The Green Bay Packers fell much shorter than they would have liked last season. They barely made the playoffs as the NFC’s seventh seed and failed to capture the coveted NFC North title.
Instead, the Packers had to watch their biggest rival, the Chicago Bears, take the division crown for the first time in 15 years.
Green Bay has now gone four consecutive seasons without a division title after winning three straight from 2019-2021. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton believes that trend will continue in 2026, but in a way Packers fans won’t like.
Packers Predicted For Ugly Finish In 2026
Not only does Moton believe the Packers won’t win the NFC North, he has them finishing dead last in the division for the first time since 2005. His reasoning centers around potential offensive concerns.
First, he pointed to uncertainty at running back following Josh Jacobs’ arrest in May. The situation remains under investigation, but there is reason to believe Jacobs could miss time. That would place added pressure on backups MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks, who have limited experience with just 88 combined career carries.
“Depending on Jacobs’ status, the Packers may have to rely heavily on their passing attack, a departure from head coach Matt LaFleur’s past offenses,” Moton wrote. “Green Bay ranked in the bottom six in passing attempts for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.”
Pending legal issues aside, Jacobs also fell out of ESPN’s top 10 running back rankings for 2026, though he was still listed as an honorable mention.
“Still a really quality back but has probably slowed down slightly. Can still hit singles and doubles but not a lot of home runs as far as explosive plays. Still really good between the tackles,” one NFC executive said.
Can The Packers Win Without Micah Parsons?
Moton didn’t just point the finger at the Packers offense. He also believes the defense could struggle to give the offense extra possessions, especially while it waits for Micah Parsons to return from injury.
“Without Parsons to mask coverage issues in the secondary, the Packers could be off to a slow start this year,” Moton wrote. “If the Minnesota Vikings offense looks sharp with quarterback Kyler Murray, Green Bay could be in an uphill climb to stay out of the NFC North basement.”
Parsons is recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus damage suffered in November of last season. He will begin the 2026 campaign on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and revealed earlier this offseason that an October return is the most likely outcome.
Parsons proved to be a game-changer for Green Bay’s pass rush in 2025. Despite missing the final three games of the season, he still led the team with 12.5 sacks.
The Packers ended the 2025 season losing five straight games. That included the game between the Denver Broncos in which Parsons suffered his season-ending injury and the playoff matchup against the Chicago Bears.
His absence is one reason many have urged the Packers to add another pass rusher while they wait for his return. Among the names most frequently mentioned are Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Josh Sweat and veteran free agent Jadeveon Clowney.
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