5 Storylines Worth Paying Attention to at Packers OTAs (And 2 That Aren’t)

Football is back and better than ever!

Ok, not really, but the Green Bay Packers will be back on the practice field on Tuesday for the start of OTAs, with Wednesday’s session open to the media.

That practice will give everyone a taste of football, something the Packers have not had since their season ended in disastrous fashion against the Bears in January.

Offseason activities can be hard to gauge as to what is valuable and what is not. There are no pads on during this portion of the offseason, and football is not played in shorts. The devil is usually in the details during the offseason program.

With details in mind, here are five storylines that will matter during the offseason practices, and two others that will not.

Does Not Matter: Rookies on the Depth Chart

The Packers typically bring their rookies along slowly. Sure, there have been exceptions. Josh Myers was plugged in as the team’s center from the day he stepped foot into rookie camp. Luke Musgrave was their starting tight end during his rookie season in 2023.

There have been other examples but, typically, rookies give way to the veterans early in the season unless they force the issue by outplaying those who are in front of them.

This season may not be any different. Brandon Cisse, Chris McClellan and Dani Dennis-Sutton are going to have opportunities to earn time on the field but are unlikely to be plugged in as starters during the three weeks of OTAs and the minicamp. Jager Burton is likely to be penciled in as a reserve. Domani Jackson will be in a competitive situation at the back of the roster.

The only rookie who is an odds-on favorite to start in his first season is kicker Trey Smack.

Each of the Packers’ first three draft choices play at positions where the team has veteran holdovers from the 2025 season. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine will likely be the outside cornerbacks when training camp begins, leaving Cisse and free-agent addition Benjamin St. Juste to run with the second team for the time being.

There will, however, be opportunities that emerge for each of the rookies in the 2026 draft class, whether it be due to injury or other circumstances.

For the early portion of the offseason program, it’s possible that those players will be buried on the depth chart, but that’s not worth reading into for now.

Does Matter: The Walking Wounded

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) celebrates after sacking Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was during the offseason program last year when glimpses started to emerge of Christian Watson being ahead of his rehab schedule. As it turned out, that was true. Watson returned to action before Halloween, as the Packers threw the ball all over the yard against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When the season ended, the Packers were missing three of their best players. Micah Parsons, Tucker Kraft and Zach Tom ended the season on the sideline with knee injuries.

It’s unlikely any of those players will be on the field when the Packers go to practice as they’re all still coming back from offseason surgeries. For Kraft and Tom, the question is whether or not they’re on track to potentially be ready at some point in training camp. In Parsons’ case, could he potentially be ahead of schedule to avoid a lengthy absence early in the regular season?

We might get a glimpse of how all three of those players are progressing in their rehab this week.

Does Matter: Who’s New?

The Packers had a lot of contributors from last season walk out the door in free agency.

Two of those players, linebacker Quay Walker and defensive end Rashan Gary, were voted team captains a season ago. Both were jettisoned this offseason, with Gary getting traded to the Dallas Cowboys and Walker signing a free agent deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Packers have some natural replacements for them both on the field and in locker room leadership with linebacker Zaire Franklin and Micah Parsons. Franklin has a good reputation, and Parsons’ presence alone commands the respect of those around him.

While last season is behind everyone, the way the season ended could lead to fractures within the locker room that manifest themselves once something bad happens during a game. The Packers handled adversity poorly as a five-game losing streak cratered a season that looked destined to end in a deep playoff run.

Brian Gutekunst overhauled the roster in the offseason by moving on from several familiar faces. Now, those roles need to be filled both on the field and in the locker room.

Does Matter: LVN’s Running-Mate

Green Bay Packers defensive end Brenton Cox Jr. (57) tackles Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Micah Parsons is going to miss time during the regular season. He may try to fight his way back into the lineup as early as possible, but the reality is the Packers’ defense is going to have to soldier on without their best player as the season begins.

Lukas Van Ness is penciled in as a starter, but who is going to play on the other side of him? That’s a big mystery with Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare playing elsewhere.

There are two likely candidates to sit at the top of the depth chart while Parsons is on the mend. Brenton Cox missed time last year with a groin injury but was very impactful during the second half of 2024. Barryn Sorrell was the team’s fourth-round pick last year and had a strong showing in the regular-season finale in Minnesota.

Rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton and second-year player Collin Oliver are candidates, as well, to earn opportunities across from Van Ness.

In a competition in which there is no true standout at this point, whoever is starting on Wednesday could at least give some insight as to who the team views as the leader in that competition when training camp gets underway in about two months.

Does Matter: Jordan Morgan

Who is Jordan Morgan as a left tackle? The Packers certainly feel like they know, but how can they really?

When last season ended, Brian Gutekunst said he felt like Morgan won the left tackle job out of training camp but the team had needs at other positions. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich thought Morgan was ready as he watched him play against the Colts in the preseason.

The counter to that is would a team really move someone they view as a starting tackle on their quarterback’s blind side to play guard?

Regardless of what happened a year ago, Rasheed Walker is no longer in Green Bay, clearing the path for Morgan to be the team’s left tackle.

That’s a position that Morgan needs to take hold of and look comfortable at immediately. Last year, Morgan was a contingency plan. In previous years, the Packers had players like Walker or Yosh Njiman to be contingency plans in the event something bad happened to David Bakhtiari.

No such plan exists on the roster at the moment that does not involve putting a player out of position or shuffling the offensive line around.

After last season’s mess in playing musical chairs up front, the Packers are likely hoping for some stability for the 2026 season.

Morgan’s not going to be in pads. He’s not going to lose the job. But he needs to be an upgrade from what the Packers got at that position a season ago. That starts early.

Does Matter: Matthew Golden

Green Bay Packers receiver Matthew Golden (0) makes the reception against Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Speaking of players the Packers are hoping take a leap, 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden certainly applies.

Golden was lost in the shuffle at receiver last year as the Packers had four veterans who were proven contributors. Golden had some high moments, but did not build off a strong showing in training camp in which he looked like he could be the team’s best receiver.

He did, however, have a strong finish to the season with a big performance in the playoffs against the Bears, which included the first touchdown of his career.

Golden, like Jordan Morgan, had his path cleared for time on the field as the Packers traded Dontayvion Wicks and allowed Romeo Doubs to walk in free agency.

The question for Golden in Year 2 is not about talent, but knowledge of his craft. Does he know his alignment and assignment on every snap like it’s second nature to him?

Golden isn’t a rookie anymore, and the Packers cannot afford the growing pains for him on offense. In theory, a pass catching corps of Golden, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft in 11 personnel has plenty of size, speed and playmaking ability.

Now, it’s just a matter of growing into a professional player. Golden’s talent is undeniable. If he puts it all together for the 2026 season, Green Bay’s offense could be lethal.

Does Not Matter: Kicking Competition

The Packers’ kicking competition from the offseason took a turn when Brandon McManus was released on May 8 to clear the way for Trey Smack to take hold of the job the Packers drafted him for.

Of course, Smack is not the only kicker on the roster with Lucas Havrisik remaining on the roster.

A kicking competition means every kick is obsessed over during the offseason progression, but last offseason can serve as a subtle reminder of how quickly fortunes can change for a kicker. McManus was nearly automatic in training camp last year. When he finally missed a kick in camp, it came as a shock.

By the end of the season, McManus was one of the biggest reasons Green Bay’s season ended prematurely, and the Packers traded up to draft his replacement.

The moral of the story is to not read too much into the struggle or triumph of either kicker during the offseason program.

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