Discover three available free agents who could fill critical roles for the Green Bay Packers.
Technically, everybody is still available. The new NFL league year doesn't start until Wednesday at 4:00 PM EST, so all of these deals we've been hearing about aren't official until then.
Does that mean Malik Willis is still the backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers? No, he's gone to the Miami Dolphins. It's just formality at this point.
There were a lot of changes over the past few days for the Green Bay Packers as they started to prepare their roster for the 2026 season.
Some players left or were cut. Rashan Gary and Elgton Jenkins were two big names in that regard via trade and salary cap cuts, respectively. Other players came in or reached new deals with the Packers. Linebacker Zaire Franklin is the newest player in green and gold, while guard/center Sean Rhyan signed a long-term extension to remain in Green Bay.
There's still a lot that can happen on the free agency and trade market, and that's not even to mention the 2026 NFL Draft. The Packers do have a bit of money to use in free agency, though, and several big needs need to be filled.
They may be gone by the time you read this, but in the here and now, here are several top targets for the Packers that have yet to reach a deal with a new team.
Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) reacts against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.Riq Woolen, CB
The Packers have a big-time need for a playmaking cornerback whom they can rely on. Can Riq Woolen be that player?
He's a soon-to-be fifth-year cornerback who is fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Seattle Seahawks. He's notched 12 interceptions and 53 passes defended in his career, and he's a big guy at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. The Packers would love that size in a cornerback.
Joey Bosa, EDGE
The Packers have a massive need at EDGE after trading Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys and letting Kinglsey Enagbare go in free agency (to the New York Jets).
Joey Bosa is far from the player he once was. This is a guy who racked up double-digit sacks in four of his first six NFL seasons. He's 30 years old and coming off a five-sack season with the Buffalo Bills.
So no, he's not who he once was, but can the Packers squeeze a bit more juice out of him playing across from Micah Parsons on the defensive line? A veteran pass-rusher on a one-year deal could be a great fit for Green Bay.
Da'Shawn Hand, DT
Dec 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley (0) and defensive tackle Da'Shawn Hand (91) tackle Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10) during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images.The Packers have a need for a big, line-clogging defensive tackle who can be a starter from day one, and Da'Shawn Hand would fit the bill.
Hand checks in at 6-foot-3, 302 pounds and he's coming off a season for the Los Angeles Chargers that saw him notch 29 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 6.5 stuffs and even an interception.
Hand knows the NFC North as a former fourth-round pick of the Detroit Lions. He's a journeyman at this point in his NFL career, but that means the Packers could sign him for a one-year deal on the cheap with very little risk.
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