The Green Bay Packers are already getting to work restocking their roster for the 2026 offseason after their first-round elimination from the 2025 NFL playoffs.
According to the team’s official transaction wire, the Packers made a series of roster moves on the first official day of their 2026 offseason on Monday, January 12, handing out reserve/future contracts to 16 practice-squad players to retain them for next year.
Among the highlights, the Packers retained veteran running back Pierre Strong Jr., a 2022 fourth-round pick for the New England Patriots who spent all but the first week of the 2025 season on Green Bay’s practice squad. They elevated him to the game-day roster on three occasions, but he did not play any snaps in any of his three promotions.
Even still, Strong averaged 5.5 yards on 99 carries and caught 26 passes over his first three seasons with the Patriots (2022) and Cleveland Browns (2023 and 2024).
The Packers also signed futures deals with the following: cornerback Tyron Herring; defensive linemen Anthony Campbell, James Ester and Dante Barnett; guard Karsen Barnhart; kicker Lucas Havrisik; linebacker Jamon Johnson; tackles Brant Banks and Dalton Cooper; running back Damien Martinez; safety Mark Perry; tight ends McCallan Castles, Drake Dabney and Messiah Swinson; and wide receiver Will Sheppard.
Packers Have RB Questions to Answer in 2026 Offseason
Strong might not make it all the way to 2026’s training camp with the Packers, but the team undoubtedly has questions to answer about their backfield before next season.
The Packers have veteran starter Josh Jacobs under contract for another two seasons, but he is coming off an injury-hampered season in 2025 that saw him finish with fewer than 1,000 rushing yards for only the third time in his NFL career. While the team may still believe in his ability to lead their backfield, they have options for saving between roughly $8.2 million and $11.4 million if they decide to cut ties with him this offseason.
The Packers also have questions behind Jacobs. Emanuel Wilson — their No. 2 rusher over the past two seasons — will enter free agency in March without a new contract, but they are unlikely to extend him, sitting at a projected $14.6 million over the cap. There is also MarShawn Lloyd, but injuries kept him from playing a single snap in 2025.
With that much uncertainty, the Packers have every reason to stash a few promising backs on their 90-man offseason roster while they figure out their best path forward.
Martinez is also worth highlighting. The 2025 seventh-round pick could not make it last in Seattle’s crowded backfield, but he rushed for 3,169 yards and 26 touchdowns and averaged 6.2 yards per carry over his three collegiate seasons. There is no harm in the Packers taking a crack at unlocking that playmaking potential at the highest level.
Packers Also Re-Sign Kicker Amid McManus Doubts
The Packers also raised eyebrows with another one of their roster moves to start their 2026 offseason, re-signing Havrisik after Brandon McManus’ poor end to the season.
Havrisik made all four of his field goals — including a career-long 61-yarder — in the three games he played for the Packers this past season while McManus was injured. While he missed two of his nine extra-point attempts, his short-term relief work seems to have impressed the front office enough to earn him an invite to return for 2026.
The Packers may seek out a new placekicker after McManus missed both of his field goals and an extra point in their four-point loss to the Chicago Bears in the wild-card round of the playoffs last weekend. He also missed six field goals during the regular season, including four between 40 and 49 yards and two from 50 yards or further.
While McManus has two seasons left on the three-year, $15.3 million contract that he signed with the Packers last offseason, the team may feel it is worth the dead-cap hits of about $5 million over the next two seasons to find a more reliable kicker to replace him.
Packers Sign Ex-Patriots Running Back in First Wave of Roster Moves