Every season has a few players who quietly decide how good a football team actually becomes. But the harder questions (and honestly, the more important ones) usually sit somewhere in the middle of the roster. Can a talented player finally stay healthy? Can a young guy take the leap everyone keeps talking about? Can someone coming off a disappointing season finally justify the hype, the money, or the opportunity?
4 Make-or-Break Packers Players for the 2026 Season
That is where Green Bay finds itself entering 2026. The Packers have a roster capable of competing, and even seriously competing, in the NFC. But if they want to move from “good playoff team” to legitimate contender, a few players have to deliver in spots where there is very little margin for error. These four players feel especially important coming into the 2026 season.
Trey Smack Must End the Packers’ Kicker Problem
Fair or unfair, Trey Smack is walking into one of the most uncomfortable jobs in Green Bay sports. The Packers did not just draft him. They traded up for him. Then they released veteran Brandon McManus less than two weeks later, despite saying there would be competition.
That tells you everything. Green Bay believes this is Smack’s job. The pressure, though, is real. Packers fans have lived through years of kicking frustration since Mason Crosby stopped being automatic. Anders Carlson never settled in. Emergency fixes came and went. McManus steadied things for a bit, until three brutal misses in the playoff loss to the Chicago Bears made everyone uncomfortable again.
Now the franchise is betting on a rookie. The expectations are simple: make the routine kicks and avoid becoming a weekly conversation. If Smack is good, Green Bay finally gets stability at one of its most frustrating positions. If he struggles, the panic button gets hit quickly on a team trying to win now.
Christian Watson Has Run Out of Excuses
This feels like the year for Christian Watson, and actually, it kind of has to be. Nobody questions the talent anymore. When Watson is healthy, he looks exactly like what teams spend years seeking: a receiver who can completely change how defenses play you. Corners respect the speed, safeties back up, and suddenly, everything underneath gets easier for everybody else.
The problem is always saying when healthy. That sentence has followed Watson through almost his entire career. Now, entering a contract year, the timing feels huge. Romeo Doubs is gone. Dontayvion Wicks is gone. More targets are available, and Green Bay clearly believes Watson can handle more responsibility.
This should be the season where he becomes more than flashes. More than “what if.” More than one monster game followed by three quiet ones. A healthy Watson can absolutely be a 1,000-yard receiver in this offense. He might even become Jordan Love’s most dangerous weapon. But if the injuries continue or the consistency never arrives, the Packers may have to seriously think about whether he is part of the long-term future.
Carrington Valentine Is Suddenly Fighting for His Spot
A year ago, Carrington Valentine looked like an ascending young cornerback. Now, he might be fighting for relevance. The Packers clearly looked at their cornerback room after 2025 and decided it needed help.
They signed Benjamin St-Juste, spent a second-round pick on Brandon Cisse, and added Domani Jackson for more depth. You do not make that many additions unless you want competition.
Valentine still has a chance to win a role, but the tackling issues and inconsistent run support hurt him last season. And coverage ability alone will not save him. This feels like a pretty important summer for Valentine. Strong camp? He stays in the mix. More inconsistency? He could get passed on the depth chart faster than people expect.
Aaron Banks Needs To Justify The Investment
The Packers did not sign Aaron Banks to be average. After handing him a four-year, $77 million contract, Green Bay expected the former 49ers guard to stabilize the offensive line and become a tone-setter in both pass protection and the run game. Instead, Year 1 felt disappointing.
There were injuries. Missed time. Too many moments where Green Bay simply did not get the kind of play you expect from a high-priced free agent. And offensive linemen rarely get the benefit of the doubt when the paycheck looks like that. Still, this feels like a huge reset opportunity.
The Packers need him to look closer to the version they thought they signed. Because if he plays well, the offensive line suddenly looks much more stable. If he struggles again, the contract conversation gets uncomfortable pretty quickly.
Final Thoughts
This is where the Packers are heading into 2026. A rookie kicker trying to survive Lambeau pressure. A receiver trying to finally put everything together. A cornerback fighting to stay in the picture. A guard trying to prove he was worth the money. Green Bay has big expectations. Whether they reach them might depend on these four players more than anyone realizes.
