The Green Bay Packers are entering a pivotal 2025 season with many league pundits cooling on previously high expectations. A large piece of this is the division where the historic franchise resides. Not only do you have to deal with the established playoff contender that is the Detroit Lions, but both the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings have high playoff expectations. This, along with fans and pundits waiting for Jordan Love to take the next leap, has left question marks.
Question marks that aren't going to be aided by the news that star safety Xavier McKinney is expected to miss the entire preseason. McKinney is an incredibly important piece for the Packers' defense that was paid top-dollar after starting his career with the Giants and hitting free agency. The Alabama alum wasted no time showing why Green Bay was willing to pay such a high price.
Xavier McKinney makes it sound like he won’t practice for a while because of the calf injury that sidelined him today. He doesn’t expect to play in the preseason. Said the injury has been lingering, but emphasized he’ll be ready for Week 1.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 7, 2025
Packers News: Xavier McKinney Likely to Miss Entire Preseason
McKinney missing any time is a major concern for a defense that has its fair share of question marks. For the unit to be at its best, McKinney needs to not only be healthy but also set the tone on the back end. Missing the preseason is a major red flag that gives fans reason for concern as football finally returns.
Packers fans will feel a bit better with the news that McKinney stressed he will be ready for Week 1 despite the calf injury. The safety made it incredibly clear that while he plans to miss the preseason, he will be present when the games actually count. It is great news if accurate and gives fans hope that perhaps this is still the season the franchise takes a step forward.
Since the well-covered departure of Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have been consistent playoff contenders who always just fall a step short of relevance. Green Bay is talented enough to make the first round, but isn't viewed as a roster capable of making a deep playoff run. For this to change, the defense must stay healthy, and Love's development must continue.
A big piece of this is rookie receiver Matthew Golden, who is expected to become a primary target and help the star take an elusive step forward. Regardless, McKinney's injury is an early red flag to keep an eye on over the next month.