The Green Bay Packers are gearing up for their Wild Card showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. While the team fine-tunes its game plan, we’re here to get you ready for the ride.

This year’s playoff buzz feels noticeably different compared to last season. In 2024, the Packers stormed into the postseason on a hot streak, brimming with confidence ahead of their matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. Fast forward to now, and Green Bay limps into the playoffs on a two-game losing streak, leaving fans with more questions than answers.

Despite the uneven finish, the Packers are more than capable of escaping Philadelphia with a win. The talent is there, and the pieces are in place for a postseason run. While the team’s collective focus is on advancing in the playoffs, the spotlight will shine brightest on several individuals with plenty to prove—and plenty to gain.

Here are five Packers with the most to gain in the playoffs.

Josh Myers

Josh Myers finds himself at a pivotal crossroads as the Packers prepare for their playoff matchup. Set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Myers is likely playing for his next team.

It’s been a challenging fourth year for the former second-round pick. Per Pro Football Focus, Myers ranks 40th out of 43 eligible centers, a tough pill to swallow for a player once projected as a cornerstone of Green Bay’s offensive line.

His run blocking has been inconsistent, and his struggles in pass protection are glaring. Allowing 29 pressures and 23 hurries as the center of the line isn’t the kind of performance that inspires confidence.

But the playoffs present a unique opportunity. For Myers, it’s a chance to flip the script on a disappointing season. If he can step up and deliver a strong showing against some of the NFL’s best defensive fronts, it will serve as valuable tape for his agent to showcase in free agency. A dominant postseason run could help Myers secure a solid contract this offseason, even if it’s not in Green Bay.

Jordan Love

The playoffs are where NFL legacies are forged, and Jordan Love has a golden opportunity to take a defining step in his career. With the spotlight shining brighter than ever, Green Bay’s postseason success—or failure—will inevitably be tied to its franchise quarterback.

Love’s 2024 season has been a mixed bag. An early-season injury suffered against the Eagles in Week 1 sidelined him and visibly hampered his mobility upon his return. But Love has gradually found his rhythm over the second half of the year. Still, lingering issues remain, particularly with his mechanics under pressure.

The most glaring problem is Love’s tendency to throw off his back foot. When he feels the pocket collapsing, his fundamentals break down, leading to missed opportunities on critical plays. For Green Bay to make a deep run, Love must overcome this habit and deliver accurate throws even when the heat is on.

The Packers’ offensive line will play a significant role in Love’s success, as a clean pocket is essential to his comfort and decision-making. But playoff football demands more than ideal conditions. Love must step up, make plays under duress, and, when necessary, carry the offense on his shoulders.

Of course, the Packers’ pass-catchers can also lighten the load by doing their part—catching the ball consistently would be a good start.

Fair or not, Love’s $55 million annual salary—the second-highest among NFL quarterbacks—raises the stakes. A first-round playoff exit will bring the critics out in full force, questioning whether Green Bay’s massive financial commitment was premature.

This is Love’s chance to silence the doubters and solidify his status as the Packers’ leader. A strong postseason performance could redefine the narrative surrounding him—and potentially mark the beginning of a new chapter in Green Bay’s storied playoff history.

Zach Tom

Zach Tom’s meteoric rise continues, and as he enters the final year of his rookie deal in 2025, he’s now eligible for a contract extension—a well-deserved one at that. If his regular-season performance is any indicator, the Packers should start preparing the Brinks truck.

Tom has been nothing short of elite this season. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranks as the fourth-best offensive tackle out of 81 qualified players.

For a player who wasn’t even a lock to start at the beginning of training camp in 2023, his ascent has been nothing short of extraordinary. By 2024, he was cemented as the starting right tackle and was expected to be solid. Instead, he’s been a cornerstone, playing at a level Green Bay hasn’t seen from the position in years.

The Packers should be eager to lock Tom up long-term, regardless of his playoff performance. But the postseason offers Tom a chance to elevate his value even further. If he can dominate in high-stakes games against elite pass rushers, his agent will have a field day at the negotiating table.

The stakes are particularly high for Green Bay’s offense. With Christian Watson sidelined, the Packers need Love to be at his best, and that starts with keeping him clean in the pocket. Tom has already proven he can handle the league’s best edge rushers, but doing it under the postseason spotlight would solidify his case to become one of the highest-paid tackles in the NFL.

For Tom, these playoffs aren’t just about helping the Packers advance. They’re about showing he’s not only the present but the future of Green Bay’s offensive line—and ensuring his next contract reflects it.

Brenton Cox Jr.

The Packers’ pass rush has been a mixed bag this season, with high-priced stars like Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark failing to consistently live up to their contracts. Others in the rotation have struggled to pick up the slack, leaving Green Bay searching for answers in one of the most critical areas of their defense.

That’s where Brenton Cox Jr can step up to the plate.

When the Packers traded Preston Smith at the deadline, it was a gamble, a hope that younger players like Cox would rise to the occasion. And that’s exactly what he’s done.

Before the Smith trade, Cox hadn’t logged a single defensive snap. Since then, he’s been a revelation, playing at least 20 snaps in every game and tallying 17 quarterback pressures and four sacks over that span. For an undrafted free agent that was a reclamation project, Cox has turned into a legitimate contributor to Green Bay’s defense.

Cox missed last week’s game against the Bears due to injury, but the Packers are hopeful he can return for the playoffs. If he’s healthy, his role will be crucial. Disrupting opposing quarterbacks is the best way to throw an offense off rhythm, and Cox has proven capable of doing just that.

For Cox, the stakes extend beyond this postseason. He’s auditioning for a more prominent role in 2025 and beyond. Once a five-star recruit whose college career was marred by off-field issues, Cox has rebuilt his narrative with the Packers. A strong playoff showing could cement his place in Green Bay’s plans and perhaps even make him a starter next season.

This postseason isn’t just about helping Green Bay make a run—it’s about Cox proving that he’s a key piece of their defensive future.

Eric Stokes

Before the season began, the Packers made a decisive move: declining Eric Stokes’ fifth-year option, effectively making him an unrestricted free agent after 2024. Based on his performance this season, it’s a decision Green Bay likely doesn’t regret.

Stokes’ play has been a rollercoaster, with more dips than peaks. The most glaring stat is that he hasn’t so much as touched a ball thrown in his direction since his rookie season. That’s over 719 coverage snaps without a single interception or pass breakup. For a first-round pick who flashed promise early in his career, it’s been a stark decline.

This year, Stokes has been shuffled in and out of the rotation, largely due to Jaire Alexander’s extended absence. And while the opportunity was there to stake his claim, the results haven’t inspired confidence. He’s allowed 33 receptions for 326 yards and three touchdowns, with opposing quarterbacks posting a 96.7 passer rating when targeting him.

It’s hard to envision a scenario where Stokes returns to Green Bay next season. The Packers will need to remake the cornerback position and will likely look to address it through the draft or free agency.

However, the playoffs offer Stokes one final opportunity to rewrite the narrative around his 2024 campaign.

For Stokes, it’s not just about helping the Packers in the postseason—it’s about auditioning for his next team. A strong playoff performance could help him secure a fresh start and a multi-year deal elsewhere. Whether he rises to the occasion or fades further into obscurity will determine the trajectory of his NFL future.