Football is back for the Green Bay Packers, and their preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night comes with more on the line than just a first look at live reps. This is the first of three exhibition games, and it arrives with a handful of roster and depth-chart questions that could start getting answers almost immediately.
The most obvious storyline might be the one in the backfield: MarShawn Lloyd. Packers coaches have stayed careful whenever his name comes up, and for good reason.
Injuries have limited him to just six NFL carries, but this summer has gone differently. Lloyd worked with specialists in the offseason and has made it through OTAs, minicamp and training camp without a setback.
That alone matters, especially after last year’s hamstring injury in the preseason ended his season after an explosive wheel-route catch. He has the talent to be a real difference-maker in Matt LaFleur’s offense, but Thursday will offer another checkpoint on whether he can handle a bigger workload.
Wide receiver is another spot that looks awfully close to settled. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden sit at the top, with Savion Williams looking like a lock behind them.
That leaves Bo Melton and Skyy Moore in strong position for the next two roster spots. Green Bay clearly values Melton’s versatility and special teams work, and Moore is the leading candidate to handle kick and punt returns.
If that group performs the way it has in camp, the back end of the receiver battle may be just about finished.
There’s still a chance for someone on the outside to make noise, though. Isaiah Neyor and J. Michael Sturdivant have both shown flashes this summer, and a strong preseason opener is probably their best path to keeping the door open at wideout.
Up front, Anthony Belton is suddenly fighting to keep a job he seemed to have in hand. He started seven games as a rookie and entered the summer as the favorite at right guard, but that edge has slipped.
His Family Night struggles summed up a tougher camp, while Jacob Monk has been taking first-team snaps ahead of him and Jager Burton has spent plenty of time with the starters, too, filling in for Aaron Banks at left guard. All three should get real action Thursday, and while Week 1 may not be decided by the time the Packers leave Pittsburgh, Belton can absolutely make things worse for himself with another rough outing.
The pass rush may be the most important long-range question of the bunch. Micah Parsons won’t be available until at least Week 6, and maybe longer, which means Green Bay needs pressure from the rest of the group.
So far, camp hasn’t produced nearly enough of it. Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell and Dani Dennis-Sutton have all had their moments, but Jonathan Gannon has found more success by dialing up extra rushers, with cornerback blitzes likely to be part of the regular-season plan.
Thursday should still tell us plenty, even if Van Ness and Sorrell only get a few snaps. Dennis-Sutton, Brenton Cox Jr. and second-year player Collin Oliver should all be in the mix, and the Packers will learn something real about how the rush looks without Parsons.
Another rookie drawing attention is Brandon Cisse, and he may already have the inside track to a Week 1 role. Carrington Valentine’s hamstring injury pushed Cisse into first-team reps earlier than expected, and he has done enough to stay there.
The second-round pick has looked like a starter, including holding his own against Christian Watson at Family Night. Valentine returned to practice this week, but it would be a surprise if he plays much, if at all, so soon after the injury.
That could give Cisse another chance to strengthen his grip on a starting spot with a strong showing against Pittsburgh.
Then there’s kicker Trey Smack, who has had a shaky summer but also one encouraging moment that matters. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky has him at 20-of-28 on field goals, which tells the story of the inconsistency.
Still, Smack was nearly perfect at Family Night, handling the most pressure he has faced in front of a packed Lambeau Field. The Packers have shown patience by not bringing in another kicker, and Brian Gutekunst has kept stressing that approach.
But patience only goes so far. Green Bay needs Smack to show he can deliver in a real game, and Thursday will be his next test.
A solid night would support the organization’s confidence. Another stumble would only make the uncertainty louder.
In Other News...
Zaire Franklin Got A Fast Introduction To Lambeau Pressure
Zaire Franklin got his first real taste of Lambeau Fields atmosphere during the Packers annual Family Night on Aug. 7, and the veteran linebacker came away with exactly what Green Bay wanted from the showcase. Recently acquired from the Colts, Franklin stepped into an event built to feel like a game without actually counting as one, with music, entertainment and a fireworks show helping turn training camp into something closer to Sunday.
For Franklin, the night was less about a routine summer workout and more about getting a preview of the noise and intensity that will come with the season. He described the experience as energizing and said it helped him prepare for the crowd pressure he expects to face once the games start to matter, a useful early read for a player still settling into his new surroundings. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have A Tough Trade Decision In Their Secondary
The Packers cornerback room has quietly turned into one of the more crowded spots on the roster, and that kind of depth can create a harder conversation than a shortage ever would. With rookies Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson adding to the group, Green Bay suddenly has enough young options that it does not need to keep every piece in place just because it can.
A 24-year-old corner whose play dipped last season is now the sort of player teams have to evaluate differently when a future contract timeline is in the background. For the Packers, the question is whether to keep betting on a bounce-back or use the chance to gather draft capital while opening more room for the younger defensive backs to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Keep Getting Doubted In A Division Race That Feels Open
Even with the NFC North looking like one of the more interesting division races in the conference, the Packers are still getting slotted behind Detroit and Chicago in some preseason conversations. FS1s First Things First put Green Bay in the top half of the NFC, but not at the front of the pack, a familiar place for a franchise that has spent years hearing skepticism about whether its offseason choices have left it strong enough to keep pace.
For a team that has long been judged by a higher standard in the division, the lack of respect is hardly new. It does, however, add a little edge to a summer where the Packers can point to the noise around them and use it as motivation, especially with a division race that feels open enough for the conversation to matter well into the season. [Read more 🡒]