Football is back. The Green Bay Packers will take off against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon in hopes of getting their 2026 season started on the right track. All of the storylines from the 2025 season have been discussed ad nauseum to this point, but it appears that some of them have spilled into the upcoming season.
When the 2025 season ended, the Packers' offensive line was in flux due to injuries and ineffective play. Now, due to injuries, the Packers' offensive line remains in flux.
The good news is the only thing that is on deck for them is Brian Flores and his blitz-happy defense that pushes every part of the opposing offense.
Usually, we have a countdown of 10 players who are the most important to Green Bay 's success. This week, due to injury situations and the potential for rotations during the game, that number has swelled to 13.
Zach Bako-Bewele did not mince words during his locker room availability earlier in the week. He said he was definitely going to play Sunday after some uncertainty had followed him throughout training camp following offseason knee surgery.
The plan is for Bako-Bewele to play the entire game, but in the event he can't, the Packers have proven they are willing to rotate players throughout the course of a game.
"Kind of what we've seen in the past. They've all kind of been different situations, like the one that pops into my mind is Jon Runyan and Sean Rhyan ," offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Tuesday.
"Runyan was pretty banged up and it was good to get Sean involved playing, so it was just keeping those guys involved and taking the load off of Jon at that point. Other instances, like you mentioned there with a guy who's injured, you could use him that way, but typically it's just to get more guys involved and hopefully in the beginning part of the year you get him reps out there and then one guy rises above the other and then he can be the full-time starter."
In the event Bako-Bewele has to exit the game, his backup would likely be 2025 second-round pick Anthony Belton.
Belton is in an unexpected position. When training camp started, Belton was the starting right guard. He was demoted early in camp and never got back into the competition. Instead, Belton is the swing tackle, and he struggled at right tackle during training camp, as well.
The Packers are much better with Bako-Bewele on the field. That's true in both the run and pass game. They need him to be on the field and playing at his peak form to give them some semblance of stability on the offensive line.
Let's move to the other potential rotation. Aaron Banks is the highest-paid offensive lineman on the roster after Zach Bako-Bewele. The only thing bigger than his price tag is the list of questions that come with his availability on a weekly basis.
Banks missed a large portion of training camp with knee tendinitis. He called himself a "game-time decision" on Thursday but practiced all week and probably will start on Sunday. So, the larger question might be how long he'll be able to play.
If necessary, his potential replacement is rookie fifth-round pick Jager Burton. Burton was Banks' primary replacement during the offseason and training camp but is also the team's backup center. An injury to Sean Rhyan in the game could start spinning the wheels in motion in a way that makes your head spin.
Regardless, if the Packers have to shuffle their linemen, it could spell trouble against Brian Flores' defense.
"Obviously, you'd like your starting five out there and I'd say until it's proven, it could be anybody," coach Matt LaFleur said.
Anybody is a stretch, but the Packers are hopeful that they have answers in the event Banks is unable to go.
Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (95) sacks Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy last season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
How are the Packers going to generate a pass rush without Micah Parsons ? That's the multi-million-dollar question entering the season. A lot of attention has gone to Lukas Van Ness and an inexperienced edge group, but the Packers should feel good about their ability to generate pressure from different spots.
Javon Hargrave is hoping to prove he has some juice left in the tank. Karl Brooks should be more effective in a reduced role.
The biggest addition to the defense, however, might be defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. When Wyatt was lost for the season last Thanksgiving, Green Bay's pass rush turned even more Micah Parsons-centric.
Wyatt has been a fast starter during his career. He has at least one sack in three of the last four season openers, including a forced fumble against Justin Fields in 2023.
With an inexperienced group on the edge, the Packers need Wyatt, whom they extended this offseason, to be an even bigger player for them in his return to the lineup.
"Yeah, I feel really good about us being able to affect the passer right now, from what they've done in training camp, what they've done in some preseason games" defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said. "Even with Micah, you're going to hear me, it's always a collective effort.
"I think people just concentrate on the rush. Rush and coverage go together, so it's not just the guys that are rushing the passer. It's the back end, how that's coordinated with the rush. I feel really good about our edge guys. I feel really good about us being able to generate inside, the guys we have inside and, hopefully, we'll put a couple cool things on tape that make it hard on them."
Rookies rarely start in Green Bay under Matt LaFleur, but second-round pick Brandon Cisse is almost assuredly going to be on the field for the Packers' first defensive snap.
Who is going to be on the other side of him at various points during the game? How about a receiver who has as many 1,000-yard seasons as he has years in the league?
Minnesota's Justin Jefferson has had some great moments against the Packers. That includes a dominant 184-yard performance in the season opener of 2022. Jefferson lined up against Eric Stokes and Jaire Alexander that day. This time around, Cisse will get his cracks at the star receiver.
"He's an elite receiver, one of the best in the league. You know, it probably doesn't get too much better than him, if any, at all. So, you got to make sure that you're prepared and, obviously, he's a heck of a talent. So, we'll see where it goes," Cisse said.
Make no mistake, Jefferson is going to win reps against Cisse, but Cisse has to remain competitive.
There will be plenty of points in the game where Jonathan Gannon does things to protect his corners, but in some obvious passing situations, there may be no place to hide.
Speaking of giving help to cornerbacks. One way to do that is by having a former first-team All-Pro in the secondary behind them. That would be free safety Xavier McKinney, who will start his third season in Green Bay.
McKinney is one of the smartest players on the field, which will help Jonathan Gannon in his first game as a defensive coordinator.
"Yeah, awesome. I can't say enough good things about him," Gannon said. "Always had a high regard for him, being a DB coach, and then as my career went on, when he got drafted and where he went first and when he came here, what he's been able to do through his career.
"He's kind of like Z [ Zaire Franklin ], too. I knew Z from Indy a little bit, but expectations met plus some. Just from a general philosophical approach to good safety play, they've got to be super -intelligent, which he is, and he's got all the tools. He can blitz, he can tackle, he can cover, he can play deep zones, he can run the whole show. First thing that pops into my head is reliability. He's as reliable as you can get. I'm excited for him."
Gannon used to coach Green Bay's opponent in Kyler Murray .
Could he have some insight on how to best defend him?
"Yeah, he has, but I ain't going to display what he's told us," McKinney said.
If Gannon does have some special insight, having a player as smart as McKinney on the field to ensure the rest of the defense is prepared.
The offensive line is going to be a popular group on this list, and for good reason. Jordan Love is excellent when he's protected.
Sean Rhyan is starting his first season opener at center during his career. At this time a year ago, Rhyan's future in Green Bay was uncertain. Now, he's entrenched as the team's starting center. That makes him the pivot point for the run game, as well as the one who is likely helping Love in terms of adjusting protections.
Rhyan was one of the many starters who did not play at U.S. Bank Stadium last season in the regular-season finale. He's never experienced the Vikings' crowd before as the center. That will be a big challenge for the Packers as they work through their operation on a play-by-play basis.
Jordan Morgan was on the injury report to start the week due to a knee injury but was full participation on Thursday and Friday and will start against the Vikings.
The team's first-round pick in 2024, he's started only one game at left tackle - last year's meaningless finale. All he'll be tasked with doing is protecting Jordan Love's blindside in a loud stadium against Brian Flores' defense.
No pressure.
"He's done a nice job," Love said last month. "He's just quietly gone in here and anchored down the left side. He's been good. There's not a whole lot to talk about because he's gone in there, done his job and stepped up. I'm happy with him right now for sure."
Yes, Matt LaFleur's contract was extended this offseason. There is still a microscope on him as he enters his eighth season as the Packers' head coach.
In his last game that mattered, his team kicked away a 21-3 halftime lead against the Bears.
LaFleur and his team were mocked postgame, and that has been a theme throughout the offseason. The Packers have a lot of uncertainty surrounding them.
The Packers have lost five games in a row dating back to last season. Yes, LaFleur received an extension after the fifth loss. No, he's not in danger of getting fired or anything like that if the Packers lose on Sunday.
It's also true that losing begets more losing. These players are human. A lot of the same players who were in the locker room for last year's playoff loss will be on the field Sunday when the Packers face the Vikings.
If they lose again, does doubt start to creep in? It's up to LaFleur to clear the locker room of any rat poison that may be in it.
The easiest way to do that is to win.
Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks (30) is stopped at the line by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew van Ginkel. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Josh Jacobs is not going to play Sunday as the legal matters are looking to reach their end of the road. That means Marshawn Lloyd is going to be the team's top running back, at least in theory.
Chris Brooks is Green Bay's most experienced runner going into Sunday's game. He has 82 career carries. Kaleb Johnson and Lloyd have combined for 34 in their careers.
The key to Brooks' presence on the field, however, is not his ability to carry the ball, but his ability to pick up blitzers. The Vikings are going to send pressure. Brooks is going to be asked to pick those up more often than not. It's going to be hard for Jordan Love to cook if he's consistently on his back or running for his life.
If the Packers choose to forego the running game for a more pass-happy approach, they'll need Brooks in the backfield. Don't be surprised if he's Green Bay's leading man in terms of snaps on Sunday.
Who is the best quarterback that Matt LaFleur has ever coached at the line of scrimmage? Well, if you ask him, it's not the four-time MVP who is set to play out his final season in Pittsburgh in 2026.
It's the man under center for him currently. Jordan Love is entering his fourth season as the Packers' starting quarterback. He's improved every year since taking over for Aaron Rodgers , but it appears the burden placed upon him is going to be greater than ever before.
For the last two seasons, the Packers' offense has gone through its ground game. Josh Jacobs was the focal point of the offense, as the passing game was an efficient passenger.
Jacobs is not going to play Sunday. The conversation surrounding Love and the offense all offseason is that it might finally be time for Matt LaFleur to take the reins off of Love and let him play more freely.
For now, Love has downplayed that idea.
"I think we'll see what each situation calls for in the game once you get into it, and what our game plan and our approach is going into a game," he said, "and then there's always in-game adjustments. But, no, I don't think as an offense it changes what we're going to be doing from that aspect."
Love can say that, but it's hard to envision the Packers' ground game finding much traction without Jacobs early in the season. The backfield is inexperienced, the offensive line is in flux.
Great quarterbacks are tasked with being the rising tide that lifts all ships. Love has been that at times in his career. Other times, he's blended in as the rest of the team has struggled around him.
Maybe it's not fair, but life as a professional quarterback is not fair.
Sunday, the odds are stacked against him. Brian Flores is going to have his pressure packages ready for an inexperienced offensive line. His best running back is out of the lineup. They're on the road in a raucous environment.
Those situations are why Love, and all other franchise quarterbacks are given the price tag that they are. If the Packers are going to win, Love is going to have to carry them there.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/packers/onsi as Big Ten: Most Important Packers for Week 1 Showdown at Vikings .
