The Packers may not have Micah Parsons for the first month of the season, and that reality is pushing Green Bay toward a move on the edge.
With the All-Pro expected to start 2026 on the Physically Unable to Perform list, the Packers suddenly have a hole that could matter fast if they’re serious about chasing a Super Bowl this fall. That’s where Brian Gutekunst comes in. If Green Bay wants enough pressure off the edge while Parsons is out, the front office may need to move quickly.
One name floating to the top is Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney is still out there as arguably the best free-agent pass rusher on the market, and NFL Media’s Gregg Rosenthal sees the Packers as one of the strongest landing spots.
“If you need a one-season pass-rush boost, Clowney is your guy,” Rosenthal writes. “The No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, Clowney has played for seven NFL teams and four in the last four years.
Last season, he led the Cowboys with 8.5 sacks after they traded away Micah Parsons. He could fill in for an injured Parsons with the Packers”
That 8.5-sack season in Dallas is the key part of the case. Clowney showed last year that he can still get home, still affect games, and still give a defense real production. For Green Bay, he’d be a short-term answer who could help cover for Parsons’ absence and then potentially give the Packers a dangerous edge pairing once Parsons is back and rolling again.
In Other News...
Matthew Golden May Have Found The Fastest Way Into LaFleurs Trust
Matthew Golden is trying to turn a promising offseason into a real jump in Year 2, and for the Packers, the early signs go beyond the box score. After a rookie season that ended without a regular-season touchdown, the second-year receiver has drawn notice from Matt LaFleur for the less glamorous parts of the job, especially his blocking and his work away from the ball.
That kind of attention tends to matter in Green Bay, where trust in the offense is built on more than catches and yardage. Golden did finish last season with 361 receiving yards across 14 games and found the end zone in a playoff loss, but the bigger question now is whether those incremental gains are enough to earn a larger role when the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Are Taking A Different Defensive Bet Than The Rest Of The NFL
Around the league, last seasons defensive trend leaned toward smaller looks, with teams like the L.A. Rams and Seattle Seahawks finding ways to make lighter packages work. Green Bay has gone the other direction in its own search for answers, choosing not to simply add more defensive backs when the passing game demands it.
Instead, the Packers are exploring a different kind of flexibility by moving bigger edge players inside and keeping key linebackers on the field. The idea is to widen the pass-rush options without sacrificing size and physicality, a bet that reflects a different view of how to disrupt offenses in todays NFL. [Read more 🡒]
Keisean Nixon Repeats Himself Three Times On Contract Talks
Keisean Nixon spent his first training camp media session doing what players often do when the business side starts to creep into football season: he punted. The Packers cornerback repeatedly steered questions about his contract to his agent and general manager, making it clear he wanted the focus to stay on the field as Green Bay gets rolling under a new defensive coordinator. Entering the final year of his three-year deal, Nixon is more interested in showing he can keep building than in turning camp into a negotiation.
Nixon also cleared up one point that might have fueled the speculation. His absence from the first practice had nothing to do with contract tension, he said, but rather hamstring tightness, and he was back on the field the next day. For the Packers, that keeps the situation in the usual summer holding pattern for now, with Nixon working through camp and the front office left to sort out the rest whenever the time comes. [Read more 🡒]