Despite having few available roster spots leading into cutdown day, the Green Bay Packers' initial 53-man unit, projected depth chart, and even the practice squad include multiple surprises. Perhaps there are more to come before Week 1.
For now, though, there are ample developments to revisit as the dust settles around the 2026 Packers as the group now stands.
Including a trade, multiple promotions, and one surprising departure, here are four notable events produced by weeks of training camp, preseason, and roster decisions through the practice-squad signing period, which remains in progress.
The four surprising moves that have impacted the Packers' roster
Trading Kyle McCord to the Miami Dolphins for a 2028 sixth-round pick
To be clear, this trade is fantastic value for a player the Packers signed off the streets in January. McCord went from looking like the odd man out in Green Bay's quarterback room to some fans' preference as QB2, ahead of veteran Tyrod Taylor.
A sixth-round pick is a fine return. Plus, McCord should feel right at home in Green Bay South with an ever-growing list of former Packers employed by the Dolphins.
But McCord's departure was also a surprise. Promoting McCord over Taylor was never all that realistic, and the Packers probably wouldn't roster three quarterbacks. Still, it seemed a safe bet that he would make his way to the practice squad if waived, keeping him on tap as Jordan Love's potential backup next season, with Taylor on a one-year contract.
Clearly, the Packers felt that McCord would be vulnerable to a waiver claim; given Miami's willingness to trade away a draft pick, it seems they were right in that assessment. Instead of McCord, it's quarterback Kedon Slovis, who spent training camp with the Arizona Cardinals, who takes his spot on the Packers' practice squad.
Rostering both Jonathan Ford and Anthony Campbell
At one point, it seemed like the final defensive line spot would surely go to one or the other. How would the Packers find an excuse to roster both?
Luckily, Ford and Campbell gave them one by excelling throughout preseason. Ford, now in his second stint in Green Bay after being drafted four years ago, seemed to secure his spot first, sliding in as the potential starting nose tackle. That, anyway, is how the Packers treated him in practice and preseason games. Whoever predicted that, raise your hand.
At 6-foot-6 and over 300 pounds, Campbell used his incredible length to make splash plays on seemingly a daily basis. In the end, he gave the Packers little choice. Waive a prospect like that, at a valuable position like defensive tackle, and he probably won't clear waivers.
With second-year DT Warren Brinson not landing on injured reserve as some expected, Green Bay now has seven D-linemen on the active roster. That could cause a strain later, but for now, it's how the Packers have chosen to roll.
Releasing offensive lineman Darian Kinnard
From a big-picture perspective, that Kinnard did not make the roster is somewhat shocking. With the versatility to slide all over the offensive line, Kinnard played all 17 games and started four last season, logging over 350 snaps between offense and special teams. Entering camp, his place on the 53-man roster seemed a foregone conclusion.
By the end of preseason, the writing was on the wall. Kinnard suffered an ankle injury during the opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers and never bounced back. It didn't help his case that he underwhelmed in camp before that. Youngsters like John Williams and Travis Glover ultimately passed him on the depth chart, as did Donovan Jennings.
Kinnard did not sign with the Packers' practice squad, instead joining the New York Giants' on Tuesday.
Meet Jacob Monk, your starting right guard
This might actually be the biggest whopper of them all. Monk went from being a code-red cut candidate to being entrenched on the depth chart ahead of rookie Jager Burton and second-year guard/tackle Anthony Belton.
As a matter of fact, the Packers stopped giving Belton guard reps altogether. Late during camp, Burton shifted to backing up Aaron Banks at left guard and cross-training at center. Against the odds, Monk emerged as a rather clear winner of the right guard competition. For better or worse.
Plenty of Packers fans might be inclined to believe the "or worse" half of the equation. On the one hand, it's great to see Monk seize the opportunity and climb his way to the top. He earned his promotion.
On the other hand, it's definitely not so great that neither Burton nor Belton was able to outplay him. Monk only has 57 offensive snaps to his name, most of them in last season's meaningless Week 18 game. We'll see how it goes. More than a few spots could change hands on the offensive line over the course of the season.
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