GREEN BAY — With Green Bay officially clinching a playoff berth and still chasing the best possible positioning heading into January, the Packers are believed to be considering a very “practical” Week 17 approach:

resting two key starters — strictly to avoid any playoff-threatening injury damage in a late-December game that can turn on one bad collision.

The logic is simple. This time of year is about survival. And when the bigger goal is the postseason, contenders often choose to

manage risk rather than push starters into unnecessary 50–50 moments that can change an entire playoff run in one snap.

The first key starter Green Bay could “stash” is WR Christian Watson

— a field-stretcher who changes spacing, forces coverage adjustments, and can flip a game with one explosive play. Watson is currently listed as questionable (shoulder/illness), making the “protect him for January” decision feel even more realistic.

The second key starter the Packers could shut down is OL Zach Tom — a cornerstone on the edge who has been listed questionable (back/knee) after not practicing this week. If there’s one position you protect at all costs entering the playoffs, it’s the offensive line — because losing a tackle at the wrong moment can collapse an entire postseason plan.

And what makes the storyline even more interesting is the “why now.” Baltimore is expected to be without Lamar Jackson (listed doubtful), which can change the risk calculus on Green Bay’s side — not because the Ravens are harmless, but because the game’s shape can look different without their MVP-level engine.

But the real twist comes next: Green Bay would use this window to elevate two rookies — and finally give them a true opportunity in a real NFL environment.

The first is

WR Will Sheppard, a rookie who is on the roster but has yet to record a catch or any receiving production on his 2025 stat line. If Watson is protected, Sheppard becomes the perfect “low-risk, high-curiosity” evaluation — can he win a route, play assignment-clean football, and earn trust when the game is still real?

The second is C Jacob Monk, the rookie lineman who, based on his official log, has only preseason game entries listed — meaning he hasn’t logged a regular-season appearance on that stat record yet. In a week where illness/injuries have touched multiple spots up front, giving Monk controlled reps is exactly the kind of move teams make so their first evaluation isn’t forced during a playoff emergency.

This is the classic late-season contender gamble: not rewriting the playbook — just testing pieces when the surrounding conditions feel safer. Sheppard doesn’t need to explode to “win.” Monk doesn’t need to take someone’s job. They just need to look playable — assignment-clean, penalty-disciplined, and calm under pressure.

Of course, Green Bay won’t frame it as experimenting for the sake of it. They still want the win, still want momentum, and still want Lambeau to feel like a playoff runway.

But the formula remains the same:

control the game — while protecting the roster to avoid postseason fallout.

If everything breaks right, the Packers get multiple wins at once: two key starters get timely protection

, two rookies finally get “real reps,” and Green Bay adds two more evaluation points before the postseason grind begins.