The Green Bay Packers appear prepared to have Benjamin St-Juste available against the New York Jets, easing a late concern in their secondary ahead of Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium.
St-Juste was a surprise addition to Green Bay’s injury report Friday after a hamstring issue limited him in practice. The Packers listed him as questionable, creating some unpredictability one day before the team traveled to New Jersey.
Their Saturday roster decisions supplied a reassuring clue.
Green Bay didn’t use a standard practice-squad elevation on a cornerback, leading Packers analyst Andy Herman to conclude that St-Juste is “very likely” ready to play, according to his Sept. 19 post on X.
The absence of an extra corner doesn’t amount to an official active designation. Teams reveal their inactive lists 90 minutes before kickoff, and a setback could still alter Green Bay’s plans.
Nonetheless, carrying the existing cornerback group into Sunday suggests the Packers believe they have enough healthy bodies at the position.
St-Juste Gives Packers Size Against Garrett Wilson
The matchup makes St-Juste’s availability noteworthy even though he held a restricted defensive role in Week 1.
The veteran logged only one defensive snap against Minnesota, while Keisean Nixon and rookie Brandon Cisse handled most of the work outside. Carrington Valentine entered after Cisse exited and played 13 snaps, via Acme Packing Company’s snap-count review.
St-Juste has intriguing body type for a cornerback at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. That length could help Green Bay disrupt passing windows for Geno Smith and provide another option against Garrett Wilson, who opened the season with six catches for 79 yards in New York’s 23-10 victory over Tennessee.
The Jets’ official game preview noted that Wilson led the team in both categories.
Green Bay’s defense allowed only 133 passing yards to Carson Wentz after Kyler Murray left the opener, but Justin Jefferson still produced eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Another proven target awaits in Wilson, making every available coverage option valuable.
Packers Waiting on St-Juste’s Larger Role
The Packers signed St-Juste in March to a two-year contract worth $10 million. His arrival coincided with Green Bay’s decision to release Nate Hobbs after one season.
St-Juste brought extensive starting experience from four seasons with the Washington Commanders and a 2025 campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers. He recorded 37 tackles, seven passes defensed and one interception in 16 games for Los Angeles. Across his first five seasons, he accumulated 47 starts and 41 passes defensed.
His work with the Chargers also displayed grounds for optimism. St-Juste played a smaller role than he had in Washington, yet he matched his 2024 total with seven pass breakups and allowed a career-low 68.3 passer rating when targeted, via an Acme Packing Company review of the signing. He also logged 296 special-teams snaps, giving Green Bay another way to use him on game day.
His opening-week usage exemplified that Green Bay currently views Cisse and Nixon as its preferred pairing. Sunday could begin to reveal whether St-Juste will exist as an experienced reserve or earn a larger piece of the rotation, especially after the secondary struggled during Minnesota’s late rally.
For now, the most important development is his apparent availability.
Packers Get Reassuring $10 Million CB Signal Prior to Jets Game