The Green Bay Packers will need to build a deep 53-man roster if they want to make a legitimate run at a Super Bowl title in 2026. That reality heaps pressure on players up and down the two-deep to play well in the preseason if they want to play a meaningful role for the team when the regular season kicks off.
The likes of Jordan Love and Xavier McKinney don't need to concern themselves with playing well during the preseason. They've done enough in their careers to know they'll be starters when Week 1 arrives. It's the players lower than those stars on the depth chart who have a lot to play for over the coming weeks.
Each of the following three Packers stars would do well to put up solid performnances during the preseason to lock in their place on GM Brian Gutekunst's roster. A slip up from any of these players could see them cut before Green Bay's next game.
Tyrod Taylor needs to play well to hold on to the No. 2 quarterback spot
Malik Willis cashed in this offseason after being Love's No. 2 in Green Bay. That caused the Packers to bring in 37-year-old Tyrod Taylor as their new backup signal-caller. The lack of upside Taylor possesses at this late stage in his career puts his status with the Packers in jeopardy if he doesn't play well in the preseason.
Green Bay also brought in Kyle McCord in free agency and he is lurking behind Taylor on the depth chart. He's got a strong arm and a surprising amount of mobility for a quarterback of his size. Perhaps most importantly, he still has upside left in his game as he enters his age-24 campaign.
There's also a chance that Green Bay could look at quarterbacks that other teams try to stash on their practice squads once final cuts commence. Add it all up and Taylor needs to play well if he's going to solidify his spot as the team's No. 2 option. Any shakiness during the preseason could result in the end of Taylor's NFL career.
Keisean Nixon should not get too comfortable at cornerback
Keisean Nixon is actually projected to be a starter at cornerback heading into the preseason. That might seem to indicate he's completely safe even if he struggles during the preseason.
The trouble with Nixon is that he's a 29-year-old cornerback on the last year of his current deal. 30 is an age where lots of players at his position see their performances start to experience serious age-related decline. Nixon cannot afford to fall off if he wnats to hang on to his starting spot at a key position in the Packers' defense.
There's also the small matter of second round rookie Brandon Cisse waiting behind NIxon on the depth chart. Conventional wisdom suggests the former South Carolina star needs time to adjust to the pro game, but he has the athleticism required to grow into an above-average starter.
Nixon has probably done enough to survive a bad preseason performance or two, but his spot on the roster isn't as secure as many fans might believe. If Cisse beats him out he could end up in free agency looking for a new team.
Luke Musgrave might be on the bubble at tight end
Tucker Kraft's injury hobbled the Packers' offense in 2025, but Luke Musgrave's failure to pick up the slack contributed mightily to those struggles. This could be the former second round pick's last preseason with Green Bay if he doesn't find a way to live up to his potential.
At his best, Musgrave is a threat to opposing secondaries with his ability to find space in the seam and keep the chains moving. The problem with his game is that seems to be his only real skill. It's easy to envision a scenario where Green Bay looks for a more versatile option at the No. 3 tight end spot.
Musgrave can solidify his spot on the roster with a productive preseason, but anything less could see him becoming one of the team's final cuts. He'd find elsewhere, but his inconsistency may wear out his welcome in Green Bay absent a productive preseason effort.
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