The sting of the Green Bay Packers’ 27-31 loss to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card round on January 10, 2026, still lingers for fans. Yet the roster that fell short last January carries legitimate expectations for a deep playoff run in 2026 — if key pieces stay healthy.
Jordan Love returns under center to lead an offense built around young talent and continuity. On defense, the addition of Micah Parsons gives Green Bay one of the league’s most disruptive fronts when he is on the field. Parsons, who underwent ACL and meniscus surgery in late December 2025, is not expected back until at least mid-October, according to his own comments and multiple reports.
Anthony Belton’s Move to Right Guard Changes the Equation
The offensive line will decide how far this team goes. Last season’s experiments with Anthony Belton bouncing between tackle and guard left the unit inconsistent. Now the Packers have settled on a clearer plan, and Belton sits at the center of it.
ESPN analyst Ben Solak highlighted why the decision matters.
“Now that the Packers have finished experimenting with Belton as a swing tackle and committed to playing him at right guard, I see a rosy future. Sure, Belton’s play was largely up and down when he was in the lineup at guard as a rookie, but that was expected because he was a college left tackle and didn’t really practice on the interior until the regular season. I’m willing to wash most of that down the drain.”
Belton, a 2025 second-round pick out of NC State, brings the size, flexibility and power to create vertical displacement in the run game — exactly what Green Bay needs when it operates from shotgun formations. Aaron Banks was supposed to fill that interior role after arriving in free agency, but his first year fell short of expectations. Solak believes a full offseason of focused work at one position can let Belton become that linchpin instead.
Projected Starting Offensive Line
The projected starters line up as follows from left to right: Jordan Morgan at left tackle, Aaron Banks at left guard, Sean Rhyan at center, Anthony Belton at right guard and Zach Tom at right tackle. This group mixes proven veterans with ascending young players who have already shown flashes at Lambeau Field.
Stability at right guard should help the entire line communicate better and sustain blocks longer. For a run-heavy scheme that asks linemen to move bodies off the ball in space, that consistency can turn modest gains into chunk plays.
Why This Matters for 2026 Contention
Love’s arm talent and the receiving options around him give Green Bay scoring punch. But sustained success requires a line that protects cleanly and opens lanes without constant rotation. Belton’s development directly affects how often Love faces clean pockets and how effectively the Packers control the clock.
Parsons’ midseason return should lift the defense into elite territory, but the early schedule will test the offense’s ability to carry the load. An improved offensive line reduces the margin for error on both sides of the ball.
Training camp will show whether Belton has taken the mental and technical steps forward that Solak expects. If he does, the Packers’ line could shift from a question mark into a strength — and that would make the roster’s Super Bowl aspirations far more realistic than they appeared in January.
