Slowly but surely, Green Bay Packers football is making its way back into our lives. They got their first taste of 2026 preseason action in a 28-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Denver Broncos are on tap next.
The Packers' upcoming exhibition in the Mile High City will be a showcase. Not only for their younger players and fringe roster guys trying to make a name for themselves, but also for established veterans.
There are several spots up for grabs on Green Bay's depth chart, so fans should be keeping close tabs on the club. What happens against the Broncos could go a long way in determining how Packers head coach Matt LaFleur's lineup looks in Week 1. More specifically, three trending topics stand out heading into the friendly in Denver.
3 Packers storylines to follow in preseason duel vs. Broncos
The WR4 race continues
There's no question about Green Bay's top three wide receivers — for once. Matthew Golden, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed are entrenched at the X, Z and slot positions, respectively.
Nevertheless, it bears watching who emerges behind Watson, Golden and Reed. Savion Williams, Bo Melton and Skyy Moore are jostling for the aforementioned trio's scraps. Producing against a stingy Broncos defense and secondary can certainly help bolster anyone's case.
Williams is ostensibly beginning to separate himself from the rest of the pack. Let's see if he can carry the momentum into Denver.
Cornerback: Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine hope to stave off Brandon Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste
Cornerback concerns loom large for the Packers. Keisean Nixon has made headlines for the wrong reasons, and Carrington Valentine is working his way back from a hamstring injury. Their status as the incumbent starters appears to be in jeopardy, with second-round rookie Brandon Cisse and free-agent newcomer Benjamin St-Juste lurking.
Nixon's well-chronicled training camp struggles have reached a point where he's notably taken reps with the second- and third-stringers. Valentine's health (or lack thereof) might've put him behind the eight ball. Meanwhile, Cisse recently worked "exclusively" with the first unit, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, and St-Juste has earned praise from his teammates.
At this rate, another solid showing from Cisse and St-Juste versus the Broncos may be enough to leapfrog Nixon and Valentine once and for all.
Who takes control of the RG competition?
Aaron Banks' return from a knee issue makes things interesting. He figures to resume his role as Green Bay's top left guard, or at least we'd hope. They have 77 million reasons to turn back to him, which shifts the attention to the other side of the interior.
Third-year pro Jacob Monk has enjoyed a resurgent summer. He once seemed like the odd man out of the group and is now making a legitimate case to start. However, Banks' reinsertion would set up a potential battle at right guard between the former and fifth-round rookie Jager Burton.
Burton has made the most of his opportunities filling in for Banks, and that hasn't gone unnoticed. Monk is doing his part to complicate matters for LaFleur too. And suddenly, the Packers have too many choices and not enough holes to fill.
Anthony Belton hasn't even been mentioned yet, and his presence may very well also factor into the equation. The Packers have reverted him to tackle, where the 2025 second-round selection almost exclusively lined up coming out of college. He moved inside out of necessity, which no longer seems to be a problem, thanks to Burton and Monk.
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