The Green Bay Packers are heading towards the 2026 season with no shortage of remaining questions. It seems the front office was content betting on the team's youth and progression of young players over adding proven answers. While it is hard to fault this approach, it does leave Green Bay open to stumbling in a number of areas.
With this in mind, let's look at the three biggest concerns facing the franchise heading into the summer. Starting with their reliance on a player who has all of the talent but lacks the resume to prove Green Bay's level of confidence.
1. The Offensive Reliance on Matthew Golden
It is important to note that this isn't meant in any way to doubt Golden's ability or the ceiling of the exciting receiver. Rather, it is pointing out the reality of a second-year receiver who finished last season with 361 receiving yards and zero touchdowns in the regular season. This is far from the level of production that Green Bay is going to be expecting from the pass catcher, with the departures of Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs leaving elite expectations.
Golden not measuring up to these would leave the Packers in an obvious bind based on the lack of proven depth and the injury history of Christian Watson. For the Packers, the offense is clearly going to struggle if Golden doesn't have a breakout season and put together numbers that make it impossible to deny his consistent offensive presence.
2. Green Bay's Lack of Proven Pass Rushers in Week 1
With free agency and trade targets quickly shrinking, it is safe to believe the current pass-rushing rotation will be where Green Bay starts the 2026 season. It is far from reassuring when you consider Micah Parsons is going to be on the shelf for the first month of the regular season. Add in the missed reps in camp and preseason, and there is reason for very real concern around the team's current pass rush and what Jonathan Gannon can create until Parsons returns.
Lukas Van Ness has consistently been labeled as a draft frustration, but finds himself in a position to be in the starting lineup. This speaks to the lack of options and the need to get a bit of luck, as well as benefit from an elite development system. If things don't go as hoped, there is real reason to wonder what the defensive ceiling might be.
3. Kicking Concerns
Trey Smack missed a kick in minicamp that served as a glaring reminder of how much Green Bay is betting on a rookie scorer. Brandon McManus collapsing in the playoffs serves as a recent reminder of just how limited a team's ceiling is when you cannot rely on your kicker. With all the reliable options off the market, the Packers are putting a healthy level of trust in Smack panning out as expected.
It will be interesting to watch whether this late offseason confidence was founded or if Green Bay is making a glaring mistake. No matter the answer, there is no denying that Smack is unproven and will have a close eye on him throughout the first weeks of the regular season.
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