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Green Bay Packers 2026 Preview

WRITTEN BY: MIKE JOHNSON (@MJOHNSON_86)
Coaching/Philosophy/Scheme Changes ::
  • Offense: Long time head coach Matt LaFleur returns to run a Packers offense that has ranked in the top half of the league every season he has been at the helm.
  • Defense: Green Bay lost defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to the Dolphins this offseason and he will be replaced by former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was also previously the defensive coordinator for the Eagles.
Personnel Changes ::
  • Jordan Love enters his fourth season as the starting quarterback for the Packers, but Green Bay lost talented backup Malik Willis to free agency. Mobile veteran QB Tyrod Taylor will be the primary backup for Love, who has missed multiple games in each of the last two seasons.
  • Josh Jacobs enters his age-28 season as the Packers primary running back and has touched the ball 250+ times in each of his seven seasons, proving to be very durable at a demanding position.
  • Marshawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks appear to be the primary candidates for backup work behind Jacobs after Emanuel Wilson left in free agency. Lloyd is a wildly explosive player whose career has been short-circuited by soft tissue injuries.
  • The Packers wide receiver room is likely to be more concentrated after the departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks.
  • Christian Watson and Matthew Golden should be the primary perimeter wide receivers, while Jayden Reed continues his role as the slot receiver. Explosive second year player Savion Williams is likely to be involved in some way as a gadget and change of place type player, as well as a returner.
  • Tight end Tucker Kraft was in the midst of an electric 2025 campaign when he tore his ACL in November. He is expected to return early in the season, but will likely be eased back into his role. Luke Musgrave is the other primary tight end Green Bay will utilize.
Schedule ::
  • Divisional Games (6)::
    • CHI x2, DET x2, MIN x2
  • NFC South (4)::
    • vs. ATL, vs. CAR, @ TB, @ NO
  • AFC East (4)::
    • vs. BUF, vs. MIA, @ NE, @ NYJ
  • vs. HOU, vs. DAL, @ LAR
Bull Case ::

The Packers have a lot of potential shootouts on their schedule, as well as several games against what project to be very weak defenses. This sets them up for an opportunity to be a top-10 team in points and yards. The tough part for the Packers in recent years has been the combination of how often they rotate receivers, spreading out their target distribution, and their run-based philosophy combined with a slow pace of play. Those two things could easily be tied together, however, and we could see an increased tempo if the Packers are not subbing as often. The primary players left are also the most explosive from last year’s group, as Christian Watson and Matthew Golden both have blazing speed and Jayden Reed is a dynamic threat when able to stay healthy. Combining that with the after catch ability of Tucker Kraft and you have an incredibly talented group of skill players who should compromise their base personnel.

As we see Josh Jacobs enter the latter part of his career and mediocre options behind him in the backfield, a logical shift towards a higher pass rate would make sense. We are also at the point in Jordan Love’s career where we often see coaches give more leash and responsibility to their QB. After the disappointing finish to last season, this seems like the perfect time for LaFleur to open things up a bit. Combining all of these factors together you have a situation that could provide a lot of value. The NFC North is once again stacked and the Packers defense is solid, but not dominant. We could see a simultaneous spike in production and condensing of their player usage that makes this a situation that is ripe for profit.

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