7 things that must happen for 2026 Packers to win Super Bowl LXI

The Green Bay Packers are about to begin their 2026 campaign and aiming to win the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2010 season.

They have a talented roster led by a high-level quarterback in Jordan Love, and experienced and accomplished coaches on both sides of the ball, but to get back to the big game, or even make any kind of deep run in the playoffs, there are some key things that need to go right.

Here is what needs to happen for the Packers to win Super Bowl LXI:

This is the most obvious point. The Packers simply must have better injury luck than they did a year ago to make a serious run.

Losing the likes of Tucker Kraft and Devonte Wyatt were tough blows, but once Micah Parsons and Zach Bako-Bewele went down last year, it was a wrap for their season.

It feels like excuse-making to talk about injuries, and coaches are reluctant to do so, but the truth is the teams that make it to the Super Bowl are often the ones who stayed the healthiest.

When the season starts, every week is a game of Russian roulette where multiple players are going to get hurt in some way, and each team simply has to hope the guys they lose along the way are not the ones they cannot live without.

If the Packers get to the playoffs and have their key players all available, they will be capable of beating anyone.

Arguably the biggest reason the Packers struggled to shut the door after getting a lead late in games last year was the offensive line, which underperformed most people’s expectations in 2025.

Their lack of ability to dictate terms at the line of scrimmage meant Green Bay found it tough to grind out the clock, and they had to keep going to the air to try to pick up first downs. They were walking a tightrope and eventually fell off in the season-ending defeat to Chicago.

Part of their issues on the O-line were injury related, as Bako-Bewele, Aaron Banks and Elgton Jenkins all missed time. If they are healthier – which is not a given as three of the projected starters have been limited at practice with knee issues leading into Week 1 – it will go a long way.

But they also need Jordan Morgan to make good on his first-round pedigree at left tackle, Sean Rhyan to improve at center, and Jacob Monk or someone else to be a worthy starter at right guard.

If the offensive line is not going to be dominant in the run game – and that has not been the calling card for Green Bay’s O-lines in the last decade – it will mean the running backs need to do a lot of heavy lifting, and there are question marks at that position entering the season.

Josh Jacobs made the most of middling run blocking in 2024 and had a tremendous season, but was less able to make something out of nothing last year as he dealt with injuries. He also could be facing a suspension after pleading no contest to a misdemeanour charge of battery.

MarShawn Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson and Chris Brooks, who do not have much experience carrying the football at this level, need to be ready to contribute for a big chunk of the season, and show they are able to lead a viable run game while Jacobs is out.

Coming back from an ACL injury, Green Bay’s most important defensive player must be at full capacity down the stretch and into the postseason if they are to compete against the NFL’s best offenses.

Optimism is growing that Parsons could return quickly after the mandatory four games on the PUP list is over, but as the man himself has been quick to mention, more important than when he returns is what he looks like when he does.

The Packers cannot afford Parsons to be a diminished version of himself, and it is more crucial that he is on top form in December and January than October and November. The hope will be that as one of the most athletic players in the league, he does not skip a beat.

Regardless of whether Parsons is available or not, Green Bay’s other edge rushers and defensive tackles need to bring more to the table in 2026.

The defensive tackle group looks a lot deeper than last year, and Lukas Van Ness made huge strides last year, which went under the radar due to his own injury issues that limited his playing time.

There were times last year when it felt like if Parsons did not make the play to close out a tight game, no one else on defense was going to. If Jonathan Gannon’s unit is going to be Super Bowl caliber in 2026, he will need more than just Parsons.

Despite the consternation around the likes of Keisean Nixon, there is a certain floor with Green Bay’s cornerback group between him, Carrington Valentine and Benjamin St-Juste, who are all experienced and at worst, decent corners.

They only have a certain ceiling though, and when the biggest and baddest receivers come to town, there is only so much Gannon can do to hide them from superior players. That is why they need Cisse to be an instant success as a rookie.

The signs so far are positive, as he enjoyed a successful training camp and preseason. Brian Gutekunst revealed recently that they had a first-round grade on the 21-year-old, and he will need to play like a first rounder to help raise an underwhelming cornerback room.

Green Bay’s kicker issues since moving on from Mason Crosby are well-documented, and they have taken another crack at finding a long-term solution in the rookie Smack.

He was nails in the preseason despite some struggles at practice, no doubt giving the player, the coaches and the fanbase confidence he can get the job done when the lights are brightest.

Now he has to prove it in the regular season. There will undoubtedly be some significant kicks he has to make if the Packers go on a deep playoff run, and no one really knows if he can perform under that kind of pressure until the moment arrives.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 7 things that must happen for 2026 Packers to win Super Bowl LXI