Packers make first wave of roster moves with 2026 in mind as young talent is added and long-term planning quietly begins

The Green Bay Packers lost to the Chicago Bears, and that's an unfortunate reality for the franchise. But life moves on, and general manager Brian Gutekunst has to think about the 2026 season. Right after the elimination, the Packers started making roster moves for next season.

And that's their decision to sign 16 players to future contracts — all of them were part of their practice squad to finish the season.

Packers' future deals

• T Brant Banks
• DT Dante Barnett
• G Karsen Barnhart
• DT Anthony Campbell
• TE McCallan Castles
• T Dalton Cooper
• TE Drake Dabney
• LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson
• DT James Ester
• K Lucas Havrisik
• CB Tyron Herring
• RB Damien Martinez
• S Mark Perry
• WR Will Sheppard
• RB Pierre Strong Jr.
• TE Messiah Swinson

From the players who finished the season on the practice squad, the only ones not signed were wide receivers Julian Hicks and Kisean Johnson, added at the end of the year just to provide depth.

This is how it works: When a team gets eliminated, the practice squad deals expire after a week. So before that happens, the Packers are giving these players some security. They are now signed to their offseason 90-man roster.

These are called "future deals" because they don't take into effect until March, when the 2026 league year kicks off. Meanwhile, they stay on what the NFL calls reserve/future list, which means they can't sign with other teams.

The Packers finished the season with 18 players on the injured reserve. But the IR ends alongside the season, so all these players return to the 90-man roster in March — obviously, excluding the pending free agents if a new deal isn't signed before then.

Most of the practice squad players are developmental pieces — usually rookies or second-year players who will fight for a roster spot in training camp. But since Covid, the NFL has allowed some veteran players on the PS as well. And with the elevations for gameday, some of these pieces got real game experience throughout the season. Now, they will have time to show they can make an impact next season.

This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Jan 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.