Packers Family Night 2026 - Photo by Evan Siegle/Green Bay Packers
GREEN BAY, WI (WSAU) – The Green Bay Packers will face the Denver Broncos this week for their second preseason game, and the team’s backup quarterback battle, as well as some key positions on defense, are already beginning to heat up.
On Saturday, the team announced in a post on X that they’ve cut undrafted rookie quarterback Kyron Drones after he failed to complete a pass and was sacked three times during the team’s 28-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team did not announce a corresponding move, so the Packers now have an open roster spot.
The decision to cut Drones was made in large part due to former Ohio State and Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord playing very well against Pittsburgh, completing 12 of his 16 passing attempts for 102 yards and having a 91.1 QB rating.
It’s unlikely that the Packers cut or trade veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor in favor of keeping McCord as the primary backup, but it appears McCord has at a minimum guaranteed himself a spot on the practice squad.
On the defensive side of the ball, cornerback Keisean Nixon struggled in coverage against the Steelers, failing to make a key tackle in the first half, which led to a Steelers touchdown, and backups Jaylin Simpson and Shemar Bartholomew gave up a combined six catches for more than 100 yards, continuing to make fans wonder who will be lined up across from Justin Jefferson come Week 1.
Brandon Cisse, the Packers’ 2026 2nd-round pick out of South Carolina, played very well against the Steelers, allowing just two catches for 13 yards over 13 coverage snaps and making a touchdown-saving tackle in the first half while veteran cornerback Benjamin St-Juste wasn’t targeted during his time on the field.
On Sunday, head coach Matt LaFleur appeared to call out Nixon for his missed tackle, telling reporters, “We need corners that are willing and capable tacklers.” Last season, Nixon was one of the better tackling corners in the league, missing only four of his 77 tackle opportunities, compared to 2024 when he missed almost 10% of his tackle attempts.
While the Packers are highly likely to keep Keiseasn Nixon, veteran free agent corners like Marshon Lattimore, Trevon Diggs, Kenny Moore, and Adoree’ Jackson are all options the Packers may explore if defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon feels Nixon is a better fit at the slot than on the outside.
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