Packers’ season may hinge on veteran leader rising to the occasion

The Packers could be forced to navigate some early-season turmoil this fall.

With Micah Parsons expected to be sidelined for at least the first four weeks, opening the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list as he works his way back from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Green Bay will be under immense pressure to weather the storm.

Packers need Jordan Love to step up

No player, according to ESPN NFL Insider Dan Graziano, carries more of the burden for the Packers, or will be more vital to Green Bay’s trajectory, than quarterback Jordan Love.

“The Packers will return basically the same group of wide receivers in 2026,” Graziano writes of Love. “But they lost some key players on defense and on the offensive line. There are availability questions surrounding running back Josh Jacobs after he was arrested on domestic abuse allegations. Parsons has come out and said he won’t be recovered until October. The defense has a new coordinator in Jonathan Gannon and could need time to get up to speed in the new system, especially without Parsons.”

Love’s arsenal will be revamped, with Christian Watson and Matthew Golden thrust into the roles as the top two receivers, and the Packers may need Luke Musgraves or another option to emerge if Tucker Kraft isn’t ready to hold it down at tight end when the regular season kicks off.

After back-to-back postseason disappointments over the past two years, all eyes and much of the pressure will be on Love to prove that the Packers can become a legitimate Super Bowl threat this fall.