roster. Now he’s in line to start, despite a thin career résumé of 57 offensive snaps.
That makes him the biggest question mark in the group.
The backfield brings another split that should be worth tracking. The Packers will have to decide how to divide the work between MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson, the newcomer from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Chris Brooks will still have a role, especially as a pass protector and as a receiver out of the backfield.
Lloyd is finally healthy and starting to live up to the buzz around him. Still, with the 2024 third-round pick, Green Bay may want to ease him into a full-time workload.
That could open the door for Johnson to get more early-season carries, especially since he was underused in Pittsburgh. Week 1 could bring something close to an even split, or even a setup where Johnson is treated as the nominal lead back.
There is also a possible wrinkle with Josh Jacobs. He remains on the NFL’s commissioner exempt list, which means he gets paid but cannot play. But his initial court appearance has been moved up from November to September 10, according to Michael Gross of WLUK-TV FOX 11, so Green Bay could have more clarity sooner than expected, even if it does not arrive before the opener.
On defense, the edge rush has to prove it can create pressure without Micah Parsons, and without Collin Oliver as well. That leaves Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, Brenton Cox Jr., and Dani Dennis-Sutton to carry the load. Sorrell should start next to Van Ness, though the other starting spot looks like it will be handled more by rotation than by one locked-in name.
Dennis-Sutton is the most intriguing of the group. Packers fans will want to see how much of the rookie fourth-rounder they get in Week 1, even if the answer is not much. He is still working through the usual early rookie learning curve, but there is obvious curiosity around him.
The secondary has its own issue, and it starts with Brandon Cisse. Assume Cisse and Keisean Nixon are the starters at cornerback, and the rookie will already have a tough assignment. The Packers believe Cisse is part of their future, and maybe already the most talented player in that room.
The real concern is the other side. Nixon steadied himself after a rough start to camp and preseason, but his inconsistency is well known in Green Bay.
That matters a lot against Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, who will test the Packers on the outside right away. If Nixon can’t hold up, the Vikings have a clear place to attack.
In Other News...
Packers Quietly Added A Week 1 Name Fans Should Not Overlook
The Packers spent the final stretch before roster cutdown making the kind of moves that can shape the first month of a season just as much as the headlines from August. One of the quieter changes was the trade of backup quarterback Kyle McCord to Miami for a 2028 sixth-round pick, but the more relevant additions for Green Bay came on the field: veteran tight end Jonnu Smith, running back Kaleb Johnson and tight end Mark Redman all arrived with a chance to matter early.
Johnson is the name that stands out because the Packers may need him sooner than expected with Josh Jacobs still on the commissioner-exempt list. Redman is more of a developmental piece, still waiting for his first regular-season snap, but the depth chart now has a different look than it did a week ago. For a team trying to thread the needle between immediate help and longer-term value, these are the kinds of late roster additions that can quietly end up carrying real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Update Could Change The Packers Opener Decision
Josh Jacobs legal situation has taken on added significance for the Packers because the calendar has moved up. His initial court appearance, originally set for Nov. 17, has been rescheduled for Sept. 10, a date that arrives much sooner and could force the issue while Green Bay is still trying to map out its early-season backfield plans. Jacobs is dealing with two misdemeanor charges, battery and criminal damage to property, and he remains on the NFL Commissioners Exempt List as the league continues its investigation.
For the Packers, the timing matters almost as much as the case itself. An earlier hearing creates a chance for the NFL to have more clarity before any long-range roster or playing-time decisions need to be locked in, including whatever the team is thinking about for the opener. The situation is still fluid, but the shift in court date could change the pace of everything around it, from the leagues discipline timeline to Green Bays planning for one of its most important offensive pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Finally Confront A Matthew Golden Problem Fans Saw Early
Brian Gutekunst did not spend much time dancing around the issue when he discussed Matthew Goldens rookie season. The Packers general manager acknowledged the wide receiver was underused, saying Golden simply did not get as many opportunities as he should have after drawing only 44 targets and finishing with 361 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Golden did show more impact late in the season, and Gutekunst pointed to a strong training camp as another reason for optimism heading into this year. For a player Green Bay clearly believes can do more, the real question is whether the offense will finally make good on that early promise and give him a larger role when it matters. [Read more 🡒]