The Green Bay Packers are ready to take on the hated Minnesota Vikings in Week One of the 2026 NFL season. Their first game of the year is always highly anticipated, but the fact that it comes against a division rival has added a little extra spice to the long-waited return of Packers football.
On Saturday, Green Bay announced that they had agreed to a four-year contract extension with star tight end Tucker Kraft . This deal was the final goal on the front office's checklist this offseason, and the fact that they got it done speaks volumes to how highly the organization values Kraft.
That being said, there are a few questions on the roster that remain unanswered.
Green Bay Packers offensive linemen Brant Banks (72) and Jordan Morgan (77) run through a drill during practice on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis.Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Many Packers fans were upset when Green Bay took Jordan Morgan in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. They would have rather seen the team take safety Cooper DeJean , but the front office wanted to draft and develop their left tackle of the future.
Well, the future is now. After sitting behind Rasheed Walker for two seasons and playing out of position when he did see the field, Morgan is tasked with protecting Jordan Love 's blindside.
He played left tackle all throughout his college career at Arizona , and was obviously good enough to be taken in the first round. Whether or not that will translate two years later as he finally gets to play his natural position remains to be seen.
Speaking of former first round picks whose selection angered Packers fans, Lukas Van Ness faces the tall task of leading a front seven that will not have All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons for at least the first four games of the season.
At the time of Van Ness' selection, many Green Bay fans wanted the team to take wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba . Now, however, the Packers need Van Ness to consistently show the talent that made him a first round pick.
He had just 1.5 sacks in nine games last season, a year cut short by injury. In three NFL seasons, he has just 8.5 career sacks. Van Ness breaking through and leading the pass rush while Parsons goes out would make fans feel a great deal better about the stretch Parsons is not going to play.
The only question now is if his great performances in practice this summer will translate in games that actually matter.
In this case, the Packers really do not have a choice. Josh Jacobs is on the commissioner's exempt list, which means that Marshawn Lloyd will be their starting running back against Minnesota. In two NFL seasons, the 2024 third round pick has appeared in just one game.
Lloyd missed all but one game as a rookie due to various injuries and an emergency appendectomy. Last year, he again was held out all season long due to soft tissue ailments.
The good news is that Lloyd saw some specialists and appears to have solved the issues that were leading to his frequent injuries. Additionally, he made it through training camp and the preseason without any concern.
The final test is whether or not he can handle the workload of a starting running back in the NFL.
Green Bay Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness (90) celebrates after sacking Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 27-13.Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
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