Are Packers set up to improve in 2026? Internal growth, better health will be key

Free agency is pretty much in the rearview mirror, and the Green Bay Packers roster is mostly set ahead of the 2026 season. The draft will add more players to the mix, but without a first-round pick, it is fair to expect less of an impact from this year’s rookie class. The players currently on the roster are going to mostly dictate how the 2026 campaign plays out for Green Bay.

With that in mind, how realistic is it that the Packers will improve from 2025 and not only make it further than the NFC Wild Card Round of the playoffs, but truly compete for a Super Bowl? On the face of it, that task could arguably be more difficult this season, as Green Bay lost more players than they gained at the start of the new league year. Out the door are Malik Willis, Romeo Doubs, Quay Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Kingsley Enagbare, Rasheed Walker, Nate Hobbs, Rashan Gary and Colby Wooden, with Javon Hargrave, Benjamin St-Juste, Zaire Franklin and Skyy Moore the only notable additions so far.

Due to previous first-round picks by Brian Gutekunst and the Packers front office, there are succession plans in place for some of the departing players though, with Matthew Golden, Jordan Morgan and Lukas Van Ness set to take on bigger roles. That underlines one of the most important factors which will dictate whether Green Bay improves in 2026: internal improvement. It is something Gutekunst has talked about often, including this offseason.

While the additions and subtractions get the headlines at this time of year, it is much more often growth from preexisting players that elevates a team. There is an argument to be made that in terms of front-line starters, it could be a case of addition by subtraction for the Packers in 2026. Golden played at a high level when given opportunities as a rookie and has a higher ceiling than a receiver like Doubs, who was valuable but never rose to the level of a player Green Bay wanted to pay.