The Green Bay Packers are planning on playing healthy starters against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, according to head coach Matt LaFleur. Before practice on Tuesday, LaFleur stated that even quarterback Jordan Love is expected to play versus the Steelers, though he added that he has the right to change his mind between now and kickoff.
Here’s what you missed during the Packers’ final practice of preparation leading up to their preseason opener.
Injuries
Cornerback Domani Jackson’s injury has finally
been identified. Per LaFleur, Jackson had surgery to his core over the offseason, but he’s hopeful that Jackson will “be out there shortly.”
Receiver Jayden Reed (ankle), receiver Matthew Golden (toe) and tight end Josh Whyle (neck) all returned to practice today. I think we can all collectively exhale for the status of the pass-catching group. Cornerback Carrington Valentine (hamstring) is also back out on the field.
Running back Josh Jacobs (groin), edge defender Dani Dennis-Sutton (illness) and safety Javon Bullard (foot) join Jackson as injured players on the active list. Meanwhile, tight end Luke Musgrave (neck), edge defender Micah Parsons (knee), defensive lineman Jordon Riley (ankle) and long snapper Matt Orzech (calf) remain on the team’s PUP list.
Offense
The Packers signed two new safeties, which means that they needed to make two corresponding roster moves. To make room for the new additions, the team released offensive lineman Dylan Barnhart and tight end Drew Biber. Barnhart was a 2025 practice squadder while Biber, a Wisconsin native, was signed to Green Bay just over the last week.
While the Packers’ depth chart claims that Anthony Belton is going to be the starter at right guard, it was once again Jager Burton and Jacob Monk who got the first-look opportunities at guard (Aaron Banks is still being held out of team drills) on Tuesday. Burton, Monk and even Donovan Jennings have been pushing Belton at guard recently, while Belton’s time has been split between tackle and guard. We’ll have to see what the team does on Thursday, when the Steelers’ bullets are live.
Defense
Another note on the depth chart: While cornerback Kamal Hadden was listed as the team’s backup slot defender, it was safety Kitan Oladapo (who was the third-stringer in 2025 and in camp for 2026 before Johnathan Baldwin’s injury) who stepped in place of Bullard today. As of now, I expect Oladapo to be the backup slot in 2026, now that Baldwin has been waived with an injury designation.
Keisean Nixon has been getting reps with the first-team defense for the majority of camp, but yesterday was a day when he was displaced in favor of Brandon Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste. Today, though, it was Nixon and Cisse working with the first-team defense while St-Juste was with the second-stringers.
For the most part, the Packers’ pecking order at cornerback this summer has been: Nixon, Valentine, Cisse and St-Juste. Valentine is currently not doing team drills, as he just returned to practice today.
Special Teams
Trey Smack went four of five today and is up to 20 of 28 (71.4 percent) during training camp. He’s currently the only kicker on the Packers’ roster, so we should get a look at him against a live rush against Pittsburgh.
