Unfortunately, injuries have always been a part of football. Every year, the Green Bay Packers, and every other NFL team deals with injuries to key players which can change the outcome of a season. But some players are more easily replaced than others. Here are the five players the Packers can least afford to lose to injury in 2025 as they prepare to start training camp.
Players are ranked on a combination of how talented they are, how important they are to the team’s success, and how difficult it is to replace them based on who is on the current roster. So, the depth available at the position is a factor in putting together this list.
Fifth Player the Packers Can Least Afford to Lose to Injury: OT Zach Tom
The Packers offensive line remains vital to the team’s success both at both running the ball and protecting the quarterback. The team’s best offensive lineman is right tackle Zach Tom. Tom graded out as the team’s top lineman in each of the last two seasons according to Pro Football Focus.
Tom provides the Packers with consistent pass protection and grades out as their best run blocker as well.
While the Packers do have some potential depth with Rasheed Walker or Jordan Morgan likely to be the swing tackle. Still, there would be a big drop in talent and consistency if Tom were to miss substantial time due to injury.
The team is also looking to sign Tom to an extension soon and an injury could complicate matters for both the player and the team.
Fourth Player: Edge Rashan Gary
Rashan Gary led the Packers in sacks last season with 7.5 and remains the team’s best pass rusher. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley wants to get more pressure from the front four this season and losing Gary would derail that goal.
Gary provides the Packers with consistent pressure off the edge. He has a great pass rush win rate but needs to convert more of those wins into sacks.
While other pass rushers may step up, Gary remains the team’s most consistent and proven pass rusher. Losing him would be a big problem for the Packers.
Third Player: CB Keisean Nixon
The Packers lack of depth at cornerback places Keisean Nixon on this list. With the departure of Jaire Alexander, the team is thin at the position. Behind Nixon, the only two experienced cornerbacks who can play on the boundary are recent free agent addition Nate Hobbs and third-year man, Carrington Valentine.
Nixon has yet to prove himself a bona fide CB1, but he’s the closest the Packers have to one. With a second straight strong season, he could establish himself as the team’s top cover corner.
Without a healthy Nixon, the team’s depth would be sorely tested. The team would have to rely on untested players like Kalen King to step up and play significant roles at a premium defensive position.
Second Player the Packers Can Least Afford to Lose to Injury: RB Josh Jacobs
The Packers do have depth at running back, but Josh Jacobs was the workhorse back for the Packers in 2024 and one of the top five running backs in the league.
For most of the season, the offense ran through Jacobs. His ability to make tacklers miss in tight quarters and his ability to carry the ball 20-plus times per game make him difficult to replace.
Jacobs makes the offensive line look better by gaining yards when none seem to be available. He also provides leadership in the locker room and a hunger to win.
The Packers have some talented backs behind Jacobs in MarShawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson, and Chris Brooks, but none of them have the proven ability to do what Jacobs does for the team.
First Player: QB Jordan Love
Quarterback Jordan Love earns the top spot on the list. This will be a vital season for Love, who struggled through an injury plagued 2024 but still had a slightly higher passer rating last year than he had in 2023.
Love needs to emerge as an elite quarterback this season, something he showed flashes of over the final eight games of the season two years ago.
The Utah State alum has a strong arm but needs to improve his footwork and his accuracy on longer passes. Head coach Matt LaFleur also wants to see Love be a more vocal leader in his third season as the team’s starting quarterback.
Malik Willis gives the Packers a good backup. However, if Love were out for any length of time, the Packers offense would be drastically altered with the passing game significantly compromised. Should Love get injured, the Packers season trajectory would change immediately and not for the better.
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