We’re three weeks out from Week 1, and the Packers still have plenty to figure out when it comes to the 53-man roster. It’s a Sunday night kickoff in Denver. Here are six things to think about going into the second preseason game. 

1. Dueling QBs

It doesn’t sound like the starters will play much, if at all, on Sunday night against Denver. And to be fair, quarterback Jordan Love ended his preseason debut last week completing two passes, including a 65-yard touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks, for a perfect 158.3 passer rating. At this point, wrap him in bubble wrap and let him sit on the bench until the opener in Brazil. 

Joking aside, we know who Love is and we know he’s ready to start the season. What’s unclear is how the Packers feel about the backup quarterback battle. They invested a fifth round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Sean Clifford, then spent a seventh round pick in 2024 on Michael Pratt. 

Clifford went 10-of-19 against Cleveland, throwing for 111 yards for a rating of 70.3. He led a touchdown drive and got the Packers into field goal range twice. When Pratt took over, he went 5-of-7 for 46 yards with a rating of 89.0. He led the team down the field for one field goal, but then spent the rest of the game largely burning the clock and handing the ball off. It’ll be helpful for both quarterbacks to have the opportunity to air it out a little more and make some plays on Sunday night. 

2. Special Teamers 

The bulk of the roster is the same as last year, and any new additions (Xavier McKinney, Josh Jacobs) are undoubtedly starters. The Packers used the draft to shore up any question marks (offensive line, safety), and add depth in needed areas. But with the starting roles almost solidified, it’s up to the depth players to contribute on special teams. 

Inside linebacker Eric Wilson led the Packers in special teams snaps in 2023 playing almost 72% of total snaps. Behind him, Jonathan Owens (54%) and Josiah Deguara (51%) were the only other players to eclipse 50%, and both are no longer on the roster. That leaves a lot of open snaps to fill, especially if Wilson may be one of the starting linebackers going into the regular season. 

Against Cleveland, tight end Ben Sims led the Packers playing 75% of special teams snaps. He only played 23% of snaps in 2023. Next was safety Zayne Anderson who played 55% of snaps. In his three-year career, he’s never played a single defensive snap but played 51% of teams snaps for Green Bay last season. Fifth-round safety Kitan Oladapo didn’t take any defensive snaps against the Browns but did play 45% of special teams snaps while he works his way into the defensive rotation. 

Other notable snap counts were cornerback Kalen King (45%), inside linebacker Kristian Welch (45%), edge rusher Arron Mosby (40%), safety Evan Williams (45%), and cornerback Gemon Green (35%). It’ll be important to see who’s playing consistent special teams snaps against Denver and if anyone can make a play while they’re out there. 

3. A Whole New Rodeo

It’s almost hard to believe that less than one calendar year ago, the 2-3 Packers traveled to Denver in October to take on a 1-5 Broncos team and lost 17-19. The Packers would go on to finish the regular season 9-8 and make it all the way to the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Broncos would finish 8-9 in their first season under Head Coach Sean Payton and overhaul their quarterback room. 

With Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh, the Packers will see a quarterback room that consists of rookie first-round pick Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, and Zach Wilson. Nix is looking to lock up the starting quarterback gig in Denver and helped his case in his debut against the Colts last week. He went 15-of-21 and threw one touchdown, leading the team on four scoring drives. 

The Broncos invested three of their seven draft picks on offensive weapons for Nix, including his former teammate at Oregon, wide receiver Troy Franklin. Running back Audric Estime and receiver Devaughn Vele round out the rookie class. All three should see plenty of playing time on Sunday. 

4. Steno on the Mic

“Is this thing on?” Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich will be calling plays during the Broncos game, something he also did last week in Cleveland. 

This isn’t new for Head Coach Matt LaFleur. It’s something that Sean McVay did for him when he worked with the Los Angeles Rams, and is an opportunity he likes to pay forward now to his own coordinators. LaFleur noted that it also allows him to take a wider view of the game as a whole and see what’s going on from all sides. 

In addition to Stenavich, it’s possible that passing-game coordinator Jason Vrable may also call plays sometime during the preseason. Stenavich and Vrable have both been with the Packers since 2019 and have helped orchestrate offenses that rank in the top half of the league every season they’ve been with the team. 

5. Pony Package Possibilities 

Depending on who you ask, there are two or three roster locks when it comes to the running back room. Josh Jacobs, of course, is RB1 going into the season and should see the bulk of carries as the starter. If third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd is healthy and doesn’t need to start the season on injured reserve, then he’s a lock for the 53-man roster, too. If Lloyd starts the season on IR, then that means there are probably two spots up for grabs. If Lloyd is available, then there might only be one roster spot left. The Packers, of course, could keep four running backs, but they may feel the need to carry an extra receiver or tight end instead. 

Then there’s AJ Dillon. Dillon was the talk of the offseason when he signed a team-friendly deal worth less than $1.3 million to stay with the Packers. Given the limited guarantees in the contract, it was fair to wonder if the former second-round pick was a roster lock. Once the Packers drafted Lloyd, it became an even bigger question. 

LaFleur has heaped praise onto Dillon all training camp, saying he was “the best I’ve seen him” in regards to his physique and shiftiness running the football. He’s also been highlighted for his work in pass protection. 

Dillon’s stats from Saturday’s game in Cleveland certainly don’t leap off the page, but he wasn’t given any favors from the backup offensive line, either. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Wilson, largely considered to be RB4 on the current depth chart, had 13 attempts for 67 yards with a long of 23 yards and one touchdown, good for 5.2 yards per carry. 

This is where things will get interesting on Sunday. With Lloyd not practicing due to a hamstring injury and Jacobs likely not playing as the team’s starter, that leaves Dillon, Wilson, Jarveon Howard, Ellis Merriweather, and the recently signed Nate McCrary as the available running backs. If Dillon also sits and doesn’t play, it seems his spot on the roster is all but locked up. With four other backs vying for playing time, if Dillon does play, it’s fair to wonder if he’s still in competition for his spot. 

6. No Easy Feat

Perhaps the most hotly contested roster battle remains the kicking competition between Anders Carlson, Greg Joseph, and Alex Hale. Of the three kickers, only Hale didn’t get any game reps in Cleveland. 

Both kickers that did play were perfect against the Browns. Carlson scored field goals from 46 yards and 33 yards along with one extra point. Joseph was good from 35 yards and also scored an extra point. 

I was curious how Joseph’s career compared to Carlson’s rookie season, and of course it’s as close as you’d expect it to be. Carlson has played in 17 regular season games and converted 81.8% of field goal attempts and 87.2% of extra points. Joseph has played in 67 regular season games and converted 82.6% of field goals and 90.1% of extra points. That’s less than a percentage difference on field goals in 50 more games. No wonder nobody has pulled away with the job. 

For comparison’s sake, I also had to throw in Mason Crosby’s numbers from his 16-year career in Green Bay, with the caveat that he benefited from shorter extra point attempts until 2015. Crosby played in 258 regular season games and converted 81.4% of field goals and 97.3% of extra points. 

Lauded as one of the more reliable kickers in the NFL for much of his career, especially kicking in the Lambeau Field conditions, it’s interesting to see Crosby’s career field goal numbers lower than both Joseph’s and Carlson’s current numbers. But he’s also played in 191 more games than Joseph and 241 more games than Carlson, so he’s allowed plenty of grace for simply playing at a high level for as long as he did. 

This is a kicking contest that should come down to the wire and likely won’t be decided until after the final preseason game against Baltimore. We’ll see if Hale gets an opportunity to kick on Sunday, though he certainly has the farthest shot to make the roster as things stand currently.