Every NFL season there are players that exceed expectations or improve their game and players who have disappointing years. Struggles could be due to injuries, coaching, a slump, the system the players are in, or a combination of other factors. The Green Bay Packers hope these players will bounce back and improve in 2026 to help the team take the next step forward.

Here is a look at five players the Packers need to perform better in 2026 than they did in 2025. Players returning from season-ending injuries like Devonte Wyatt and Tucker Kraft are not eligible for this list:

Players the Packers Need to Have a Bounce Back Season, Number Five: LB Edgerrin Cooper

While linebacker Edgerrin Cooper didn’t have a bad second NFL season, he failed to take a major step forward after a promising rookie campaign.

Part of this was due to the way the Packers utilized Cooper. After they acquired Micah Parsons just before the start of the season, the Packers didn’t blitz Cooper as often, both against the run or to pressure the quarterback. As a result, Cooper’s sack total decreased from 3.5 in 2024 to 0.5 in 2025. Cooper’s tackles for loss total also fell from 13 to four while his quarterback hits decreased from seven as a rookie to three. These numbers were all down significantly despite Cooper’s playing time going up.

We’ll see if new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon can help Cooper be more productive in year three and realize his Pro Bowl potential.

Fourth Player: RB Josh Jacobs

Running back Josh Jacobs gained more than 1,300 yards in his first season with the Packers in 2024. But in 2025, he gained only 929 yards on the ground despite remaining the team’s top runner. His average yards per rush dropped from 4.4 in 2024 to 4.0 in 2025. He gained exactly 400 fewer rushing yards than the previous season.

Nagging injuries kept Jacobs out of two games entirely and slowed him in a few others. Poor run blocking by the Packers offensive line was also a major cause of the drop in production. Jacobs was still running well between the tackles and gaining yards after first contact by defenders, but that first contact was frequently behind the line of scrimmage in 2025.

Slow starts by the Packers offense also reduced the number of carries Jacobs received late in games. The Packers were often trying to catch up rather than running the ball to put teams away.

Getting Jacobs better blocking and more carries should help him return to something closer to his 2024 form next season.

Players the Packers Need to Have a Bounce Back Season, Number Three: CB Nate Hobbs

Nate Hobbs never really got going in 2025, his first season in Green Bay. A preseason injury delayed his debut but ultimately, Hobbs never found a place to play.

The Packers signed Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million deal last offseason. GM Brian Gutekunst believed Hobbs could play the boundary, although he spent most of his time with the Raiders in the slot. Unfortunately, he never established himself as a reliable boundary corner and the Packers have Javon Bullard to play the slot.

If the Packers keep Hobbs, he will need to find a position, stay healthy and play more consistently in his second season with the team.

Second Player: G Aaron Banks

When the Packers signed Aaron Banks as a free agent last offseason, he was expected to bring size and physicality to the offensive line. The former 49ers guard was considered a mauler who would improve the team’s run blocking.

That never quite panned out. Yes, Banks played through some injuries, but he played 15 games for the Packers at left guard.

Banks started the season slowly but did play better later in the year. Still, his overall performance has to be considered a disappointment. He graded out as average at best at both run blocking and pass blocking according to Pro Football Focus. He certainly didn’t live up to his gaudy free agent contract.

Gutekunst said he expects Banks to be back in 2026. The Packers will need him to play better next season or the decision to sign him will look like a big mistake.

Players the Packers Need to Have a Bounce Back Season, Number One: OT Jordan Morgan

Jordan Morgan played every position along the offensive line except center in 2025. By the end of the season, he proved he is best suited to play tackle rather than guard. The Packers decision to cross train Morgan at multiple positions and on both sides of the line likely slowed his development over his first two seasons.

Morgan graded out better in pass protection than he did as a run blocker last season. He improved over his rookie campaign, but never really established himself as a clear-cut starter.

The former first round pick will enter 2026 as the favorite to start at left tackle if Rasheed Walker leaves via free agency as expected. That means he will be protecting the blindside of quarterback Jordan Love.

The Packers need Morgan to live up to his first-round billing and establish himself as a quality starting left tackle in his third NFL season. Allowing him to concentrate at one position could be helpful in accomplishing this goal.

 

 

 

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