RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Green Bay Packers closed out their preseason Friday night with a thrilling 42-38 victory over the Arizona Cardinals . Matt LaFleur faced off against his brother Mike LaFleur for the first time as NFL coaches and will have bragging rights at the next family dinner.
The Packers rested most of their starters, so the preseason finale was also an opportunity for players on the roster bubble to make a strong last impression before final roster cuts are due Sunday by 5:00 p.m. CT.
The standouts from Friday night's preseason finale:
QB Kyle McCord
McCord played the entire preseason finale, a strong indication that Tyrod Taylor will be the backup quarterback this season. That's not to say McCord didn't make it interesting. He completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 447 yards and four touchdowns, with 226 of those yards and 100 percent of those touchdowns coming Friday night against Arizona. If he doesn't get picked up by another team in need of a serviceable backup, McCord is exactly what you want in your practice squad QB.
Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton
After missing the first two preseason games with a heat-related illness, Green Bay’s fourth-round pick made a splash on his very first defensive drive. The Cardinals' offensive line failed to pick up a stunt, allowing Dennis-Sutton to penetrate through the right tackle and right guard to sack Gardner Minshew for a 10-yard loss to set up a long third down. Two plays later, Arizona settled for a field goal. In addition to the sack, Dennis-Sutton had a few more nice pass rush reps, finishing tied for the team-high with four pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Edge Nyjalik Kelly
What a night it was for Kelly, who had a pick, a sack, and three tackles for loss. He picked off Arizona’s Kedon Slovis after immediate pressure from defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy, setting the offense up with a short field to work with and tie the game at 17-17 in the second quarter. In the second half, Kelly beat the left tackle to get around the edge and sack Slovis to force a third-and-16. He also took down running back Tre Stewart behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of six. It was quite the encore performance for Kelly after recording three pressures and a sack in last week’s win over the Denver Broncos . Kelly became the highest-paid undrafted free agent in team history at the conclusion of this year’s draft and is a leading candidate to extend Green Bay’s 21-year streak of keeping at least one undrafted rookie on the initial roster.
Got to him! 📺: Packers TV Network pic.twitter.com/0Gvxe5K44o
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 29, 2026 WR J. Michael Sturdivant
In a game where backup wide receivers looked like stars, Sturdivant was the best of the bunch. The undrafted rookie out of Florida finished with a game-high 112 yards on six receptions. He orchestrated Green Bay’s two-play, 65-yard scoring drive in the second quarter with a 36-yard catch over the middle immediately followed by a 29-yard touchdown catch down the sideline. As for making the final cut, Sturdivant's chances could come down to the Packers keeping seven receivers on the initial 53, but he has definitely made it a difficult decision.
87 IN THE END ZONE 📺: Packers TV Network pic.twitter.com/6CySkXkrho
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 29, 2026 WR Kisean Johnson
Johnson owned the fourth quarter against the Cardinals, hauling in four catches for 52 yards and two clutch touchdowns in the final minutes. His diving 28-yard grab while falling into the end zone ignited Green Bay's comeback, cutting the deficit to 38-35 with just over three minutes left. Three plays later, Slovis threw another interception that set up Johnson's game-winning 12-yard touchdown reception with 20 seconds remaining. Green Bay signed Johnson leading up to its Wild Card loss to the Chicago Bears, but did not bring him back until just a few weeks ago. Despite a strong performance, he's probably a practice squad candidate at best.
Snagged! 📺: Packers TV Network pic.twitter.com/q3Tuj2XJii
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 29, 2026 WR Will Sheppard
It was a big night for wide receivers on the roster bubble as Sheppard also found the end zone twice: first on a 12-yard touchdown reception and then on a punt return he housed for 81 yards. He finished the night with three catches for 26 yards. Sheppard looks like a prime candidate to return to the practice squad.
ALL. THE. WAY. 81-YD PUNT RETURN FOR WILL SHEPPARD! 📺: Packers TV Network pic.twitter.com/OIrsyTFZL0
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 29, 2026 DT Anthony Campbell
Campbell stood out throughout training camp, on Family Night, and in back-to-back preseason games. Last week, he recorded a sack and led the team with four pressures. This week, Campbell had another sack and two more pressures to close out one of the more impressive camps by a player who seemed to be a long shot to make the team. At this point, it would feel like malpractice to leave him off the team.
K Trey Smack
Smack took advantage of his last opportunity to kick in front of a packed crowd at Lambeau Field before the regular season, making both his attempts from 36 and 37 yards. He finished the preseason a perfect 9-for-9, including three makes from over 50 yards. The Packers will enter the 2026 season riding the hot foot of a rookie kicker.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 8 standouts from Packers' preseason win over the Cardinals
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