2025 Draft Class Must Make the Leap

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The 2025 draft class making a significant step would be huge for Green Bay in 2026.

For all the excitement surrounding rookies, most of them are usually bad in their first year in the NFL. Taking a step from year one to year two is more important than whatever they do as rookies, and the Packers will be relying on several players to show improvement in 2026.

The most obvious example is Matthew Golden, the 1st round pick from a year ago who became the first wide receiver drafted in round one by Green Bay since 2002.

His stat sheet from 2025 is not particularly impressive, although anyone who watched the tape will know there is plenty to be encouraged about, and his lack of production was more due to veteran receivers blocking his path to playing time than a lack of talent on his part.

Of course, even if Golden is not ready to make that jump, Jordan Love will still have plenty of pass catchers to throw to, with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft a perfectly sufficient top three. But given how big Doubs’ role in the offense was, and the fact Golden will essentially be replacing him in that role – across from Watson as the two boundary receivers with Reed mostly playing in the slot – makes his performance in 2026 of the utmost importance.

The floor for Green Bay’s offense will always be high with Love, a solid selection of weapons and Matt LaFleur calling plays, but in moving from Doubs to Golden, there is a chance to raise the ceiling. If he can break out in year two, it would be a huge boost.

Anthony Belton, taken in the 2nd round last year, looks locked in to start at right guard in 2026, after getting a lot of exposure there as a rookie.

Belton seemed to improve as the year went on, and now with a full offseason under his belt, his arrow will hopefully keep pointing up. Green Bay certainly needs that to be the case, as the O-line was one of their biggest problem areas in 2025.

With Micah Parsons expected to miss multiple games to start the year, there is a good chance former 4th round pick Barryn Sorrell will start opposite Lukas Van Ness to begin the season.

Sorrell played well against the run as a rookie, but his impact as a pass rusher was almost nonexistent, so he will need to take a step to become more than just an early-down edge defender.

The year-one to year-two jump is a crucial part of any player’s development, and in 2026 it could be vital if the Packers are going to challenge for a title.

2026 Packers Bounce Back Candidates

The Packers have no shortage of talent heading into 2026, but several key contributors will need to rediscover their best form if Green Bay is going to make a serious run. CHTV co-founder Aaron Nagler welcomes in CHTV contributor Mark Oldacres to break down five Packers who could be primed for a major rebound season.

A Tucker Kraft Extension Is Right Around the Corner

Tucker Kraft was in the middle of a breakout season before tearing his ACL on November 2nd. The injury happened in the third quarter when a teammate's leg collided with his during a run block — a brutal, fluky ending to his best year as a pro. The Packers never fully recovered offensively after losing him.

Before going down, Kraft had become a vital piece of this offense. Green Bay was 5-2-1 with him healthy, and he had racked up 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns. Had he stayed on the field, he was on pace for roughly 94 catches, 1,040 yards, and 13 touchdowns — numbers that would've put him in the conversation with the best tight ends in the league. And based on what he said at OTAs, that's exactly where Kraft sees himself.

All signs are pointing toward a Kraft extension happening sooner rather than later. Brian Gutekunst has already said he's been in contact with Kraft and his agent. Kraft himself has been open about wanting to spend his entire NFL career in Green Bay.

Kraft is also entering a contract year at just the right time. He's 26 years old, and before the injury, he was in the middle of the best football of his career. He's going to get paid — and paid well — with a deal that could make him one of the highest-paid tight ends in the league.

What Will Kraft's Deal Look Like?

Kraft is one of the best tight ends in the league, and the market is set. His agent, Jack Bechta, also represents George Kittle — so he knows exactly where the ceiling is and how to get there. Bechta has been eyeing the Kittle and McBride contracts as the bookends of this negotiation since day one. The Pitts extension helps establish the floor, but Kraft should land above him annually.

Projection: Four-year, $77 million extension with $36 million in guaranteed money, tacked onto the final year of his rookie deal.

A four-year structure makes sense — that's just how the Packers tend to do business. The total value could land anywhere from $76 to $78 million, and tacking it onto his rookie deal would give Kraft and Bechta the bragging rights of the largest tight end contract in NFL history by total new money, while keeping the annual average value in a more team-friendly range. Could Kraft take a slight hometown discount to stay in Green Bay? Maybe, but the Packers don't really do discounts — they pay their guys fairly, and Kraft will be no different.

Wherever the number lands, Kraft is going to get paid, and soon. His desire to stay in Green Bay should make the negotiating table a smoother place than it might be otherwise. "I'd say my goal is I want to play for this organization my entire career," Kraft said. "I'm spoiled to have been drafted here, and this is all I know. Green and gold is all I know, so we'd like to keep it that way." That's the kind of thing Packer fans love to hear. The deal is coming — it's just a matter of when.

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Post Snap Panic: How Jonathon Gannon’s 3 Safety looks will create a sack party

Eddie Petzke from the Beers and Ball Show takes a deep dive into the three-high safety looks that transformed the Arizona Cardinals defense midway through last season and explores how Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon could bring that same philosophy to Green Bay.

The Packers 2026 Running Game Remains in Question

In less than a month, the barricades will be up, and the bikes will line up next to Lambeau Field for their chance to carry players down Dream Drive to Ray Nitschke Field. It will be time for the Green Bay Packers' training camp once again. Things can change with just a few minutes and a phone call in the NFL, but as of right now, all those who will be making that journey who are favorites to enter the fall on the squad are likely already on the Packers' roster. There may be a few roster battles for starting and backup positions, but none of them have more question marks around them than the running backs.

Heading into the NFL Draft this past April, it was easy to look at the Packers' running backs and think, "They have their solid starter, but it wouldn't hurt to have an insurance policy for the number two back." Josh Jacobs was easily RB1, and it was between Marshawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks for RB2. Given Marshawn Lloyd's injury history, it wouldn't have been unheard of for the Packers to draft a running back or even sign a low-budget free agent. Even when they didn't do this and only signed an undrafted free agent in Jaden Nixon, it wasn't a big concern for them to wait and see how Lloyd does in camp before checking the market.

That was then; this is now.

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Will the Packers Extend Defensive Lineman Devonte Wyatt?

The Green Bay Packers picked up the fifth-year option of defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt a year ago. That means the former Georgia star will be playing on a one-year contract worth $12.9 million in 2026. As of now, he will become a free agent next offseason unless the Packers sign him to a new deal. But will the Packers give a long-term contract to Wyatt or will 2026 be his final season in Green Bay?

Wyatt’s career got off to a bit of a slow start. In his first three seasons with the Packers, he started a total of five games with all of them coming in 2023. That was the season he recorded a career-high 5.5 sacks. While Wyatt wasn’t a starter, he did make an impact when he was on the field. He was one of the few defensive tackles who could get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

In 2025, Wyatt finally became a full-time starter. He started all 10 games he played before suffering a gruesome season-ending injury. The Packers noticed his absence and the pass rush started to fall off when Wyatt was out of the lineup.

The Packers have already handed out multiple extensions this offseason. The team gave a new contract to wide receivers Christian Watson and Jayden Reed and to center Sean Rhyan. Multiple reports indicate that tight end Tucker Kraft will be the next player to receive a long-term extension. But then, will Wyatt be next?

There are reasons to extend Wyatt. He adds more pass rush than most defensive tackles and according to his teammates, makes the players around him better. But there are reasons to choose not to sign Wyatt to a new deal. Gutekunst has a pattern when it comes to handing out third contracts. They are handed out to only a small number of players who are part of the core of the team and usually to players who also have established themselves as elite and have been to multiple Pro Bowls. Recent examples include Kenny Clark, David Bakhtiari, and Aaron Rodgers.

Wyatt was an older prospect when he was drafted in 2022. He will turn 29 in March so he will be over 30 during nearly all of any extension he signs with the Packers. Barring a very strong 2026 season, Wyatt would not fit the typical Packers criteria for another extension.

The Packers also have multiple players on the roster who can replace Wyatt and put pressure on the quarterback from the interior of the defensive line. The team signed veteran free agent Javon Hargrave to a two-year deal. They also traded up to select Chris McClellan in the third round of this year’s draft. If Hargrave proves he still has something left in the tank and McClellan shows he’s ready for a bigger role in 2027 than they would be cheaper alternatives to Wyatt.

The Packers could also add another defensive tackle in the 2027 draft. The Packers don’t have a first-round pick because of the Parsons trade, but they do have multiple picks on day two and three due to other trades and compensatory picks from the loss of free agents like Malik Willis and Romeo Doubs.

Ultimately, a lot will depend on how Wyatt plays in 2026. Gutekunst will likely take a wait and see attitude with Wyatt this season. If Wyatt returns to action and plays very well, he will increase his chances of another deal. But ultimately, he will have to play very well to get the Packers to go against their typical approach to signing players to third contracts.

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30th Anniversary of the 1996 Packers

In 2026, it will have been 30 years since one of the best and underappreciated teams in recent NFL history, the 1996 Green Bay Packers finished off their dominant season with a Super Bowl championship.

For Green Bay, it was the first Super Bowl appearance and title in 29 years, which felt like a lifetime to fans dating back to the Vince Lombardi era.

From the time Lombardi retired to the hiring of both Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren and acquisitions of Brett Favre and Reggie White, it felt like this franchise would never reach the mountain top like they did with the first two Super Bowl-winning teams.

Under Holmgren and Wolf, the Packers had four seasons of winning records, three playoff appearances and four playoff wins. And then in 1996, it all came together. The Packers had a dominating regular season, going 13-3, earning the NFC’s top seed for the first time in franchise history and then winning all three playoff games by at least 14 points.

Favre won his second straight NFL MVP award, leading the NFL with 39 touchdown passes, which was the 3rd most in NFL history at the time. LeRoy -Butler and Desmond Howard joined Favre as 1st-team All Pro and White was named 2nd-team All Pro.

Howard set an NFL record with 875 punt return yards and had a team record three punt returns for touchdowns during the regular season. He then had two more kick returns for touchdowns in the playoffs. His five returns for scores in a season is the most in franchise history.

The 1996 Packers would be the last of 13-straight NFC winning Super Bowl teams, after their 1997 team could not repeat the feat in Super Bowl XXXII. Thirty years later, maybe because of the teams the Packers followed in winning their Super Bowl (three Cowboys teams and 1994 49ers) and the 1997 team not going back-to-back, it seems like the 1996 team does not get its due for being one of the best Super Bowl winning teams of all time.

Just how great of a season did the 1996 team have?

They led the NFL in scoring, scoring defense, yards allowed on defense and punt return yards. During the Super Bowl era, the 1996 Packers and 1972 Dolphins are the only two teams to lead the NFL in scoring and points allowed.

Since 1990, when the NFL expanded the playoffs to 12 teams (and 14 since 2020), there are several finite lists that include the 1996 Packers.

The Cost Of Chemistry: Jordan Love’s Original Core Secured

With Christian Watson and Jayden Reed locked up long-term and Tucker Kraft likely next in line, the Packers have made it clear: chemistry matters. While the national conversation continues to obsess over whether Green Bay has a true WR1, Brian Gutekunst appears focused on keeping Jordan Love surrounded by the players he has grown with.