9 Packers on Thin Ice After First Quarter of the Season

The Green Bay Packers have reached what we can loosely call the quarter point of the season, sitting at 2-2. It's a record that, depending on the lens through which you view it, can either feel promising or a bit frustrating.

One could make a compelling case that this Packers squad had the ability to be 4-0 if only they'd been able to tighten up some rough edges in a few key areas. Yet, in the NFL, those small margins often make the difference between wins and losses, and now Green Bay finds itself at a crossroads.

As the team looks to build on this 2-2 start and avoid letting the season slip away, several players are beginning to feel the heat. Some have underperformed, some have struggled to stay healthy, and some just haven’t lived up to expectations. As we take stock of the season’s first quarter, these nine players are skating on thin ice, their performances in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

T.J. Slaton

T.J. Slaton entered the season as the starter on the defensive line next to Kenny Clark after impressing during training camp and looking primed for a breakout year.

But after four games, it's clear that Slaton has fallen short of expectations.

His production on the field hasn't matched the preseason hype, and his grip on that starting role has slipped—fast. As Devonte Wyatt has ascended, Slaton has seen his snap count drop week by week. The numbers don’t lie either: PFF has him graded as the Packers’ lowest-ranked defender, and he sits 117th out of 123 qualified interior defensive linemen. That’s a harsh indictment of how the season has started for him.

Injuries have complicated the picture for the Packers. Wyatt went down in Week 4, and his return timeline is unclear. This might open a door for Slaton to get back into the rotation, but make no mistake: his place on this team is far from secure.

If he doesn’t turn things around quickly, his role will continue to diminish, injury situation or not. The first quarter of the season has made one thing clear—Slaton’s leash is short.