Packers Face Familiar Cornerback Questions Heading into 2026
A year ago, the Green Bay Packers entered the offseason with some serious uncertainty at cornerback. Fast forward to today, and not much has changed.
Jaire Alexander’s absence still looms large, and the team has yet to find a true CB1 to anchor the secondary. As the offseason ramps up, that search should be near the top of Green Bay’s priority list - because right now, the answers just aren’t there.
The Packers made a bold move last offseason, handing Nate Hobbs a four-year, $48 million contract with the hope that he could step in and fill Alexander’s shoes. But that bet hasn’t paid off.
Injuries limited Hobbs throughout the season, and when he was on the field, the results were underwhelming. Instead of emerging as a stabilizing force, Hobbs became a liability in coverage - not exactly what you want from a player expected to carry top-corner responsibilities.
Despite that, it doesn’t sound like the front office is ready to move on. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst recently indicated that he expects both guard Aaron Banks and Hobbs to return in 2026. No firm decisions have been made yet, but the writing on the wall suggests that Green Bay isn’t quite ready to admit defeat on the Hobbs signing.
That’s a risky stance - because the numbers don’t lie. Hobbs wrapped up his first season in Green Bay with just 27 total tackles (14 solo), two tackles for loss, two passes defensed, and no interceptions.
Even more concerning: opposing quarterbacks posted a 125.3 passer rating when targeting him, the worst mark of his career, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s not just a dip in performance - that’s a red flag.
The issue isn’t just production - it’s fit. Hobbs struggled on the outside, where his lack of speed was exposed, but he didn’t do enough to claim the slot role either, where Javon Bullard has carved out a niche. In short, Hobbs doesn’t have a clear home in this defense, and that’s a problem for a team looking to rebuild its secondary under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
There was a window of opportunity to move Hobbs after the departure of former DC Jeff Hafley - a coach who had praised Hobbs' versatility and might’ve been interested in bringing him to Miami. But that ship appears to have sailed, and now the Packers are left with a tough decision.
Financially, there’s a path forward if the team decides to cut ties. Releasing Hobbs before March 13 would cost Green Bay $12 million in dead money, but that number drops to $4 million after June 1. A post-June 1 release would free up over $8.8 million in cap space - money that could be used to bring in more reliable help at cornerback, a position that clearly needs it.
And it’s not just Hobbs. The Packers still need to figure out what they’re doing with Keisean Nixon, and outside of Carrington Valentine, there aren’t many locks in that secondary. Valentine showed enough promise to stick around, but the rest of the group is a question mark - and that includes Hobbs.
There’s still time for the front office to reassess and pivot, but as it stands, Green Bay seems content to roll the dice again with a player who struggled to find his footing in Year 1. Whether that’s about preserving trade value or holding out hope for a turnaround, the risk is clear: doubling down on a mistake could cost the Packers another year of defensive stability.