Five Packers players facing major pressure in 2025, and one name on the list could define how far the team goes

5 Packers players under the most pressure in 2025

Elgton Jenkins

Jenkins played everywhere along the offensive line, but he built his career mostly at left guard. Now, he's moving to center, the position he primarily played in college football. Jenkins wants a contract adjustment, because he knows the current version of the deal doesn't offer him financial security.

The offensive lineman will make $12.8 million in 2025, and the amount jumps to $20 million next year. If he doesn't play well or the Packers can find a cheaper replacement, Jenkins immediately becomes a cut or paycut candidate. But if he becomes an "All-Pro center" like Gutekunst said the team thinks he can be, his value to the team becomes even bigger.

Kenny Clark

Clark signed a contract extension with the Packers last offseason. As usual based on the Packers' contract structure model, it's a 2+2. So the defensive tackle becomes a year-to-year proposition starting next offseason. The big question around Clark is that he regressed in 2024, but he played the entire season through a foot injury suffered in Week 1, in Brazil.

If he can regain his old form, Clark will show that last season was just an outlier caused by the injury. However, if the defensive lineman keeps moving in the wrong direction, it will be hard to justify his $21.5 million salary—in a move that would free up $14.358 million in cap space, or $21.5 million if the Packers use a post-June 1 designation.

Lukas Van Ness

This is another case where a player had an underwhelming performance in 2024, but played through injury. Van Ness had a hand issue last season, his second in the NFL. The edge defender was always supposed to be a developmental project, and he did show some flashes as a rookie.

However, Van Ness wasn't nearly as promising in 2024. The expectation was that he would have more volume and a better performance after Preston Smith got traded, but Van Ness had fewer snaps than Kingsley Enagbare and was less efficient than Brenton Cox down the road.

If the offseason program was any type of indication, Van Ness will finally be a starter alongside Rashan Gary in 2025. He needs to show his upside for the Packers to justify the big investment made two years ago.

Jordan Morgan

Morgan is another former first-round pick trying to be more valuable for the Packers. He spent the start of his rookie season as a rotational right guard, a weird concept per se, but played through injury and missed the second half of the season due to a shoulder issue.

Now that Morgan is fully healthy, the Packers have allowed him to compete for the left tackle spot with incumbent starter Rasheed Walker.

If Morgan can beat the competition, his value to the franchise becomes much higher. If not, the Packers will probably be forced to give Walker an extension or to test rookie second-rounder Anthony Belton at LT. Meanwhile, Morgan would compete to be a right guard once again, which limits his ceiling in the NFL.

Romeo Doubs

Doubs is entering the final year of his rookie deal. The Packers have prepared themselves to handle potential departures from Doubs and Christian Watson, but both have one last shot to prove their value. Watson is injured, but brings a specific attribute that it's hard for any offense to replicate. So it's Doubs who has the least chance of getting a second contract in Green Bay.

Doubs is a reliable player, albeit with a lower ceiling, and what he does in 2025 will be decisive to set his market value. For the Packers or somebody else.