The Packers closed preseason with a 20-7 win over the Seahawks at Lambeau, but the real game starts now. Matt LaFleur said he was “really proud of [the] guys,” yet even he knows pride doesn’t buy you roster spots. By Tuesday, every team in the league has to cut down to 53, and in Green Bay, that means LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst have just over 24 hours to play executioner.

Brian has been locked in conversations with LaFleur about how to shape a roster that can smash past the “wild-card ceiling” tag and reclaim the NFC North. It’s been 15 years since the Packers hoisted a Lombardi, and the hunger in Green Bay borders on desperation. That’s why they pulled the trigger on a trade for someone with Super Bowl shine. Darian Kinnard walks into the building. The guy with a $1.03 million salary for 2025. And now, that leaves LaFleur with no excuses and Jordan Love’s future under even brighter lights.

Not that Love needed extra protection under center with a good showing in the past two seasons. After all, he has been both efficient short (72nd percentile) and dangerous deep (69th percentile, 79th ADOT), showing major growth in year two. His adjusted completion rate jumped from the 53rd to the 70th percentile, while his sack-avoidance under pressure remains his real superpower.

But who’s saying NO to extra protection? And especially not a Green Bay front office in need of the championship-like vibes to kick in! So, they answered by adding OT Kinnard into the mix. Adam Schefter said it first, and fans didn’t miss a beat. One viral post put it plain: “The pressure is now on the Green Bay Packers to win Super Bowl LX — you don’t trade for Darian Kinnard if you’re not ready to lift the Lombardi Trophy.”

Here’s what makes it wild: Kinnard’s resume looks like it belongs to someone in Canton, not a 25-year-old lineman who’s barely seen the field. Three straight Super Bowl rings—two with Kansas City in 2023 and 2024, then another with the Eagles on February 10, 2025. The only other guy to ever three-peat? Ken Norton Jr. And yet… Kinnard has played just three career games. That’s the paradox. He hasn’t been the one battling in the trenches, but he’s been in a championship culture. So, one can think Green Bay is betting on ‘luck’ and also hoping Kinnard has not run out of it.

Matt LaFleur sees the fit clearly after offensive line coach Luke Butkus admitted, “The depth right now for us, it’s not where we want it to be.” Travis Glover is out. Donovan Jennings, Jacob Monk, Kadeem Telfort, and rookie Anthony Belton are struggling. So, Kinnard’s guard-tackle versatility makes him an instant contender at left tackle even though LaFleur’s openly called for competition. Especially if the guy under center is not the franchise QB.

Matt LaFleur faces Jordan Love uncertainty as season opener looms

Matt LaFleur knows you can scheme against a blitz, but you can’t scheme against fate. In the preseason opener against the Jets, Jordan Love’s season took its first sharp turn. A thumb injury on his non-throwing hand, courtesy of a collision with Jay Tufele’s helmet. At first, Love shrugged it off like a scratch on a battle shield, but by the time trainers stepped in, the damage was real. A torn UCL. Surgery required. Moreover, for a fanbase already impatient, the sight of their quarterback under the knife felt cruel.

LaFleur tried to steady the ship with measured optimism. On August 23, he revealed the plan: if Love “could use his thumb the way he and the team want,” then practices on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were on the table. But here’s the kicker—the Lions are looming on September 7. Every rep missed is another question mark for an offense trying to find rhythm before the lights flip on.

And yet, Love refuses to play the role of a worried man. Already back snapping the ball, moving through 7-on-7s, and syncing with his wideouts. His own words put the situation in perspective: “If it was my right hand, it’d be a totally different story.” Translation? He knows he dodged a bullet. But Packers fans have lived long enough to know bullets still ricochet. LaFleur might be cautiously optimistic, and Love might insist he’ll “be rolling” for the opener—but until he takes that first snap under center, the uncertainty grips Green Bay tighter.