Packers Could Cut 17-Game Starter in Surprise Move

The Green Bay Packers face a familiar late-summer dilemma as roster cutdown day approaches, and one name repeatedly surfaces in discussions of potential departures: cornerback Carrington Valentine.

A recent analysis from Bleacher Report identified the young defensive back as the player the franchise should consider releasing before the 2026 season, citing both on-field struggles and the influx of new talent at the position.

Valentine, selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Kentucky, has carved out a meaningful role in his first three professional seasons.

Last year, he appeared in all 17 regular-season games and started 11 of them, logging a substantial share of defensive snaps. He has missed just two contests since entering the league.

That durability and experience once made him a reliable piece of the secondary. Early in his career he showed promise, limiting opposing quarterbacks to modest efficiency and keeping touchdowns to a minimum. Yet the 2025 campaign told a different story.

Targeted frequently on the boundary, he surrendered seven touchdowns and allowed a passer rating well above 120, numbers that left the Packers searching for upgrades.

Those upgrades arrived this offseason. Green Bay signed veteran Benjamin St-Juste in free agency and invested a second-round draft choice in Brandon Cisse.

The presence of both players, along with other young options in the room, creates a more competitive environment than Valentine has previously faced. St-Juste offers immediate experience that could stabilize the position while Cisse develops, potentially reducing Valentine to a depth role at best.

Compounding the uncertainty, Valentine has already missed practice time during training camp with a hamstring issue, limiting his ability to prove he still belongs in the rotation.

At 24 years old and entering the final season of his rookie contract, Valentine still possesses youth and starting experience that could interest other clubs.

The Packers, however, must weigh whether retaining him is the best use of a roster spot and salary-cap space when newer pieces appear better positioned to contribute. Releasing or trading him would free resources and open opportunities for the incoming talent to settle into larger roles.

While cutting a player who started most of the previous season is never simple, the combination of last year’s coverage struggles, the upgraded competition, and the early injury setback has made Valentine the clear candidate for the Packers to move on from as they shape their 53-man roster.