The Green Bay Packers have plenty of reasons to feel better about 2026 than they did about 2025.
Tucker Kraft is on his way back. Micah Parsons should work his way back to full strength.
Jordan Love has another season of experience behind him, and one of his key weapons is returning to the lineup. On paper, that’s the kind of setup that can keep a team in the conversation with the NFL’s best.
Still, not everybody is buying into the optimism.
Chris Schad of The Viking Age recently drew a line from Minnesota’s 2025 collapse to a possible Packers letdown in 2026, arguing that the same kind of confidence that backfired on the Vikings could end up hurting Green Bay too. He pointed to Minnesota’s belief that a strong 2024 would carry over, only for the season to unravel because the quarterback play wasn’t steady and injuries piled up, including at wide receiver.
When it came to the Packers, Schad zeroed in on a few warning signs. “Josh Jacobs landing on the commissioner's list on Sunday is one problem brewing across the river, and with Parsons rehabbing from a knee injury and many other lingering issues heading into Week 1, the Packers may not be the Super Bowl contender they think they are and may not even pose a threat to the Vikings going into 2026.”
Jacobs’ situation is obviously less than ideal. Parsons is also coming off the first major injury of his career, which means there will be a transition period.
But writing him off altogether would be a mistake. He’s still one of the league’s most dangerous pass rushers, and even if it takes time to get back to his usual level, the talent hasn’t gone anywhere.
Schad did acknowledge the pieces that work in Green Bay’s favor. “They have a solid quarterback in Jordan Love and an All-Pro pass-rusher in Parsons. Tucker Kraft is coming back from his torn ACL,” Schad wrote.
He also noted Rich Bisaccia’s departure, Brandon McManus moving on, and the trade of Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys as possible positives.
There’s also the simple fact that Love keeps getting better. Kraft’s return matters, too, especially after the way the two connected before the tight end got hurt. That kind of chemistry doesn’t just disappear.
Special teams is another area that could swing things in Green Bay’s favor. That unit was a real problem last season, but new special teams coordinator Cam Achord has already made an impression. The Packers finished No. 1 in PFF grade on special teams during the preseason.
It’s easy to dwell on the negatives and stack up the what-ifs. But if Green Bay gets the key pieces healthy and things break the right way, this team has the talent to sit right with the league’s top contenders.
For now, Packers fans have every reason to feel good about where this could go in 2026.
In Other News...
Packers Fans Just Got A National Reputation Boost
Erin Andrews weighed in on one of the NFLs most debated topics during an interview with Alex Cooper, offering a familiar mix of stadium insight and fanbase reputation. She singled out Seahawks fans at Lumen Field as the loudest and most intimidating in the league, while saying the atmosphere in Los Angeles tends to be more laid-back and quieter. For Packers fans, though, the takeaway was far more flattering.
Andrews described Green Bay supporters as the nicest fanbase in the NFL, a label that fits the teams long-standing image as one of the leagues most loyal and community-minded followings. It is the kind of national shoutout Packers fans tend to appreciate, especially in a league where home-field edge is often measured by noise and intensity rather than hospitality. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans Will Love Parts Of This Projected 2026 Lineup
After roster cutdowns, the early look at Green Bays projected 2026 lineup has plenty for Packers fans to digest, especially on offense where Jordan Love is still the clear centerpiece. The projection also points to MarShawn Lloyd at running back, a reminder that the backfield picture could look a lot different a year from now as the team keeps shaping its next core.
The bigger appeal is how the exercise sketches out the full roster picture across offense, defense and special teams, giving a glimpse of where the Packers may already feel settled and where more turnover could still be coming. It is still only a projection, of course, but for a fan base that pays close attention to every roster detail, the lineup offers an interesting snapshot of what Green Bay might look like in 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Need A Lot More From MarShawn Lloyd
MarShawn Lloyds path to Week 1 has taken a sharp turn, and not the one the Packers likely had in mind when they brought him along through two injury-plagued seasons. With Josh Jacobs dealing with a legal situation, Lloyd suddenly finds himself positioned as Green Bays de facto No. 1 running back, a label that comes with a very different level of attention than the one he carried entering camp.
For the Packers, the shift matters because the backfield had been built around a more familiar hierarchy, and now the offense may have to lean on a player still working to establish his durability and reliability. Lloyds talent has never been the question as much as the ability to stay on the field, and the pressure that comes with a bigger role will now arrive before Green Bay had hoped it would. [Read more 🡒]