10 Most Important Packers for Today’s Game Against Bengals

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers stumbled into their bye week. Against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, they’ll try to sprint into the second quarter of their season.

Here are the 10 most important players for this key game at Lambeau Field.

10. WRs Matthew Golden, Savion Williams

The Packers’ rookie receivers, Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, have been works in progress in their new role as returners.

Golden has turned almost every punt into an adventure, which is why he was replaced by Romeo Doubs during the second half at Dallas, and Williams gave away a lot of field position against the Cowboys. The Bengals’ coverage units have been vulnerable but, really, ball security in a game the Packers should win will be the most important thing.

“We’re excited about the future, both him and Savion, in the direction they’re going in the return game,” special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said on Thursday. “It’s going to always be a little bit of a work in progress if you’ve never done it.”

It’s time for that work to result in progress.

9. LB Edgerrin Cooper

After a superb rookie season, second-year linebacker Edgerrin Cooper got off to a hot start to this season. He didn’t play to his ability the last two games, though.

Critically, he’s got to clean up his tackling. According to PFF, his missed-tackle rate of 23.3 percent is the fourth-worst in the league among linebackers.

8. LG Aaron Banks

The Packers opened the vault to sign left guard Aaron Banks in free agency. It was a questionable signing at the time, and those questions haven’t been answered during an injury-plagued start to his Packers career.

After missing the second half at Cleveland in Week 3 and being inactive at Dallas in Week 4, Banks has played only 27.7 percent of the snaps this year. He will be back in the lineup against Cincinnati. In trying to help Green Bay’s struggling running game, he will face a tough matchup in former Packers defensive tackle TJ Slaton.

As a fifth-year pro, can he hit the ground running in his return to the lineup?

“I’m no psychic, so we’ll see how it goes, but I would love to hit the ground running,” he said. “I’m taking every rep that I’m getting at practice very seriously and being very intentional with the reps that I’m getting to hit the ground running.”

7. TE Tucker Kraft

As practically an every-down player and with his ability to impact the game through the air and as a blocker, Tucker Kraft is always a key player.

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft (85) stiff-arms Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jack Sanborn. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Kraft leads the Packers in receptions (16) and yards (225). He leads all NFL tight ends in yards after the catch per catch by more than 2 yards per reception. The Bengals have struggled against tight ends this season. They’ve allowed the second-most receptions (34), the fourth-most yards (345) and the second-most touchdowns (four). Last week, Detroit’s Sam LaPorta caught five passes for 92 yards and one touchdown.

“Moving forward, we have to start creating momentum, and for that to happen, we have to start early and then finish these big games,” Kraft said this week. “Being in a position to do that and not succeeding and knowing that maybe there was something else you could’ve done, you just have to let go of those plays in the past and focus on moving forward, taking in each one of these situations and being thoughtful about them and, really, taking our shot when it’s our opportunity.”

6. DE Micah Parsons

The Bengals have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. Paired with one of the most immobile quarterbacks in Joe Flacco, there should be opportunities for Green Bay’s pass rush, which is led by Micah Parsons.

According to Pro Football Focus, Parsons’ 25 pressures is almost as many as Rashan Gary (13) and Lukas Van Ness (13) combined. Parsons didn’t sack Flacco when he was with the Browns in Week 3. He’s eager to get another chance.

“It’s really just one right in front of me that I get most excited about,” Parsons said. “I just get so excited. It’s just the one in front of me. Then he came up on the list twice, it’s like one of those movies – they get away and you walk him back down. Like, I got to get him. I got to get him.

“It’s going to be exciting. I was talking with Van Ness and he was like ‘Bro, how do you stay consistent with the chips and you keep going?’ I show him this motivational video. I’m like, it’s about the hunt. It don’t stop until the hunt’s finished. It doesn’t matter how Play 1 looks like or Play 10. It’s the constant hunt. That’s the excitement that I know I’m going to get more than one chance.”

5. S Xavier McKinney

Last season, Xavier McKinney was second in the NFL with eight interceptions and tied for first with nine takeaways. This year, he has only one interception. Teams have not tested him deep, knowing the risk-reward might not be in their favor, but Joe Flacco and his premier receiver tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins probably will give it a shot.

“I definitely think they’re going to test the waters. He’s going to throw it deep,” McKinney said.

The Packers finished fourth in the NFL with 31 takeaways last season. This year, they’re next-to-last with just two.

McKinney takes that stat personally.

“For sure. I know I do,” he said. “I kind of voiced that today to the DBs. Everybody just talking about turnovers, whatever, and I take that personally. We don’t have a lot of turnovers. We’ve got two turnovers on the year. We’re behind, in my eyes. We’ve just got to turn it around. Like I said, the process cannot change. We cannot try to go out here and search for plays. We’ve just got to keep doing what we do and the ball will find us.”

4. CB Keisean Nixon

Keisean Nixon is having a strong start to the season. The team’s left cornerback, he’ll face his biggest challenge of the season against Cincinnati’s premier tandem of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase and Higgins line up across the formation but most of Higgins’ snaps have come as the right receiver, meaning a lot of snaps against Nixon – where there’s a 5-inch height disparity.

Nixon is second in the NFL with seven passes defensed, according to the official stats. According to Sports Info Solutions, Nixon has given up only 11 catches (22 targets, 50.0 percent) and zero touchdowns.

3. CB Nate Hobbs

As of Friday, Nate Hobbs was still in the concussion protocol, but he practiced all week and is expected to start against the Bengals.

Green Bay Packers linebacker Micah Parsons (1) and cornerback Nate Hobbs (21) before the game at the Dallas Cowboys. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Hobbs is the team’s right cornerback; most of Bengals All-Pro Ja’Marr Chase’s snaps have come as the left wide receiver, so that could be the head-to-head matchup. Signed in free agency this offseason, Hobbs delivered strong performances against Washington and Cleveland but gave up two touchdowns against Dallas.

Chase is arguably the best receiver in the NFL. He won the Receiver Triple Crown last season by ranking No. 1 in the league in catches, yards and touchdowns. When in doubt, new Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco is likely to throw him the ball.

Tackling him will be key; physicality is a calling card in Hobbs’ game.

“We watched a highlight film of him this week,” defensive passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley said of Chase, who led all receivers in forced missed tackles last season. “The catch and run is very dangerous with this guy. In my opinion, he’s more like Tim Brown. He can take something little and go a long way. It’s all over the tape for these last four, five years in the league.

“We have to gang-tackle the guy, multiple people. You can’t assume the first man is going to make the tackle. You have to assume the second and third man will make the tackle. If you carry that mindset, you can get enough hats to the ball to try and slow him down, because nobody’s really ever stopped this guy. We have to make sure he doesn’t wreck the game.”

2. QB Jordan Love

Jordan Love is off to a sensational start to the season. While his one big blunder against Cleveland and the other against Dallas might be the difference between a 2-1-1 record and 4-0, the totality of his season has been excellent.

Two numbers are key. One is completion percentage. After completing 64.2 percent in 2023 and 63.1 percent in 2024, he’s at 69.4 percent entering Sunday. The other is touchdown-to-interception ratio. After throwing 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2023 and 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2024, his eight touchdowns and one interception in 2025 put him on pace for 34 touchdowns and 4.25 interceptions.

“You’ve seen some really great things from him,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “Couple of bad turnovers but, other than that, he’s played really well. So, excited to watch him improve as the year unfolds and I just think he’s just going to keep getting better as the season goes on.”

1. LT Rasheed Walker

Rasheed Walker is questionable with an injured quad. He was limited on Wednesday and Friday and didn’t practice on Thursday. Based on Saturday’s transactions, Walker will start against the Bengals, meaning a colossal matchup against Bengals All-Pro Trey Hendrickson.

Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks in 2023 and again in 2024. Last week, he had two sacks and a forced fumble against Detroit to give him four sacks this season.

“He’s got elite get-off, great motor,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “You can tell he’s a really intelligent player, so yeah, you’re going to have your hands full, no matter who’s playing.”

Walker has been a solid starter. Against Myles Garrett and the Browns in Week 3, PFF charged him with one sack and three pressures, and he was flagged twice. He’ll need to be on top of his game against the game-wrecking Hendrickson, who has the ability to flip the game on any snap.