January 2, 2026
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Friday that rookie first-round wide receiver
Matthew Golden has a "very bright future" in Green Bay, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. The Packers' coaching staff was singing Golden's praises during training camp and the preseason, too, leading many to believe that a breakout was coming in Year 1 for the Texas alum. It has not happened in 2025, as Golden has been buried in Green Bay's crowded receiver room.
Jayden Reed and
Christian Watson have missed time with injuries this year, but Golden has just been unable to become a consistent part of the team's passing attack alongside the likes of
Romeo Doubs and
Dontayvion Wicks. Golden enters the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings with only 28 catches on the year for 353 yards and zero touchdowns. He has only one target in two of the team's last three games.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
January 1, 2026
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Jordan Love (concussion, shoulder) has cleared the league's concussion protocol, but he will not make the start in Sunday's Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, according to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. While Love won't start this weekend, Huber says that he could end up backing up
Clayton Tune versus Minnesota.
Malik Willis (shoulder) is dealing with a right-shoulder injury that he suffered in last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. For added QB depth, the Packers signed
Desmond Ridder to their practice squad on Wednesday. Love should be ready to rock for the wild-card round of the playoffs next week, but fantasy managers still playing for something will be without him for another game.
--Keith HernandezSource: SI.com - Bill Huber
January 1, 2026
The Green Bay Packers claimed defensive back Trevon Diggs off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. Diggs will join the Packers as they head into the playoffs this year. Green Bay will take on the remainder of the 27-year-old's five-year, $97 million extension that he signed with the Cowboys back in 2023. Diggs most likely will not make his debut with the team in the Week 18 regular-season finale this Sunday against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, but he could be active in the wild-card round of the postseason next week. He will help make up for the loss of cornerback Nate Hobbs, who was placed on Injured Reserve this week. Injuries have been an issue for Diggs the last few years, but the Packers are hoping he can return to form after he had a league-high 11 interceptions back in 2021.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
January 1, 2026
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Clayton Tune will make the start on Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, according to head coach Matt LaFleur. Regular starter
Jordan Love has cleared the league's concussion protocol and was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, but with Green Bay already locked into the No. 7 seed for the postseason, they will play it safe and hold both Love and
Malik Willis (shoulder) out this weekend. With the Packers' QB room banged up, the team signed former first-rounder
Desmond Ridder to their practice squad on Wednesday. In addition to Love and Willis, the Packers could be resting other skill players on offense, so fantasy managers may want to stay away entirely. Tune, 26, will be making his first start with the Packers and just the second start of his NFL career on Sunday.
--Keith HernandezSource: Andrew Siciliano
December 31, 2025
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Jordan Love (concussion, shoulder) was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's practice, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. Although Love remains in the league's concussion protocol, this is notable because it's his first full practice since suffering a concussion in the Week 16 loss to the Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, backup QB
Malik Willis (shoulder) was limited with a right-shoulder injury that he suffered in Saturday's loss to the Ravens. The 27-year-old Love is trending toward being cleared from the concussion protocol later this week, but with Green Bay locked into the No. 7 seed going into the playoffs, the Packers could still elect to sit him this Sunday in the Week 18 regular-season finale versus the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. As such, Love will be hard to trust for any fantasy managers still playing for something in Week 18.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
December 31, 2025
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) is not participating in Wednesday's practice session, per Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Wicks suffered a concussion in the second quarter during last Saturday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens and was eventually ruled out for the rest of the game. The 24-year-old is trending towards missing his third game of the season after opening this week with a DNP. He's had a relatively quiet season in a crowded Packers wide receiver room, catching 30 of his 46 targets for 332 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games. Both of his scores came on Thanksgiving Day against the Detroit Lions, when he recorded a season high of six receptions for 94 yards. The third-year wideout has been below 50 receiving yards in every other game this season. If Wicks is ruled out for the regular-season finale versus the Minnesota Vikings, rookie
Matthew Golden and
Bo Melton should see more opportunities.
--Kyle McCarthySource: Matt Schneidman
December 31, 2025
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that quarterback
Jordan Love (concussion) remains in concussion protocol but will practice on Wednesday. Love suffered a concussion during Green Bay's Week 16 loss to the Chicago Bears, which held him out of the team's Week 17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Love's status for Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings remains unclear, as he'll have to clear the league's concussion protocol to have a chance to be active. The Packers are locked into the number seven seed in the NFC playoffs regardless of their result in Week 18, so there's not a ton of incentive for the team to push Love unless he is 100%. If Love remains sidelined,
Malik Willis (shoulder) could make his second straight start against Minnesota. However, Willis is battling a nagging shoulder injury. If neither Love nor Willis is available, quarterback
Clayton Tune could be elevated from Green Bay's practice squad to make the start against the Vikings.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman
December 31, 2025
Veteran free-agent quarterback
Desmond Ridder is being signed to the Green Bay Packers practice squad on Wednesday, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Jordan Love (concussion) and
Malik Willis (shoulder) are both dealing with injuries, and the Packers are locked into the No. 7 seed going into the playoffs, so Ridder could be elevated for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. Ridder, the former third-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022 out of Cincinnati, has bounced around the league the last couple of years. The 26-year-old has not appeared in an NFL game since 2024 with the Las Vegas Raiders. Ridder was with the Bengals during the summer and also spent two separate stints with the Vikings. If Ridder is elevated to the active roster this weekend, he'll likely serve in a backup role behind
Clayton Tune if both Love and Willis are inactive.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
December 31, 2025
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Malik Willis (shoulder) has been spectacular stepping in for
Jordan Love (concussion), who missed most of the Week 16 contest due to injury, and was ruled out for the Week 17 matchup. In the Week 17 matchup, where Willis played the whole game against the Baltimore Ravens, he completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 60 yards and scoring twice on the ground, good for 31.52 fantasy points. He was the overall QB3 on the week, and put a lot of great film on tape, and potentially played himself into a nice contract during the offseason, considering he is an unrestricted free agent (UFA) this upcoming spring. Regardless, Willis' value is on the rise, and for those still competing for a Week 18 championship, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur made it clear that Love is the team's starting quarterback when healthy, so Willis' starting will be contingent on Love's availability for Week 18. Willis himself also injured his shoulder in Week 17 and is listed as questionable, so something else to monitor as the Week 18 games approach. If neither quarterback can go,
Clayton Tune would likely be in line to start Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings.
--Nicho RoesslerSource: RotoBaller
December 30, 2025
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Matthew Golden has had an underwhelming rookie season, recording 28 catches for 353 yards on 41 targets across 13 games. The 22-year-old is still searching for his first NFL touchdown heading into the team's regular season finale in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings. Golden has also been impacted by injury in the second half of the season, missing multiple games in November due to a wrist injury. On a more positive note, Golden played 53% of Green Bay's offensive snaps in Week 17, his largest snap share in any game since Week 8. Packers wide receiver
Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) suffered a concussion early in Week 17, allowing a pathway to playing time for Golden. Green Bay enters Week 18 locked into the number seven seed in the NFC playoffs, so the team has little incentive to rush Wicks back to the field. The Packers could also choose to be cautious with top wideouts
Christian Watson,
Romeo Doubs, and
Jayden Reed. Golden could be in line for a significant uptick in playing time in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 30, 2025
Green Bay Packers wide receiver
Jayden Reed has now played in four games since returning from collarbone and foot injuries that sidelined him for nearly three months. The 25-year-old has provided modest production in that stretch, hauling in 16 receptions for 162 yards on 17 targets. From a playing time perspective, Reed has mostly functioned as Green Bay's WR3 behind
Christian Watson and
Romeo Doubs, which limits his production upside. However, the Packers are now locked into the number seven seed in the NFC playoffs heading into their Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Green Bay could choose to rest starters or limit their playing time in the season's final week, which might provide Reed with a pathway to more opportunities. In PPR fantasy leagues with 12 or more teams, Reed could be a player worth targeting on the waiver wire.
--Will BradySource: RotoBaller
December 29, 2025
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that a nine-month recovery is expected for Green Bay Packers star pass-rusher Micah Parsons (knee) after he underwent ACL surgery on his injured left knee on Monday. Parsons suffered the season-ending injury in the Week 15 loss to the Denver Broncos when he came down awkwardly on his left knee while rushing the passer. The 26-year-old is expected to miss the beginning of the 2026 season, but all in all, it's good news that Parsons suffered a clean tear of his ACL and that no other ligaments were affected. Parsons will cost a little less in IDP fantasy football formats next year because of his injury, but he'll still be worth rostering as an elite defender. The five-time Pro Bowler was on his way to a new career-high in sacks before his injury, finishing with 12.5 sacks and 41 total tackles in 14 games in his first year in Green Bay. Parsons has at least 12 sacks in all five of his NFL campaigns.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
December 29, 2025
The Green Bay Packers are unsure who will be starting under center for the Week 18 regular-season finale versus the division-rival Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but head coach Matt LaFleur has made it clear that
Jordan Love (concussion) is the team's starting quarterback when healthy. When Love clears the league's concussion protocol,
Malik Willis (shoulder), who threw for 288 yards and a touchdown and ran for two TDs in Saturday night's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, will return to his backup role. "Certainly have a lot of confidence in both of those guys, but it's clear that Jordan is our franchise quarterback, and when he is healthy, he's going to be our starter. So, just want to squash all that," LaFleur said. Willis injured his right shoulder on Saturday night, but he's expected to be fine to play in Week 18 if the Packers decide to hold Love out or if he doesn't clear the concussion protocol. The Packers are locked into the No. 7 seed for the NFC playoffs, so it remains to be seen if Green Bay wants to give Love more time off if he's able to clear the concussion protocol later this week.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
December 29, 2025
Green Bay Packers standout pass-rusher Micah Parsons (knee) announced on his Instagram account on Monday that he's undergoing surgery on his torn ACL, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. "See y'all soon, love y'all," Parsons wrote. The 26-year-old All-Pro defensive end suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the loss to the Denver Broncos on Dec. 14, ending his first season in Green Bay early. Given the timing of his injury, Parsons isn't expected to be ready for the start of the 2026 season, which will put pressure on the likes of Lukas Van Ness, Rashan Gary, and Kingsley Enagbare to step up for the Packers' defense early on next season. When fully healthy, Parsons, a five-time Pro Bowler, is one of the best pass-rushers in football. In his 14 games in 2025, he had 41 tackles (19 solo), 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 26 QB hits, and two forced fumbles in 14 games.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
December 29, 2025
Green Bay Packers running back
Emanuel Wilson would be in line for a significant snap share during Week 18's road outing with the Vikings if the team decides to rest its starting unit. The 26-year-old had already begun to see the field more, operating in an increased capacity over his previous two appearances, while teammate
Josh Jacobs dealt with knee and ankle injuries. Despite placing third in snaps for Saturday's loss to Baltimore, Wilson led the backfield with 16 rushing yards and saw just one fewer carry than Jacobs' four. With the news that head coach Matt LaFleur has considered sitting the first-string unit ahead of next Sunday's game against Minnesota, Wilson would be poised for substantial utilization alongside Brooks. He's a good speculative add for fantasy managers still hanging around either way.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
RADIO
