We start this mailbag with a little tidbit provided on Thursday by former longtime Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy during his weekly segment on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
McCarthy said he’s attended three Packers games this season — Week 1, Week 2 and Week 8. Those were, respectively, a 27-13 win over the Detroit Lions, a 27-18 win over the Washington Commanders and a 35-25 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Perhaps it would behoove the Packers to invite back the guy who has a street near Lambeau Field named after him if their three best performances of the season have come with him in the building.
Anyway, let’s dive into your questions.
What do you think the Packers’ biggest weakness is at this point in the season? — Brian S.
Special teams, in multiple facets. The kicking game has been inconsistent, even though the protection has improved after two early-season blocks. The Packers also rank 25th in the NFL in average starting field position after kickoff returns or touchbacks (their own 28.2-yard line), according to TruMedia, and there are still some penalties to clean up.
What is the status of MarShawn Lloyd? Is he still rehabbing an injury? Has he been at practices? — Terry M.
I’ve seen Lloyd rehabbing at practice, but coach Matt LaFleur said this week that Lloyd won’t be back any time soon. He was initially placed on injured reserve to start the season because of the hamstring injury he suffered in the second preseason game, but who knows if there’s been another injury since. I wouldn’t count on Lloyd to contribute for the Packers, quite frankly, ever, just because of how few games (one) he’s played over his first two seasons because of at least five different injuries.
Everyone in the organization seems to say that Matthew Golden should be getting the ball more, so why isn’t he? — Drew J.
Nobody is going to say, “Nah, our first-round rookie shouldn’t be getting the ball more.” But the fact of the matter is the Packers offense is predicated on spreading the ball around. Only once this season has a Packer seen double-digit targets in a game, when tight end Tucker Kraft had 10 in Arizona two weeks ago. Golden’s lack of targets isn’t for a lack of skill, but rather because there are a handful of other guys worth involving in the passing game and there are only so many targets to go around. The Packers rank seventh in passing yards per game and tied for fifth in points per game through eight weeks, so their offense hasn’t exactly suffered because of a lack of involvement of any one player.
Do you think the Packers will cut Brandon McManus and go to Lucas Havrisik? — Corbin M.
There’s no chance that happens. McManus has more than a decade of experience in the league and has essentially two bad kicks this year, excluding the blocked 43-yarder in Cleveland and the 57-yarder that came up short in tough conditions in Pittsburgh. Havrisik had two good games. Two. He was impressive, but there’s a reason the Packers signed McManus to a three-year extension last offseason, and it’s likely McManus is still the better long-term option than Havrisik. I’ll be interested to see, however, if they can sneak Havrisik through to the practice squad when they inevitably release him. Perhaps the longer we get away from that 61-yarder, the better chance Green Bay has of doing so.
It’s midseason projection time. What is the Packers’ final record and playoff seed? — Jeff B.
13-3-1 and Super Bowl champions. Lock it in.
See where the Packers stand in The Athletic’s 2025 playoff simulator
Is Tucker Kraft already the best TE in the league? — Jason G.
He has a case. I’d certainly put him in the top three right now, though I’ll admit I don’t watch the other tight ends as closely as I do him. He’s a force in all facets of the game and is an absolute nightmare for linebackers and defensive backs to guard, especially after the catch. Among tight ends, Kraft ranks third in receiving yards, tied for second in touchdown catches and first in yards after catch per reception.
T as in Touchdown for Tucker Kraft on National Tight Ends Day!
📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/dRrZx128NI
— Green Bay Packers Football Club (@packers) October 27, 2025
I’d argue that Romeo Doubs has the best hands on the team in terms of tough catches. He also seems to be the most reliable in pressure situations. Why would the Packers extend perennially injured Christian Watson first? Is it a foregone conclusion that Romeo is gone? — Joshua E.
The Packers extended Watson first because if he keeps playing like he did in Pittsburgh, and he didn’t have an extension, he’d be worth a lot more on the open market than what they have him under contract for through next season. It was a calculated risk on their part and it might pay off. I would agree that Doubs has impressive hands and his play this season has warranted an extension, but what about Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks? You can’t realistically pay everybody, but maybe the Packers find a way to extend Doubs and Reed while waiting to see if Watson earns another contract after the 2026 season.
Do you think trying to add a running back at the deadline makes sense? Josh Jacobs is obviously the guy and Emanuel Wilson looked strong last week, but maybe adding more of a speed guy like Keaton Mitchell would make some sense as a change-of-pace back? — Michael B.
I don’t think it makes sense, to be honest. There’s only enough snaps for two running backs right now and Wilson has done enough to keep his spot as the No. 2. I wouldn’t give up a draft pick for someone who will barely play, if at all.
How is the Packers’ decision on Jaire Alexander looking at this point in the season? — Brian A.
He’s been hurt and was a healthy scratch for Thursday night’s game against the Dolphins. I can’t think of a glaring mistake general manager Brian Gutekunst has made when it comes to letting his own players walk. Bryan Bulaga, Adrian Amos, Allen Lazard and now Alexander, just to name a few. If the Packers don’t re-sign their own free agents, you should probably trust that it’s the right decision.
Keisean Nixon — what, if anything, should be done about him? His errors have cost us (or nearly cost us) many games over the last few years. What do you think his future looks like in GB? Our secondary is so weak right now. He’s kind of all we’ve got, so is this what we have to settle for? — Megan C.
Forgive me if this sounds condescending, because I don’t mean it to be, but I really think the fan perception of Nixon is nowhere near reality. He’s essentially had one bad half this season, and that was the first against the Steelers. Have there been a couple of sporadic miscues elsewhere? Yes, but he’s played like a No. 1 cornerback this season for the most part, even if he hasn’t always faced the opponent’s best receiver. Are there a handful of better No. 1 corners in the league? Yes. But Nixon is hardly a slouch and I think he could very well earn another contract here.
So, contract extensions for Gutekunst and LaFleur locked up already. Right? — Tarek Z.
There’s plenty of football left. That being said, I was always going to be surprised if both didn’t get extended this coming offseason. The first seven games should have presiedent and CEO Ed Policy leaning heavily one way, but I don’t think he’s drawing up the contracts just yet.
I know the Packers have Devonte Wyatt under contract next year through the option, but who do you think should be the bigger extension priority, Devonte or Quay Walker? — Tyler S.
That’s a tough one. They’re both playing well this year and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has been effusive in his praise of Walker the last two times he’s spoken at the podium. I’d go Wyatt by a hair just because of how important he is to the run and pass defense at probably a more premium position, but Walker is making a convincing case for both 2022 first-round picks to earn second long-term deals.
How do you feel the O-line is doing? Do you see there being a final stable lineup determined in the next few weeks, barring injury? — Kevin M.
To answer your second question first, the Packers appear content rotating Jordan Morgan and Sean Rhyan until the cows come home, so I don’t anticipate a set lineup in the near future. I’ll cite ESPN Analytics to answer your first question. Through the first eight weeks, the Packers ranked sixth in pass-block win rate and 28th in run-block win rate.
