The Green Bay Packers will have little to play for in Week 18. After their 41–24 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the team is locked into the seventh seed heading into the regular season finale, leaving them with minimal incentive to risk player health.

Matt LaFleur surely doesn’t want to enter the playoffs on a four-game losing streak, but for Green Bay, resting players has become a necessity. The team is already missing Micah Parsons, Devonte Wyatt, Elgton Jenkins, Tucker Kraft and several others — including Jordan Love and Malik Willis — are dealing with injuries. At this point, momentum won’t matter if the Packers don’t have enough healthy players to compete in January. The focus has to be on preserving bodies for the postseason.

Today’s Hottest Take: Love has to turn into Superman for Green Bay to have any shot in January.

We’ve seen it too many times: Aaron Rodgers had to play in “god mode” to cover for shortcomings elsewhere on Green Bay’s roster in the postseason — and more often than not, even that wasn’t enough. This January, Love faces a similar challenge. To give the Packers any realistic chance, he’ll need to elevate the offense in ways that mask deficiencies around him, take over games and make plays that few quarterbacks can consistently deliver under playoff pressure. Luckily for the Green & Gold, Love has been one of the most efficient passers this season.

Since Parsons tore his ACL, Green Bay’s pass rush has all but disappeared. Moreover, the team is thin at cornerback. That’s a recipe for allowing 30–40 points in a playoff game. To have a chance at a win, the Packers will need to score consistently, which starts with Love and an offense that can stay on the field and sustain drives — a challenging task given the injuries to Kraft and Jenkins, as well as the struggles of the offensive line in 2025.

What You Need to Know: There’s precedent that supports why Green Bay should rest its starters.

Last season, the Rams entered Week 18 with a playoff home game already secured. While they weren’t sure if they would finish as the No. 3 or No. 4 seed, the team made the conscious choice to sit several of their top players.

The decision quickly proved its value. In the Wild Card round, Los Angeles dominated the Minnesota Vikings, who had just fought for the division on Sunday night a week earlier. It demonstrated that when the final regular-season game carries little consequence, protecting player health is often more valuable than squeezing in extra live reps.

Before You Go: Don’t Forget About Collin Oliver

With Green Bay likely resting some key players in Week 18, this could be the perfect opportunity for Collin Oliver to take his first NFL snaps. After being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list in August, Oliver was activated in December and could see the field Sunday against Minnesota. In a game with no stakes, Oliver just needs to focus on playing his game, getting comfortable on the field, and showing what he can do at the NFL level.

The Packers could use every bit of pass-rush help they can get, and who better to provide it than the player already dubbed “Baby Micah” inside the locker room?

"That's my dawg,” Oliver said about Warren Brinson, who was joking around and enjoying the attention Oliver was getting in the locker room. “I'm glad that they see I'm a talented player," said Oliver with a laugh. "Being compared to Micah, though, is crazy. I ain't gonna lie."