The Packers’ preseason opener against the Steelers did exactly what August games are supposed to do: it clarified a few battles, raised a few eyebrows, and started to separate the roster hopefuls from the players who are running out of time.
Some names came out of the night with their cases strengthened. Others are staring at a steep climb with cutdowns getting closer. And in at least one case, the decision already got made.
Kicker Trey Smack might have delivered the biggest swing of the night. After a rough beginning to camp, he answered with a strong showing against Pittsburgh, going officially three-for-three.
The real story was even better: he drilled two 58-yard field goals, with one wiped out by a defensive penalty. That kind of leg was part of his college résumé at Florida, and the Packers seem sold.
With Brian Gutekunst having moved up to draft him and both Brandon McManus and Lucas Havrisik now gone, Smack looks as close to a sure thing as you can get in August.
Jacob Monk is another player who has gone from tenuous to increasingly important. He opened camp as a cut candidate, but now he’s getting first-team work in practice and even started at right guard against the Steelers.
Given the injuries to Aaron Banks and Darian Kinnard, plus the lack of proven depth up front, Monk is suddenly in position to claim a real role. At this stage, the main task is simple: keep from blowing it the rest of the way.
Brenton Cox Jr. also looks safely inside the bubble. He’s been steady for Green Bay across three seasons, with five sacks in fewer than 250 career defensive snaps, and he’s held off younger challengers like rookie Nyjalik Kelly and Collin Oliver.
He added a sack against Pittsburgh and has been solid throughout camp. Right now, he sits fourth on the edge depth chart behind Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, and Dani Dennis-Sutton.
That could change later if Micah Parsons returns from injury, but Cox has done enough to have his spot lined up for the start of the season.
The picture is much uglier for Nazir Stackhouse. There hasn’t been much buzz around him during camp, and that usually tells the story.
He did show up in the preseason opener, but not in a way that changes the math. Warren Brinson, Chris McClellan, and Karl Brooks are ahead of him, and even Jonathan Ford and Anthony Campbell appear to have made stronger cases.
After looking like a feel-good undrafted success story, Stackhouse now feels as good as gone.
Travis Glover is in a similarly tough spot. Fans hoped he would bounce back after injury, but he has been overtaken by 2025 seventh-rounder John Williams and other linemen in the competition.
On Thursday, he didn’t even appear until late, after the backups had already cycled through. It’s another rough reminder of how quickly injury can stall a young player’s momentum, and his chances of making the 53-man roster now look bleak.
Kamal Hadden’s path has also gotten messy. He returned from the PUP list in early August after a season-ending leg fracture last December, but the Packers kept him out Thursday, and he still hasn’t had much of a chance to get involved in the cornerback battle.
That’s a frustrating spot for him, especially with Carrington Valentine and Domani Jackson also injured. An opening seemed there, but Hadden hasn’t been able to seize it.
At this point, it’s fair to question whether he would even be the first injury replacement if the Packers need help at corner soon.
And then there’s Kyron Drones, whose situation is already settled. The undrafted rookie was waived on Saturday after a rough preseason performance that saw him pulled after being sacked three times on four pass attempts. Kyle McCord took over, went 12-for-16 for 102 yards, and that was enough for the Packers to name him QB3 and move on from Drones.
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Jordan Love Calls Out What Must Change For Packers Late In Games
Jordan Loves view of the Packers offense has shifted toward the part of games that has long defined good teams from merely dangerous ones. After last seasons disappointment, Love pointed to the difference this year as Green Bays ability to finish, a sign that the conversation around this offense is no longer just about talent or tempo, but about closing out drives and keeping its footing when the pressure climbs.
For Love, the late-game lesson is as much mental as it is schematic. He stressed the need for focus and composure when the fourth quarter tightens, and that matters for a Packers team hoping to turn a painful playoff ending into a new standard. If his mindset filters through the huddle the way the team hopes, the real test will be whether Green Bay can carry that steadiness into the moments that slipped away a year ago. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger concern, though, is what came out of practice around the game. Green Bay listed two more players as not participating because of injuries, adding another layer of uncertainty to a group that is still trying to build toward the regular season. For a team that needs its depth to hold up in August, every new name on that list matters, especially when the absences start piling up this early. [Read more 🡒]
Packers O-Line Turmoil Is Making One Offseason Decision Hurt More
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Matt LaFleur has already acknowledged the uncertainty around Aaron Banks return, and the right guard spot has only added to the sense that the unit is still searching for answers. Rookie Jacob Monk is pushing for a bigger role, giving the Packers another layer of competition on a line that can least afford confusion, and every new wrinkle only underscores how much the team has to replace after making that cap-driven choice. [Read more 🡒]