Players to watch in Sunday’s meaningless game at Minnesota

There are zero implications for the rest of the Green Bay Packers season based on what happens on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t be an excellent opportunity for some intriguing players lower on the depth chart to put up some good film.

Despite Jordan Love being cleared from concussion protocol, head coach Matt LaFleur announced that third-string QB Clayton Tune will be starting in Week 18. That’s a clear indication that the vast majority of starters will be resting to prep for the wild card round against either the Chicago Bears or Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s almost impossible to come up with clear takeaways from a game like Sunday, but here are a few players near the bottom of the roster to keep an eye on.

Matthew Golden, WR

A crowded wide receiver room has limited Matthew Golden’s opportunities for a breakout game, but he might finally see some heavy usage in Week 18.

Golden has only been targeted 41 times this season and has yet to record his first career touchdown. However, some of the underlying metrics suggest that the Packers first-round pick has still been playing at a high level. He’s been particularly effective against Man coverage at getting open, ranking second among rookies in both win rate and separation score.

Tune was Golden’s quarterback during his freshman season at Houston, and with Green Bay’s top receivers likely resting on Sunday, this could finally be the first-round rookie’s opportunity to put up some strong numbers in Week 18.

Collin Oliver, EDGE

Another rookie to keep an eye on, Collin Oliver is expected to make his season debut after spending all of training camp and the first 17 weeks of the regular season rehabbing from a hamstring injury.

Oliver only played two games during his senior year at Oklahoma State due to a foot injury, but the flashes on his college tape made him an intriguing late-round pickup by Brian Gutekunst and the Packers front office. Although he is a smaller pass rusher, his college tape showed impressive athleticism and fluidity to bend around the edge and win in a variety of ways.

It’s unlikely that Oliver will see a heavy workload making his NFL debut, but the fact that he’s back on the field is exciting, and his Packers teammates have been hyping him up as “Baby Micah”, so fans should be sure to monitor whenever he’s on the field to see what he’s capable of.

Ty’Ron Hopper, LB

There are a lot of questions about the future of the linebacker room for the Packers. Despite offseason optimism that the Packers would sign Quay Walker to a long-term extension, a deal hasn’t been done, and the former first-round pick is now at risk of hitting the open market in free agency.

If Walker and the Packers can’t work out a deal, then second-year linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper would be in line for a potential starting role in 2026. While primarily a special teams contributor, Hopper showed some brief flashes in limited stints on defense this year, and Sunday could be a bigger opportunity to see what he’s capable of.

It’ll only be one game, but if Hopper can play well, it could make the Packers a bit more willing to move on from Walker if they can’t work out a long-term deal.