The Packers are 5-3, and that changes the tone around the trade deadline fast. After Thursday’s 27-19 win over the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay has every reason to think about adding support for a playoff push instead of tearing anything down.
That doesn’t mean Brian Gutekunst has to treat the roster as untouchable. If a veteran or developmental player has more value to another team than he does in Green Bay’s current setup, the Packers can still listen. The deadline is set for November 10, and three names stand out as the most plausible trade candidates: Jonnu Smith, Keisean Nixon and Kaleb Johnson.
Johnson sits third on the list because his role has shrunk, but moving him again would only make sense if another team believes there’s still something to unlock. The Packers got the 23-year-old from the Pittsburgh Steelers in August for a 2028 sixth-round pick, and so far he has 104 rushing yards on 28 carries with no rushing touchdowns. His usage has told the story even more clearly than the numbers: he was inactive against the Panthers, and Green Bay’s latest published depth chart has him behind Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd and Pierre Strong Jr.
That makes him the kind of player a team could view as a cheap developmental swing. Another club might want to see whether a former third-round pick can still grow into something useful without paying much to find out.
Green Bay could take a modest return if it decides his path to playing time is too crowded. But the Packers also have to be careful not to mistake one inactive game for a dead end.
They already spent a pick to bring him in, and backfields can change quickly when injuries hit. A tiny offer wouldn’t be enough reason to walk away from that investment.
Nixon is a different kind of case. His contract is expiring, which naturally puts him on the radar, but he’s also a starter, and that makes any deal harder to pull off. The veteran cornerback is in the final season of the three-year contract he signed in 2024, so Green Bay has to decide whether his remaining value is greater than what another team might offer for immediate help in coverage.
The Packers do have options behind him. Their latest published depth chart lists Carrington Valentine behind Nixon, with Brandon Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste at the other outside cornerback spot.
That gives the staff alternatives, though alternatives are not the same thing as proven answers. A team trading for Nixon would be getting experience without having to commit beyond this season, and Green Bay could try to cash in before free agency if it prefers a different long-term setup at corner.
The problem is obvious: moving him would strip a starter from a team still trying to make the postseason. If the Packers ever seriously entertain that idea, they’d need a real replacement plan, not just hope that younger players can handle the load.
Smith is the one who makes the most sense if Green Bay decides to make a move. He has the cleanest mix of a reduced role, an expiring deal and a track record as a receiver.
The 31-year-old signed a one-year, $2 million contract in August, and through eight team games he has six catches for 94 yards and no touchdowns. He was inactive against Carolina, which says plenty about where he stands right now.
At tight end, the Packers have Tucker Kraft ahead of Smith, with Mark Redman and Josh Whyle also in the mix. That gives Gutekunst a more workable path to a deal than the one involving Nixon.
For another team, Smith would bring experienced receiving depth at a reasonable remaining cost. His 2024 season with the Miami Dolphins produced 88 catches, 884 yards and eight touchdowns, but buyers would have to judge him on what he is now, not just what he did then.
His 2025 production dropped to 38 catches for 222 yards with the Steelers, which is a reminder that past numbers don’t automatically travel with the player.
A late-round pick or a conditional selection would fit the kind of conversation Green Bay might have here, though nothing suggests that’s a set asking price. A pick swap could also work if both sides see the value in a smaller adjustment.
Smith tops this ranking because his departure would create the least disruption. Johnson is still a developmental call, and Nixon would require the biggest defensive adjustment.
The Packers can explore all three situations and still decide that keeping everyone is the best move for their season.
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For Packers fans, the real question is how soon that return turns into game action. Projections point to a wait that likely stretches beyond the next few weeks, with the window creating a built-in deadline for activation and a return that appears more realistic in the middle of November than immediately. The practice field is the first checkpoint, but the bigger answer still hangs over what comes next. [Read more 🡒]