The Green Bay Packers lost 28-9 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

That result doesn’t matter, especially since the Steelers scored 21 of those points in the second half against many guys who won’t be on Green Bay’s active roster in two weeks, and plenty of key players on both sides of the ball either barely played or didn’t play at all. What does matter, however, is we sit just one month away from the Packers’ season opener Sept. 13 in Minnesota.

With one exhibition game in the rearview, here is our first of three 53-man roster projections this preseason with an observation from Thursday’s game and a list of guys who didn’t suit up at each position group.

Top Plays from Packers @ Steelers

Offense

Quarterback (2): Jordan Love, Tyrod Taylor

Released: Kyle McCord, Kyron Drones

Kyle McCord has some moxie. The Packers haven’t kept three quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster since 2020, when they kept Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love and Tim Boyle because Love wasn’t ready to be the backup but couldn’t be subjected to waivers, so they probably won’t keep three this year. If anything, McCord showed why he’s ahead of Kyron Drones in the battle for what might be one practice-squad spot, and not just because he was first up in Thursday’s game.

McCord’s most impressive sequence came in a four-play series that spanned about 30 seconds in the first half’s final minute. He completed four consecutive passes, covering 35 yards, with a timeout after the third before spiking the ball with one second left. Rookie kicker Trey Smack then hit a 58-yard field goal as time expired.

“Great poise,” coach Matt LaFleur said of McCord, who was a sixth-round pick by the Eagles in 2025 and signed with the Packers in January. “To operate in that two-minute drive the way he did, I don’t believe he’s had that live yet in that situation. We’re in a down-down clock situation. He rifled the inside slant, and to have the urgency to get up and spike the ball … I thought that was just incredible execution.

“I thought the other thing that he did a really nice job (of) was just hanging in the pocket. Obviously took a hit, delivered the ball to, I think it was Isaiah Neyor on that one, so I thought he did a lot of good things.”

Who didn’t suit up: None

Running back (3): Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks

Released: Pierre Strong Jr., Jaden Nixon, Damien Martinez

MarShawn Lloyd came out of Thursday’s game healthy after touching the ball five times. That’s the only worthwhile takeaway here. Can he make it another month staying on the field? We shall see.

“It felt really good, honestly, just getting hit,” Lloyd said. “I knew about the defense the Steelers had, so it was good to go against a team like that in your first hit in like two years. It’s cool. I enjoyed every bit of it.”

Who didn’t suit up: Jacobs, Brooks

Wide receiver (6): Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Skyy Moore, Savion Williams, Bo Melton

Released: Isaiah Neyor, J. Michael Sturdivant, Will Sheppard, Kaden Prather, Kisean Johnson, Chris Hilton Jr.

Neyor and J. Michael Sturdivant are giving general manager Brian Gutekunst plenty to think about this summer. They consistently make plays and did so again Thursday, most notably when Sturdivant made an outstretched grab near the sideline for 14 yards on third-and-6.

Neyor led the team with four catches for 34 yards. Skyy Moore is all but on the team, if we’re to believe what Gutekunst said last week, and Savion Williams isn’t getting cut since he’s last year’s third-round pick. Bo Melton is a coach and locker room favorite who can take the top off a defense, so his release would come as a surprise, too. Will Gutekunst keep seven receivers, or will he try to get both guys through to the practice squad?

Who didn’t suit up: None

Tight end (3): Tucker Kraft, Josh Whyle, Drake Dabney

Released: Messiah Swinson, McCallan Castles, Thomas Yassmin

PUP: Luke Musgrave

There wasn’t much to write home about with the tight ends. All we know is the Packers had better hope Tucker Kraft is healthy and his regular self come Week 1 because this position group is in rough shape elsewhere.

Who didn’t suit up: Kraft, Musgrave

Offensive line (10): Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Jager Burton, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk, Anthony Belton, Zach Bako-Bewele, John Williams, Donovan Jennings, Darian Kinnard

Released: Dalton Cooper, Dillon Wade, Dylan Barrett, Josh Gesky, Travis Glover, Brant Banks

The Packers surrendered five sacks, but Love didn’t take any of them. That’s all that matters. Aaron Banks and Zach Bako-Bewele didn’t play, and they’ll surely be in the starting lineup come Week 1. Burton continues to get valuable reps as the first-team left guard, a spot he’s earned in recent practices, so could he push for regular-season playing time at some point?

Who didn’t suit up: Banks, Bako-Bewele

Defense

Interior defensive line (6): Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, Warren Brinson, Javon Hargrave, Chris McClellan, Nazir Stackhouse

Released: Anthony Campbell, Jonathan Ford, Jaden Crumedy

PUP: Jordon Riley

Warren Brinson has been one of the standouts in camp, and he flashed more Thursday, drawing a hold on first-and-goal, pressuring the quarterback (he did whiff on the sack) and stuffing a draw play for a loss of 1 yard.

Who didn’t suit up: Wyatt, Hargrave, Riley

Edge (5): Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox Jr., Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver, Dani Dennis-Sutton

Released: Arron Mosby, Nyjalik Kelly

PUP: Micah Parsons

Lukas Van Ness had a sack and a run stop early, Brenton Cox Jr. had a powerful sack, and Collin Oliver looked explosive at times. Maybe, just maybe, this group will be able to tread water without Micah Parsons for five games if that’s how long he’s out.

“I think we’re looking at a real vanilla style of our defense right now, but we made it a point of emphasis to put our effort on tape and our physicality on tape, and we came out fast,” Van Ness said. “A little taste of what’s to come.”

Who didn’t suit up: Parsons, Dennis-Sutton

Linebacker (5): Edgerrin Cooper, Zaire Franklin, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty’Ron Hopper, Nick Niemann

Released: Kristian Welch, TJ Quinn

Zaire Franklin has drawn rave reviews this spring and summer from his teammates and coaches. His first impression in an actual game for his new team? Destroying a running back on a blitz to set up a sack for Van Ness. That’ll do. New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon knows Franklin from their days in Indianapolis together, and he’s trusting him to relay the plays, and make plays, for his defense.

Who didn’t suit up: None

Cornerback (6): Keisean Nixon, Brandon Cisse, Carrington Valentine, Benjamin St-Juste, Kamal Hadden, Domani Jackson

Released: Jaylin Simpson, MJ Devonshire Jr., Shemar Bartholomew

It wasn’t the prettiest night for this group. The Steelers picked on MJ Devonshire Jr. in the second half, especially. Keisean Nixon wasn’t great in his cameo, notably missing a tackle along with safety Kitan Oladapo on the perimeter that led to an explosive gain. Cisse made a nice touchdown-saving tackle in space, though, and that’s a marked difference from Carrington Valentine’s perimeter tackling woes last season.

Who didn’t suit up: Valentine, Hadden, Jackson

Safety (4): Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, Kitan Oladapo

Released: Mark Perry, Murvin Kenion III, Tra Fluellen, Trey Dean III

Mark Perry and Murvin Kenion III made consecutive great plays on third and fourth down to save touchdowns early in the second quarter, but it’s hard to compliment anyone in the secondary too much when the Steelers completed 27 of 33 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns.

Who didn’t suit up: Bullard

Special teams

Kicker: Trey Smack

The rookie was the player of the game for the Packers after entering Thursday 20-of-28 on field goals in camp, officially hitting field goals from 37, 58 and 38 yards with another make from 58 yards that was nullified by a Steelers penalty. None of his kicks looked particularly close to missing, either. Special teams coordinator Cam Achord said he puts more stock in stadium and game kicks than ones at practice, so Smack has passed his first two tests, at Family Night and the preseason opener, in that regard. On those two nights, he’s 10-of-11 if you count his nullified make.

“I think that was definitely the highlight of the night,” Love said of Smack’s performance.

“Cam was telling me no. I told him yes,” LaFleur said of deciding to let Smack attempt his first 58-yarder. “But to put him in that situation and to hit really two in one game is pretty incredible, so I thought he was definitely a bright spot for us.”

Punter: Daniel Whelan

He botched one Thursday but can still be one of the league’s best punters after an impressive 2025 campaign.

Long snapper: Matt Orzech

Matt Orzech has been on the physically unable to perform list all camp with a calf injury, and we don’t quite know when he’ll be back. We’ll find out from LaFleur in the coming days.

Released: Cal Adomitis