Can the Packers Defense Produce in 2026?
The Green Bay Packers left the 2025 season with a bad taste in their mouths, losing their last five games, including a Wild Card exit against the Chicago Bears. It’s now been six years since the Packers were able to make it as far as the Conference Championship, despite making the postseason four times since then. They’re also sitting with the longest drought in the NFC North to win the division, the last time being in 2021. The struggles to win another Super Bowl have begun to frustrate Packers fans, but 2026 is shaping up to be a strong year for the team to turn things around. While plenty of changes were made on offense, which included upgrades to the offensive line, the defense saw some necessary adjustments.
Green Bay hired defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon this offseason, following former coordinator Jeff Hafley’s departure to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Gannon spent three seasons as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, where he was largely unsuccessful in earning the team wins, posting a 15-36 overall record. Fortunately, his duties of taking care of the defense have a positive track record, as he was the defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles during their Super Bowl run in 2022. The defense for Philadelphia ranked second in total defense that season, along with setting a franchise record of 70 sacks. Now, Gannon is back into a comfortable role where he can focus strictly on the defense and try to ensure the Packers can grow on that side of the ball. This offseason, the team made some additions that will help Gannon greatly in finding success.
Linebacker Zaire Franklin was acquired in a trade from the Indianapolis Colts, a former Pro Bowler who fills a much-needed spot in the Green Bay defense. The Packers also added defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to help boost the defensive line and join Micah Parsons as he returns from his ACL injury and hopes to be the same player in 2026. Through the 2026 NFL Draft, the Packers would also add edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton to add even more ammo to their pass rush. The former Nittany Lion earned eight and a half sacks in back-to-back seasons for Penn State, with explosive speed to become one of the Big Ten’s best. Gannon’s style of defense seems to match the new additions to the team, as he slowly builds his vision long-term to become one of the best groups in the NFL. The Packers are shaping up to be a dangerous team this season, which has the weapons on defense to produce wins in the playoffs.
