With coaching camp right here, the joy for soccer season is about to ramp as much as a fever pitch. For the Dallas Cowboys, it’s been an offseason the place extra noise has come from their roster strikes, free agent acquisitions, and draft picks than any off the sector drama, which is a welcome change for a workforce that can start the common season 973 days faraway from their final playoff sport look.
That playoff sport was the now-infamous 48-32 dwelling loss to the Inexperienced Bay Packers. The Cowboys and Packers have met simply as soon as since that January sport in AT&T Stadium, and it was memorable for an entire different host of causes, ending in a 40-40 tie on Sunday Evening Soccer final season in week 4.
The Cowboys and Packers will meet once more on Sunday night time primetime this season, at Lambeau Area, this time in week six. As we proceed our season preview collection, Dallas’ division rivals at the moment are all behind us, and our focus will shift to a number of the potential hardest video games on the schedule towards both different rivals or anticipated playoff contenders at giant.
Additionally for the second 12 months in a row, the Cowboys and Packers early season assembly shall be marked by a commerce between the 2 sides involving a cross rusher. Final season, it was Kenny Clark coming over to the Cowboys from the Packers (plus some draft picks) in trade for Micah Parsons, and this 12 months the Cowboys acquired Rashan Gary after seven seasons with the inexperienced and gold. With Parsons nonetheless rehabbing from every week 15 ACL tear final season towards the Broncos, the Cowboys will not be taking part in towards their very own former cross rush star this time round. The Packers scored 40 factors on the Matt Eberflus protection in 2025; this sport shall be a vital early comparability level to only how a lot of a distinction new defensive coordinator Christian Parker is making.
One other theme each of those groups can have going into 2026 is the expectation for his or her all-important QB/HC pairing to show they’re the best males for the roles. The Packers will go into 12 months 4 of Jordan Love because the beginning quarterback and 12 months eight for Matt LaFleur having misplaced within the Wild Card around the final two postseasons. For the Cowboys, it is going to be simply 12 months two of Brian Schottenheimer however 12 months 11 for Dak Prescott. There was a degree when Love was an up-and-coming quarterback and Prescott was within the midst of the three straight 12 win seasons beneath Mike McCarthy, and each had been seen as probably battling for supremacy on the place within the NFC, however to date it nonetheless hasn’t manifested for both.
Love hasn’t dominated the NFC North, he has a profession document of 9-8 towards the Lions, Bears, and Vikings, however is also trying to capitalize on the Lions seemingly hitting a downturn beneath Dan Campbell with Jared Goff and the Vikings bringing in Kyler Murray, leaving the Bears with Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams as their largest rival.
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Packers Key Free Agent Signings/Departures
OL Darian Kinnard (Re-signed)
For a workforce with out a first-round decide because of the Micah Parsons commerce final offseason, the Packers have a probably worrying record of exits in comparison with a brief record of acquisitions in free company this 12 months. Doubs, Walker, and Jenkins are among the many most important contributors to depart the workforce, whereas Javon Hargrave coming over from the Vikings is their largest exterior identify introduced in – partially as a result of it weakens a division rival and strengthens a place the place the Packers beforehand had Kenny Clark as a mainstay.
One of many issues the Packers are banking on to lastly take the subsequent step is one thing similar to the Cowboys – continuity at broad receiver. Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, and Jayden Reed are all returning, and Doubs is the one important loss. The Cowboys shall be significantly completely satisfied to not see Doubs this season as he had three touchdowns on six catches towards them in that time beyond regulation tie final season.
Reed goes into 12 months 4, Golden 12 months two, and Watson 12 months 5, which the Packers shall be hoping is the best formulation together with Josh Jacobs in 12 months three because the beginning working again to have consistency each by way of the air and on the bottom offensively.
Defensively, the Packers have struggled to carry up towards extra bodily groups of their most decisive video games within the entrance seven, and seem like taking a brand new strategy nonetheless with acquainted names all through to the purpose of assault on protection going into 2026. Walker and Enagbare are important losses at linebacker and defensive finish respectively, however Devonte Wyatt, Lukas Van Ness, Edgerrin Cooper, and the addition of Hargrave together with rookie draft decide Chris McClellan on the inside give the Packers the expertise to compete on this facet of the ball whereas they work on reintroducing Parsons again to the lineup deeper into the common season.
This brings us to the remainder of the Packers draft class, the place 4 of their six complete picks went to protection as properly.
Spherical 2, Choose 20 (52 General): CB Brandon CisseRound 3, Choose 13 (77 General): DT Chris McClellanRound 4, Choose 20 (120 General): EDGE Dani Dennis-SuttonRound 5, Choose 13 (153 General): C Jager BurtonRound 6, Choose 20 (2o1 General): CB Domani JacksonRound 6, Choose 35 (216 General): Okay Trey Smack
With regards to the draft in current historical past, the Packers have been recognized to focus on very particular, sure archetypes of prospects, and discover a strategy to get them at excessive worth. Brandon Cisse might have been exterior the radar of high cornerback expertise on this class, however an athletic profile that includes a 93rd percentile vertical leap end result and 91st within the broad leap together with being a powerful run help secondary participant make him an intriguing decide at 77th total.
Whereas Cisse doesn’t essentially impress as a bodily specimen, the Packers subsequent decide of Chris McClellan at DT makes up for it. With plus hand measurement and arm size, and flashes as each a cross rusher and run defender, Inexperienced Bay is hoping that is their subsequent long-term answer on the defensive inside. The Packers double-dipped on the line of defense with their subsequent decide, getting one other plus athlete with an untapped excessive ceiling however maybe lower-than-ideal flooring in Dennis Sutton out of Penn State.
The Packers’ one decide on offense went to the offensive line with Jager Burton, who might slide in to the middle spot vacated by Elgton Jenkins in free company, or both guard spot.
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Packers 2026 Teaching Modifications
*New to workers this season:
Broad Receivers Noah PauleyDefensive Coordinator Jonathan GannonSecondary/Go Recreation Coordinator Bobby BabichCornerbacks Daniel BullocksSpecial Groups Coordinator Cam Achord
Head coach Matt LaFleur has retained a really spectacular quantity of continuity on his offensive teaching workers, however the one new place coach in Noah Pauley comes at an attention-grabbing spot contemplating what we stated in regards to the Packers creating their broad receiver corps.
The a lot greater change comes on protection, the place LaFleur can have the fourth new defensive coordinator over his tenure in Jonathan Gannon. The previous Cardinals head coach brings a dynamic the Packers haven’t had on this place beneath their offensive play-calling head coach. The Gannon model of protection when taking part in properly may be adept at forcing groups to take the great distance downfield, limiting massive performs properly and counting on the entrance to close down the run. Will probably be very attention-grabbing to see how this stacks up with LaFleur’s skill to regulate video games with steadiness within the run and cross, as a coach who’s been very publicly criticized earlier than for not selecting and selecting the best occasions to be aggressive or not when video games are within the steadiness and Inexperienced Bay has the ball.
New to Gannon’s workers are Bobby Babich who was a high-profile coach with the Payments since 2017, serving as their DC the final two seasons. Babich will work with the secondary together with Daniel Bullocks on the cornerback place, coming over from the 49ers.
Within the entrance seven the place the Packers shall be a piece in progress with Parsons ready within the wings, Sam Siefkes shall be in control of the linebackers in his return to the NFL after being at Virginia Tech as DC in 2025. The Wisconsin native obtained his begin within the NFL in 2021 with the Vikings, however was with the Cardinals most not too long ago earlier than Virginia Tech.
The Cowboys offense did properly towards the Gannon protection throughout his time because the Eagles defensive coordinator from 2021-22. Dallas went 3-1 in these video games, scoring not less than 40 factors in all three wins. Gannon did get a win towards the Cowboys as head coach of the Cardinals in 2023, the latest time he’s coached towards them.
The strain is firmly on this teaching workers to get probably the most out of this proficient roster for the Packers in 2026, and win the division for the primary time since 2021. That season was the tip of a three-year run the place Inexperienced Bay received all of it three seasons, and with the Bears as defending champions who haven’t repeated as North winners since 2005-06, the Packers are out for redemption in additional methods than one this season, and week six towards the Cowboys at night time goes to be pivotal a technique or one other for each side.
Previous to final season’s tie, the Packers had received 5 straight towards the Cowboys, together with playoffs, with solely one in all these video games coming at Lambeau Area nonetheless. The Cowboys misplaced on the Packers in 2022, additionally a sport that went to time beyond regulation, however received there in 2016.
Earlier 2026 Opponent Previews:
