Packers Stock Report: Key Players for 2026 Get Long Look in Loss to Vikings

MINNEAPOLIS – Call it the regular-season finale, or preseason game number four if you wish. The Green Bay Packers certainly treated Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings as the latter with several regulars taking a back seat to get ready for the start of the postseason.

With the Vikings playing their starters, the first half played about how you would imagine a group of backups going against a group of starters on the road.

Green Bay’s defense was able to keep them in the game against the JJ McCarthy-led Vikings’ offense, but they trailed 13-0 at halftime after being unable to get anything going when they had the ball.

The second half looked a lot like the first half with Green Bay’s offense unable to find any sustainable rhythm, as they were shut out.

Now, it’s onto the playoffs for the Packers, who will be riding a four-game losing streak when postseason play begins.

As always, here are our weekly risers and fallers from Green Bay’s loss in Minnesota.

Stock Down: QB Clayton Tune

Tune was making his first start for the Packers after Malik Willis was hampered with injuries coming out of last week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Sunday’s game was an opportunity for Tune to prove he could be the long-term answer at backup quarterback for the Packers.

The first quarter did not go well. Tune completed one pass, and helped guide the Packers to one total yard of offense.

They had negative net passing yards in the first half. Nothing was working. Minnesota’s defense, which is good against most teams’ starting lineups, could smell blood.

Green Bay’s offense was shut out in the first half, they gained 12 total yards, and punted more times in the first half than they did in the entire month of December.

The second half was more of the same. The Packers finished the day with negative-7 net passing yards and three points following a field goal from Brandon McManus on the game's final play.

To be fair to Tune, he was playing with a skeleton crew on offense surrounded by backups against Minnesota’s starting front. Couple that with Brian Flores continuing to send pressure, and he never had much of a chance.

The Packers have been spoiled at quarterback the last two seasons with Malik Willis being able to seamlessly move the ball when he’s been pressed into duty.

Tune may get another opportunity in training camp, but if Sunday’s performance is any indication, the Packers will likely be on the market for a backup quarterback when the offseason begins.

Stock Up: CB Trevon Diggs

Diggs didn’t take long to acquaint himself to his new team. He started in his first game with his new team and lined up directly across Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson.

His first target game on the second play of the game where Vikings’ quarterback JJ McCarthy found Jefferson for an 18-yard gain as he sat down in the middle of a zone coverage.

He made his first solo tackle on the first series as well, catching Zavier Scott by his shoestrings to force a third-and-17 in a drive that ended in a field goal.

He was in coverage one-on-one against Justin Jefferson on a third-and-6 in the second quarter. McCarthy dialed up a slant route to Jefferson, but Diggs was in close coverage. He may have gotten away with a hold on Jefferson’s arm, but the pass was wildly inaccurate and fell incomplete anyway.

Diggs was never going to prove to be the second coming of Charles Woodson on Sunday afternoon, but the Packers wanted to see whether or not Diggs could help them in a playoff run

After Sunday’s performance, he proved that, if nothing else.

Stock Up: DE Barryn Sorrell

Sorrell was the team’s starting defensive end across from Brenton Cox to open the game, and someone that Micah Parsons mentioned he was excited to see in Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

Sorrell was active early, but not finishing plays, highlighted by a four-yard run from Jordan Mason that Sorrell had in the backfield for a potential loss.

He made up for it on the ensuing play. A third-and-1 was stopped on the backfield by Sorrell, which forced the Vikings to punt.

He also snuffed out Minnesota’s first drive of the second half by bringing down Max Brosmer short of the line to gain when he escaped the pocket.

Throughout the game, Sorrell was one of the team’s top players on the field and affected the game against a Vikings offense that played most of its starters throughout the game.

That included a fumble recovery on a bizarre play where Max Brosmer tripped over his own lineman, stood up, and was sacked by Brenton Cox, who forced a fumble that Sorrell recovered.

Let's go!

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/UaySEgV9dh
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 4, 2026

The Packers are searching for answers on their defensive line in both the run game and the pass rush. While it’s unlikely that Sorrell is going to displace anyone like Rashan Gary or Lukas Van Ness, but any juice for that group is positive as the team heads toward the postseason.

Stock Up: DE Collin Oliver

The Packers had been waiting a long time to see their fifth-round pick in action, and got to do so with Collin Oliver making his debut on the team’s third defensive series of the game.

His first snap as a professional saw him set an edge against Minnesota’s Josh Oliver on a run play that went for one yard.

His second play from scrimmage saw him hit quarterback JJ McCarthy as he tried to escape to his right.

Later in the same series, he helped chase down McCarthy, which showed off some of his recovery speed.

Oliver is unlikely to make a significant impact in the postseason due to his regular season starting as late as it did, but he did show something in limited action on Sunday to be excited about a potential contribution in 2026.

Stock Down: WR Matthew Golden

With Clayton Tune playing quarterback, opportunities were likely to be sparse regardless of how Matthew Golden played on Sunday.

Tune was overmatched, as was the rest of the offense.

That does however, make it paramount that any pass catcher make the most of an opportunity they were given. Golden has been a bit of a lost man this season, fighting for opportunities behind Green Bay’s top four receivers.

His first target of the day was an easy stick route which would have gained at least five yards on first down. Instead, it went down as an incompletion because Golden was unable to bring the ball in, looking like he was trying to fall forward before securing the catch.

He followed that up with another drop in the fourth quarter. The Packers did get him a catch in the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand.

Golden’s rookie season will finish with 363 yards on 29 receptions and zero touchdowns.

Golden has a bright future, but any big impact will likely have to wait until his second season in Green Bay.

Stock Up: LT Jordan Morgan

It almost took two full seasons, but the Packers finally saw their 2024 first round pick Jordan Morgan play his natural position in a regular season game.

When the 2026 season begins, Morgan is the odds on favorite to be the starter at that position. With the approach the team was taking today with resting key starters, putting Morgan at left tackle was an easy decision.

Facing Brian Flores and the Vikings’ blitz-happy defense, it was a baptism by fire for the young left tackle.

With Green Bay’s offense stuck in neutral, and frankly overmatched against Brian Flores’ defense, Morgan looked comfortable.

He did not allow a pressure in the first half. If there was a bright spot on offense, their left tackle of the future holding up against the tandem of Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner in the first half was certainly one of them.

The second half was a different story. Green Bay was facing a third-and-8 from the Minnesota 37, Turner ran right around Morgan, sacked Tune, and knocked the Packers out of field goal range.

At first glance, it looks like Morgan is blocking for a called run play that Tune pulled. In that case, the ball has to come out immediately. It did not, and Tune was sacked on the play.

His first real mistake in the second half that cannot be debated is that Morgan was tagged for a false start that cost his team five yards on the second series of the second half.

Either way, much more good than bad from Morgan in his debut as the Packers’ left tackle.

Stock Down: LB Ty’Ron Hopper

With Quay Walker sidelined as one of the team’s inactive players and Edgerrin Cooper taking a backseat, Sunday’s game was a chance for Ty’Ron Hopper to find his first extended defensive snaps of the season

The first series did not go well, as Hopper ended up on a highlight reel. Hopper was chasing JJ McCarthy when McCarthy threw a stiff arm that forced Hopper to miss the tackle.

Of the reserve linebackers on the field, Hopper was not the most active one. Jamon Johnson, who was elevated from the practice squad was around the ball, and influential in a short yardage stop in the first half.

"I call him NINE"

(via @NFLonCBS)
pic.twitter.com/xMD1zpnxFG
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 4, 2026

Hopper could be in line to become a starter next year if the Packers are unable to retain Quay Walker before he hits free agency.

They’ll need more from him than they got on Sunday if that indeed happens.

Stock Up: WR/DB/KR Bo Melton

Melton was pulling at least double duty on Sunday as one of the team’s top wide receivers, while also giving his usual contributions on special teams.

Melton was the team’s primary kick returner next to the recently-signed Jakobie Keeney-James. He also was the punt gunner who downed Daniel Whelan’s 61-yard punt at the Vikings’ two yard line after Green Bay’s offense went three-and-out to open the game.

The only thing to keep an eye on was whether Green Bay would make him play in all three phases, and line up at cornerback for the first time since August.

It was not to be. Melton was one of three receivers who saw action in the first half, and that trio included Jakobie Keeney-James, who was just called up from the practice squad.

Any thought of putting him on defense was likely put to rest when he came off the field with ak nee injury after making a tackle covering a punt midway through the second quarter.

Regardless, Melton’s effort and willingness to do whatever was asked of him was one of the best stories of the season.

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The #Packers have never been this big of an underdog under Matt LaFleur. It's little reason why when you compare today's starters to the first game against the Vikings.https://t.co/JfRfkQRdmf
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) January 4, 2026