It's here. The Green Bay Packers have placed a bow on their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 season. The key word there is initial, as roster moves will continue in the days and weeks ahead.
Three trades. Surprise moves. Most importantly, the two-decade-long streak of an undrafted rookie making the roster continues with wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant. It truly was a chaotic cutdown day in Green Bay.
The Packers kept six receivers. Only four edge rushers. Seven defensive tackles. Here's a position-by-position breakdown of the Packers' 53-man roster.
Full position-by-position breakdown of the Green Bay Packers' 53-man roster
Quarterbacks (2): Jordan Love, Tyrod Taylor
Would the Packers keep Kyle McCord on the roster or waive him? The answer was neither. They traded him to the Miami Dolphins for a 2028 sixth-round pick. McCord shined in the preseason, but that's unquestionably a good deal for a player the Packers were likely going to lose on waivers.
Tyrod Taylor is officially the QB2 behind Jordan Love, unless the Packers consider a veteran on the open market. They'll need to add another quarterback for the practice squad, at the very least.
Running backs (3): MarShawn Lloyd, Kaleb Johnson*, Chris Brooks
Commissioner's exempt list: Josh Jacobs
There were two notable moves at running back on Sunday.
The NFL has placed Josh Jacobs on the commissioner's exempt list. Jacobs can't practice or play, and it's unclear whether it will lead to a suspension.
The Packers have traded for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson. According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers are giving up a 2028 sixth-rounder.
Johnson was a third-round pick only a year ago. He averaged a disappointing 2.5 yards per attempt as a rookie and desperately needed a change of scenery. We can likely expect a running back-by-committee approach in Green Bay.
* The Packers haven't announced the Johnson trade, which means they technically rostered 52 players. He'll take the final spot when the trade is confirmed.
Wide receivers (6): Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, Bo Melton, Skyy Moore, J. Michael Sturdivant
Injured reserve/designated to return: Savion Williams
J. Michael Sturdivant has made the Packers' roster!
He deserves it. The undrafted rookie has been a standout all summer long, and he saved his best for last in the preseason finale, with six catches for 112 yards and a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Packers placed Savion Williams on injured reserve/desginated to return, which means he'll miss a minimum of four games.
Camp standouts Isaiah Neyor and Will Sheppard miss out, but both will be candidates for the practice squad if they clear waivers on Monday.
Tight ends (4): Tucker Kraft, Jonnu Smith, Josh Whyle, Mark Redman
PUP: Luke Musgrave
The Packers quietly made another smart trade on Sunday, sending a 2028 seventh-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for Mark Redman. He is a classic blocking tight end and could be a hidden gem. The Rams were loaded at the tight end position – they still kept five on their 53-man roster.
Brian Gutekunst has revamped a tight end room decimated by injuries. Jonnu Smith will serve as the pass-catching replacement for Luke Musgrave, who remains sidelined with a neck injury.
Offensive line (10): Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk, Zach Bako-Bewele, Anthony Belton, Jager Burton, John Williams, Donovan Jennings, Travis Glover
Last year's swing tackle, Darian Kinnard, didn't make the 53-man roster. Anthony Belton will presumably take that role this season, while camp standout John Williams can also cover at tackle.
The biggest surprise is Travis Glover making the 53-man roster. He missed all of last season due to injury and didn't seem to be in the mix for a roster spot for much of training camp. His versatility would have helped, as Glover can play tackle and guard.
Defensive line (7): Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, Chris McClellan, Karl Brooks, Warren Brinson, Jonathan Ford, Anthony Campbell
PUP: Jordon Riley
Anthony Campbell has made the Packers' roster. I repeat, Anthony Campbell has made the Packers' 53-man roster!
What a story. Nobody predicted this at the start of training camp. Campbell has been outstanding since the opening week, and he continued that throughout the preseason. In the three exhibition contests, he generated seven pressures and made two sacks (per PFF).
Warren Brinson won't need to spend time on IR despite picking up a calf injury in the preseason. Jonathan Ford looks like a better player than during his last stint with the Packers, and he deserves this opportunity.
The big question is whether Green Bay keeps seven interior linemen or makes a change before Week 1.
Edge rushers (4): Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox Jr., Dani Dennis-Sutton, Barryn Sorrell
PUP: Micah Parsons
Injured reserve/designated to return: Collin Oliver
Releasing preseason standout Nyjalik Kelly makes even less sense now. The Packers will begin the season without Micah Parsons and Collin Oliver. Parsons to the PUP list was expected, but Oliver will begin the year on injured reserve with a designation to return. Both players will miss at least four games.
It means Green Bay rosters only four edge rushers, for now. The team could actively look for more depth on the waiver wire. Stay tuned.
Linebackers (5): Edgerrin Cooper, Zaire Franklin, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty'Ron Hopper, Nick Niemann
As expected, the Packers keep five linebackers on their initial 53-man roster. Edgerrin Cooper, Zaire Franklin, and Isaiah McDuffie are the clear top three on the depth chart. Nick Niemann is a core special-teamer, while Green Bay hopes for more from 2024 third-rounder Ty'Ron Hopper after a solid camp.
Cornerbacks (5): Brandon Cisse, Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Benjamin St-Juste, Kamal Hadden
Green Bay moved on from sixth-round rookie Domani Jackson, who missed the start of training camp and struggled in the preseason. Jackson is a practice-squad candidate if he clears waivers, but he wasn't ready to play meaningful snaps in the regular season.
All five cornerbacks can play on the boundary, while Kamal Hadden can cover in the slot for Javon Bullard. It'll still be interesting to see if the Packers add depth on the waiver wire or focus on practice-squad additions.
Safeties (4): Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, Kitan Oladapo
No surprises here. The Packers have one of the best safety rooms in the NFL. Javon Bullard will primarily play as the starting slot corner, while Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams form one of the league's best safety duos.
Specialists (3): Trey Smack, Daniel Whelan, Matt Orzech
The Packers are taking a slight gamble here. Long snapper Matt Orzech has missed the entirety of training camp due to injury. In his place, Cal Adomitis performed well and contributed to a flawless kicking unit during the preseason. Green Bay prefers Orzech, who will quickly need to build chemistry with Trey Smack and Daniel Whelan.
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