Green Bay Packers cornerback Kamal Hadden suffered a devastating end to his 2025 season with a Week 17 ankle injury against the Baltimore Ravens, one play into the second half. It was only the second game of the year, and of his career, that his name appeared in the defensive lineup. Mostly last season, Hadden showed up on special teams.
The 2024 Kansas City Chiefs sixth-rounder has flashed enough promise, though, that he should remain in the mix for a roster spot going forward. Only now, it's going to be harder. The Packers employed a five-man cornerback rotation last year, and five teammates sit ahead of Hadden on the 2026 depth chart: Keisean Nixon, Brandon Cisse, Benjamin St-Juste, Carrington Valentine, and rookie sixth-round pick Domani Jackson.
Perhaps most frustrating, Hadden also begins training camp on the physically unable to perform list with lingering effects from his ankle injury. Hopefully, he gets a chance to test his mettle at some point. The good news is that, per head coach Matt LaFleur on Friday, Hadden is nearing a return.
Kamal Hadden begins Packers training camp behind the sticks
There is absolutely a path for Hadden to make the team. Quite simply, Green Bay just needs to carry six corners instead of five. Even if Hadden does not factor into the defensive rotation, he could still step into his usual role on special teams.
In a perfect world, the Packers would prefer not to leave him available for other teams to sign away from the practice squad. That's assuming Hadden would clear waivers in the first place.
To avoid that scenario, though, granting that he returns at some point, he'll have to use training camp and the preseason to show the Packers he indeed deserves a spot.
It seems unlikely Hadden would leapfrog anyone ahead of him on the depth chart. That means he'll have to prove his worth as a sixth corner and special-teamer, a guy who probably won't see much playing time defensively. And he certainly could. The talent is there.
Notably, in fact, Hadden was set to replace Valentine as a starter in that game against Baltimore before injury cut that experiment short. Nixon's long-term Packers future is uncertain. Green Bay has a reason to keep Hadden around if he gives them one.
Hadden is still just 25, with plenty of untapped potential. The question is whether he can battle back from behind the 8-ball to carve out a role in a Packers cornerback room considerably deeper than it was last season.
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