Matt Johnson
The Green Bay Packers offense finished last season ranked 11th in scoring despite dealing with a myriad of key injuries throughout the year. As they now prepare for the 2026 NFL season, there is some mixed praise for the supporting cast around Jordan Love.
ESPN‘s Bill Barnwell ranked the worst and best NFL supporting casts in 2026 ahead of training camp, focusing specifically on the skill players. Green Bay’s cast of offensive weapons was ranked 17th in the NFL.
“I swear this isn’t a running joke. If there’s any group of playmakers that settles in right around average on an annual basis, though, it’s the young talent in Green Bay. If everyone was healthy and delivered on their expectations, this could be a top-five unit overnight. And the combination of QB Jordan Love and coach Matt LaFleur helps elevate everyone in this offense for stretches. There are weeks where each individual looks like a high-end playmaker or difference-maker.”
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on the Green Bay Packers’ skill players on offense
Related: Latest Packers News on Tucker Kraft Contract Extension Talks
The Packers placed 17th behind teams like the Baltimore Ravens (16th), Chicago Bears (15th), Indianapolis Colts (14th), New Orleans Saints (13th) and the New York Jets (12th). The latter two of those are perhaps the most surprising, given New Orleans (28th) and New York (29th) ranked bottom-five in scoring offense this past season.
Taking Love and play-caller Matt LaFleur out of the equation does offer some explanation for why the Packers’ offensive skill group is ranked 17th league-wide. Barnwell also noted that durability concerns involving key players–Christian Watson, Tucker Kraft and Josh Jacobs–are a big part of the reason Green Bay isn’t ranked higher.
“If they could all stay on the field together for 17 games, we would be looking at one of the most devastating groups of playmakers in the league. The Packers averaged 0.14 EPA per play with all four on the field together in 2024, which would have been the fourth-best mark in the NFL over a full season. But those four didn’t play a single snap together in 2025.”
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on the health concerns involving Green Bay Packers’ offensive weapons
Related: Beat Writer Names Standout from Green Bay Packers OTAs, Minicamp
Barnwell did note that if everyone is healthy and 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden has a breakout year, the Packers’ core “could literally be the best one-through-five group in the league if everyone is at their best.” However, that’s yet to happen and it’s not a safe bet to predict that it will.
The ranking still feels a bit low, especially given how explosively the Packers’ offense performed this past fall when Kraft and Watson were both on the field. Consistency and health are two legitimate questions surrounding the Packers’ skill group, but the upside is also clearly there for this to be one of the league’s best offenses in 2026.
Related: ESPN NFL Analyst Names Free Agent the Green Bay Packers Should Sign
