Packers Family Night 2026 - Photo by Evan Siegle/Green Bay Packers
GREEN BAY, WI (WSAU) – The Green Bay Packers’ 2026 season begins tonight when they travel to Pittsburgh to face Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers for their first preseason game, and there are a few players that fans and coaches will be watching closely.
The first player everyone will be paying attention to will be rookie kicker Trey Smack. Smack, who was selected in the 6th round by Green Bay during the 2026 NFL Draft, is 20-for-28 on attempts during training camp so far but made 5 of his 6 field goal attempts from 50+ yards during his time at Florida.
Smack told reporters that he felt like he “built a little bit of confidence” during last week’s Family Night practice after making six of his seven attempts in front of more than 60,000 fans.
Smack is the only kicker on the roster currently. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Packers brought in a veteran such as former Raider Daniel Carlson and longtime kicker Matt Prater to compete with him for the starting job if Smack were to remain inconsistent.
Another group everyone will be watching includes the team’s running backs behind Josh Jacobs as the league continues to discuss the possibility of Jacobs being suspended due to off-season legal issues. Backups such as MarShawn Lloyd and Pierre Strong Jr. are both expected to get the bulk of the carries tonight, as Matt LaFleur would like to see if either running back could handle being an every-down back come September.
Lloyd has struggled to remain healthy since being drafted out of USC, and Strong Jr. has never been able to win a starting job since joining the league in 2022. If Jacobs were to be suspended, the Packers may look towards veteran free agents like Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, or Najee Harris to help take some of the workload.
On the defensive side of the ball, all eyes will be on the secondary as rookie Brandon Cisse will face his first true NFL test since being drafted out of South Carolina this spring. Cisse has been impressive in training camp so far, but whether or not defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will allow him to line up opposite Jordan Jefferson or Jordan Addison in week one remains one of the biggest questions this preseason. The Packers have veterans Keisean Nixon and Benjamin St. Juste on the roster but not much depth behind that.
Just like the kicking and running back positions, the free agent market could come into play at cornerback as well, as Trevon Diggs, Marshon Lattimore, Adoree’ Jackson, and Kenny Moore remain unsigned and could make an immediate impact in Gannon’s new-look defense.
Lastly, positions like quarterback and wide receiver spots remain up for grabs as veteran Tyrod Taylor and Kyle McCord continue to compete to back up Jordan Love while Isaiah Neyor and J. Michael Sturdivant hope to show enough over the next two weeks to make the 53-man roster and join the Packers’ revamped receiver room.
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