The Green Bay Packers’ 2026 offseason has put them in an awkward spot: still viewed as a team with plenty of talent, but not exactly winning any style points for what they’ve done - or lost - so far.
That’s the read from The Athletic, which slotted the Packers among the offseason “losers.” The outlet pointed to a roster that took some real hits, even as Green Bay continues trying to position itself as one of the NFC North’s better teams and a contender to win the division.
“For a team coming off back-to-back wild-card-round exits and that hasn’t reached the conference championship game since the 2020 season, the Packers had a rather blah offseason. They lost top wide receiver Romeo Doubs, left tackle Rasheed Walker and linebacker Quay Walker, and they also saw cornerback Nate Hobbs and versatile offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins depart. On top of that, they;re dealing with the uncertainty swirling around Josh Jacobs’ domestic violence charges.
“The Bears won the NFC North last season, and the Vikings and Lions are also both threats, so the Packers will need several young players to assume larger roles if they hope to reach the playoffs this fall.”
That’s the heart of the criticism: too many departures, not enough certainty, and a division that won’t give Green Bay much breathing room. The Bears are coming off a division title, while the Vikings and Lions remain in the mix as well.
There has been some help coming in on defense. Green Bay added defensive end Javon Hargrave and linebacker Zaire Franklin in free agency. Even so, the defense still doesn’t have an answer for replacing Micah Parsons as he continues to recover from his torn ACL.
On offense, the Packers are leaning more toward continuity than overhaul. Much of the same group is back from last season, which gives them some built-in familiarity as they try to clean things up and get more out of the unit.
The scheduling outlook doesn’t make life any easier. Green Bay carries a .538 opposing winning percentage from last year, a mark that was only better than the following teams:
And while the offseason has looked uneven, the Packers still have room to maneuver. They have more than $23.1 million in cap space if they choose to add another free agent or swing a trade before the season gets here.
For now, though, the outside view is clear: Green Bay has work to do before it can shake the “losers” label.
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