Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers will wrap up their three-game preseason slate Friday night at home on Lambeau Field against the Arizona Cardinals. The matchup and accompanying joint practices will also give brothers and opposing head coaches Mike and Matt LaFleur plenty of bragging rights around the dinner table.
Preseason Week 3’s Final Tests at Lambeau
The Packers and Cardinals will also get together for joint practices this week at Green Bay’s Ray Nitschke (practice) Field, which gives both teams an extended look at one another before Friday night’s preseason finale. Matt LaFleur joked that he and his brother might have to “throw down at the 50” for a fight if players on either team get riled up, and that same competitive spirit should carry over to Green Bay’s roster battles. Most, if not all, of Green Bay’s starters are expected to sit out of the preseason finale, but there will still be plenty for fans to watch for as players fight for those last roster spots. The Packers’ defensive line will look to prove it can generate a consistent pass rush without Micah Parsons, while a final wide receiver spot may remain up for grabs. Tight end is another position to watch, with Josh Whyle, Luke Musgrave, and Drake Dabney still looking to separate themselves in a crowded backup competition.
Pass Rush Problems
The defensive line was a problem for the Packers last season, particularly after Devonte Wyatt suffered a season-ending injury. Green Bay appears to have made the interior defensive line a priority this offseason, with young players such as Chris McClellan and Anthony Campbell turning heads throughout training camp and making plays in the Packers’ second preseason game against the Broncos. The addition of veteran Javon Hargrave only reinforces that emphasis on the interior.
That emphasis, however, raises another important question heading into the regular season: Who will generate pressure off the edge? The Packers’ pass rush was nearly nonexistent last week against Denver, with their four primary edge rushers (Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, Brenton Cox Jr. and Collin Oliver) combining for just one pressure on 26 pass-rushing opportunities. With Micah Parsons sidelined at least four weeks to begin the season, Green Bay needs someone from that group to emerge as a consistent threat.
A Seventh Receiver
Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant (87) runs after a catch against Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Gabriel Rubio (96) during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Packers’ final wide receiver spot could be one of the more difficult roster decisions of the preseason. J. Michael Sturdivant, Will Sheppard and Isaiah Neyor have all made legitimate cases to stick around, with each providing a different skill set to the position. Green Bay’s top receivers appear to be established, but the competition for the final spot remains unsettled heading into Friday night’s matchup with the Cardinals.
Sheppard has been one of the more consistent receivers throughout the preseason, while Neyor has made his presence felt with his impressive wingspan and physicality. The two are tied with seven receptions entering the finale. Sturdivant offers a unique combination of size and speed, giving him downfield big-play potential while also providing value as a special teams gunner similar to receiver Bo Melton. The undrafted rookie’s path to the roster is less certain after suffering a concussion against Denver, as he has not yet returned to practice this week.
The bigger question may be whether the Packers will keep a seventh receiver. Carrying seven wideouts on an initial 53-man roster is uncommon, and Green Bay has done so only twice in the last decade, in 2016 and 2022. The Packers have generally preferred to use that roster spot elsewhere, which makes the decision between Sturdivant, Sheppard and Neyor even more intriguing.
If Green Bay decides seven receivers are worth the roster spot, Friday night’s preseason finale against the Cardinals could provide one final opportunity for one of the three to separate himself. If the Packers stick with six, the decision could come down to which player provides the most value on special teams and in a limited offensive role.
Thin at Tight End
The Packers have a problem at tight end that goes beyond simply finding a backup for Tucker Kraft. Matt LaFleur’s offense, developed out of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay’s trees, places an exceptionally heavy emphasis on pre-snap motion and shifts, a philosophy LaFleur was exposed to firsthand while coaching under Shanahan in Atlanta and McVay in Los Angeles. That movement has become a defining feature of his offense in Green Bay, making the tight end position particularly important because of how often LaFleur uses tight ends to shift formations, create mismatches and force defenses to adjust before the snap.With Kraft still working his way back from his ACL injury and Luke Musgrave dealing with a neck injury, the Packers are running thin at a position that plays a significant role in the offense, no matter the down and distance.
That leaves Josh Whyle as the most experienced healthy option, but Green Bay has yet to find a tight end who has clearly separated himself. Whyle has earned opportunities with the starters, including during the offseason, while the Packers have also rotated in players such as Drake Dabney and Messiah Swinson. The preseason finale could provide one last chance for someone to make a case. Until Kraft is ready to return to a full workload, Green Bay needs to figure out who can handle the extremely important movement, blocking and receiving responsibilities that come with the position in LaFleur’s offense.
Main Image: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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