Oct 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (28) runs in for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
If the NFL playoffs began after Week 7, the Green Bay Packers would just make it in as the NFC’s No. 7 seed ahead of the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. While that’s a relatively fine outcome given all the injuries, the first seven games on the Packers schedule have highlighted why reinforcements might be necessary for this team to potentially make a playoff run.
Let’s jump into our list of Packers trade targets who general manager Brian Gutekunst could take a look at ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline.
Kimani Vidal, Running Back, Los Angeles Chargers
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Oct 4, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal (28) runs in for a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Other NFL teams will likely inquire with the Los Angeles Chargers about the likes of cornerback Donte Jackson, edge rusher Khalil Mack, and wide receiver Quentin Johnston. Green Bay should reach out about running back Kimani Vidal. He’s the third fiddle in this backfield so far, ranking fourth in carries despite posting the highest yards-per-carry average (5.2) among Chargers players. He’s also just a year removed from posting a solid 93.2 Explosive rating, and he ranked ninth among all running backs in 2025 in yards after contact per attempt (2.4). While Josh Jacobs is back, Green Bay still lacks someone who could bring an explosive element to this ground game. Vidal provides it, and it would only cost a Day 3 pick to acquire him and his $1.085 million cap hit. If he fares well in Green Bay, the team would also have his RFA rights this upcoming offseason. We’ll also throw out Vidal’s teammate, Keaton Mitchell, who had a pre-draft visit with Green Bay ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Quenton Nelson, Guard, Indianapolis Colts
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Sep 27, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) practices before the game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Aaron Banks rejoined the Packers offensive line in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, and it didn’t make much of a difference. Green Bay has also been unable to get free-agent signing Kevin Zeitler onto the field despite head coach Matt LaFleur stating the Wisconsin native would be the starting right guard once he settled in with the team. Green Bay has tried in-season additions off the street to improve its interior line, and the results haven’t been good enough. With the Indianapolis Colts rebuilding, trading for All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson might be the kind of aggressive move the Packers front office needs to make. Nelson is in a contract year, so this would only be a half-season rental for Green Bay, and it’s worth acknowledging that the 30-year-old ranked outside the top 20 interior linemen both in ESPN pass-block win rate and run-block win rate entering Week 7. With that said, he’s still an above-average starter, and trading a Day 2 pick for him might be the only surefire way to improve Green Bay’s pass protection and create a more effective ground game.
Roy Lopez, DT, Arizona Cardinals
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Sep 27, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Roy Lopez (51) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Depth on the interior defensive line was one of the strengths on this Packers roster coming into the 2026 NFL season. Fast forward to Week 8, Javon Hargrave (Achilles) is out for the season, Warren Brinson and Jonathan Ford are on injured reserve, and Jordon Riley is just returning from a torn Achilles. There’s suddenly room to improve at defensive tackle. A call could be made to the Arizona Cardinals. Nose tackle Roy Lopez already has familiarity with Jonathan Gannon’s system, a rare level of cohesion that isn’t often possible with players acquired at the NFL trade deadline. The 6-foot-2, 312-pound defensive tackle would provide a strong interior presence for Green Bay, replacing Hargrave while also helping the Packers’ run defense. Realistically, it would only cost a fifth-round pick or less to acquire him.
Trevin Wallace, LB, New York Jets
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Oct 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin (4) kicks a field goal during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Fans are likely going to be more interested in acquiring Tennessee Titans linebacker Cody Barton, as the starter is viewed as a potential trade candidate in the next few weeks. If Zaire Franklin’s leg injury required a stint on injured reserve, we’d have him in this spot. However, Green Bay has expressed for a week now that Franklin’s absence is short-term, and the coaching staff has to be relatively happy with the snaps Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper have played. So we’ll highlight a backup instead. New York Jets linebacker Trevin Wallace hasn’t seen the field defensively this year, but he played 1,207 defensive snaps with the Carolina Panthers from 2024–25. We’re also highlighting him because he was one of the Packers’ pre-draft visits in 2024. Green Bay factors in things like that, and given that Wallace does have experience both defensively and on special teams, he could be a depth option for Gutekunst that would cost nothing more than a swap of late Day 3 picks in 2028 to acquire.
Chase McLaughlin, K, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Oct 18, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin (4) kicks a field goal during the second quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
For now, Trey Smack will remain the Packers’ kicker. However, the missed extra-point attempts and chip-shot field goals have to be giving the front office some hesitation with the rookie. Spencer Shrader would be a great option, but we wanted to avoid putting a second Indianapolis Colts player on our list of Packers trade targets. Instead, we’re highlighting Chase McLaughlin. He’s made all 32 of his attempts this year, 16 field goals and 16 extra-point attempts each. He also boasts a 91.5 percent field-goal conversion rate (117 attempts) over the last four seasons with a 97.8 percent conversion rate on extra-point attempts. If the Buccaneers lose their next two games before the NFL trade deadline and drop to 2-7, perhaps Green Bay can convince them to flip McLaughlin since he’s in the last year of his contract.