The Green Bay Packers left Denver on Friday night with a 33-13 win over the Broncos in the second week of the 2026 preseason. Three different quarterbacks led touchdown drives, while rookie kicker Trey Smack hit all seven of his kicks, accounting for 15 of the team's 33 points. More importantly, a bunch of players competing for roster spots impressed against the Broncos.
So, who improved their chances of making the Packers' roster in Denver? A stock watch coming out of Friday night's win:
Say ***** o to your new backup slot defender behind Javon Bullard. Hadden, who played in his first game since suffering a gruesome ankle injury in late December of last year, made five tackles, including three notable open-field stops and two tackles for loss. Defending the run from the slot is a priority, and Hadden had one play where he diagnosed the run, shot the gap and made the play in the backfield. There were no obvious lapses in coverage, either. Hadden's stock is way up after a terrific week overall.
The top three running backs all look like roster locks, but it's possible Strong has made a compelling enough case for the Packers to keep four at the position. On Friday night, Strong turned eight rushes into a team-high 37 rushing yards while creating a 12-yard run and forcing several missed tackles. He also produced a highlight special teams play on a nifty kickoff return gaining 68 yards. Strong looks like a natural runner, with wiggle, burst and vision. While more likely a priority practice squad player at this point, Strong greatly improved his stock in Denver with an impressive all-around performance.
Is there any competition for QB2? McCord played well again on Friday night, while Tyrod Taylor has only been so-so as the true backup behind Jordan Love. McCord completed 12 of 19 passes and led the Packers to 13 points over four drives, including another two-minute drive resulting in points before the half. His completion percentage would have been higher had the Packers backups not dropped a pass or two. Cutting capable quarterbacks is always tough, and McCord is looking more and more capable as the preseason continues on.
#denver #points
So, who improved their chances of making the Packers' roster in Denver? A stock watch coming out of Friday night's win:
Say ***** o to your new backup slot defender behind Javon Bullard. Hadden, who played in his first game since suffering a gruesome ankle injury in late December of last year, made five tackles, including three notable open-field stops and two tackles for loss. Defending the run from the slot is a priority, and Hadden had one play where he diagnosed the run, shot the gap and made the play in the backfield. There were no obvious lapses in coverage, either. Hadden's stock is way up after a terrific week overall.
The top three running backs all look like roster locks, but it's possible Strong has made a compelling enough case for the Packers to keep four at the position. On Friday night, Strong turned eight rushes into a team-high 37 rushing yards while creating a 12-yard run and forcing several missed tackles. He also produced a highlight special teams play on a nifty kickoff return gaining 68 yards. Strong looks like a natural runner, with wiggle, burst and vision. While more likely a priority practice squad player at this point, Strong greatly improved his stock in Denver with an impressive all-around performance.
Is there any competition for QB2? McCord played well again on Friday night, while Tyrod Taylor has only been so-so as the true backup behind Jordan Love. McCord completed 12 of 19 passes and led the Packers to 13 points over four drives, including another two-minute drive resulting in points before the half. His completion percentage would have been higher had the Packers backups not dropped a pass or two. Cutting capable quarterbacks is always tough, and McCord is looking more and more capable as the preseason continues on.
#denver #points
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