GREEN BAY – The Packers wrap up their 2026 preseason with a home matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Friday night.
Here are a few topics of interest:
It's the final audition for dozens of roster hopefuls.
By late Sunday afternoon, the Packers must trim their roster down to 53 players, and all the guys fighting for spots will get the bulk of the playing time with the starters expected to rest.
So questions linger around certain positions that have seen healthy competition throughout camp.
Will one of the young receivers who's impressed, such as J. Michael Sturdivant, Will Sheppard or Isaiah Neyor, make a strong enough push to land a spot? Beyond the front-line guys, which defensive tackles will the Packers keep amongst Jonathan Ford, Nazir Stackhouse, and Anthony Campbell? Which reserve offensive linemen, such as John Williams, Donovan Jennings, Travis Glover and others, will make the cut?
This is their last chance to state their case, and any snap could be the opportunity to make the play that stands out.
There are spots beyond the 53 at stake, too.
After the waiver claim period ends Monday, teams will begin re-signing players to their practice squads, which provide another 16 jobs and a chance at an NFL future. So some of the players who stand out in this final game might still stick around even if they don't make the active roster.
General Manager Brian Gutekunst said this week that all these decisions, for the active roster and practice squad, can still involve projection – meaning the track a player is on and what he's expected to do in the future can carry weight, even if the player might not be considered an immediate contributor.
That makes any notable play in the game that reveals promise could factor into the weekend's discussions.
Special teams ability can boost a player's chances.
Punts and kickoffs are definitely worth watching, especially at this late stage of the evaluation process.
Contributions in the third phase can separate players at the same positions when it comes to the final decisions. A key block or tackle on a return gets noticed, as do miscues when assignments aren't carried out.
New special teams coordinator Cam Achord joked he's had as many as 18 guys working as gunners and jammers on punts as the coaches sort out who the most viable options are. The in-game trials will continue to narrow down the candidates.
