The Green Bay Packers have navigated the waters of transformational change at the quarterback position before, having crossed over from the Brett Favre era into Aaron Rodgers territory. The franchise is in the process again, moving on from Rodgers to Jordan Love — and doing so rather swimmingly.
After leading Green Bay to a surprising playoff berth and Wild Card Round victory in his first season as a starter, the Packers signed Love to a four-year, $220 million contract extension, tying the highest-paid contract in NFL history.
The Packers have given Love their confidence, the keys to the offense, and now a lot of money and security.
You know what they say: To whom much is given, much is expected.
Will Jordan Love’s Next Step Nudge Green Bay Packers Over Detroit Lions in NFC North?
At the beginning of last season, Love had virtually no significant NFL experience. The Packers were learning to live without Rodgers, who had been their starter for 15 of his 18 seasons in Green Bay.
At the end of the last season, Love helped Green Bay build a 21-14 lead over the San Francisco 49ers heading into the fourth quarter in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. Though the Niners prevailed and the Packers faltered in the final 15 minutes, you can certainly excuse Green Bay for coming away feeling optimistic about its long-term future with Love under center.
Now, at the beginning of the 2024 campaign, Green Bay has taken subsequent steps to reshape the roster in the post-Rodgers era. Other Packers stalwarts on offense have departed, and younger players have replaced them.
Defensively, it’s not just the players who are changing. There’s a new scheme designer and play-caller in charge as defensive coordinator, and that has also fostered optimism for the future.
Jeff Hafley was hired early in the offseason to replace Joe Barry, who Green Bay fired following last season. Hafley is charged with melding the remaining veterans on the roster with an impressive and deep crop of young talent on the defensive side of the ball.
It all comes down to the pursuit of … the Detroit Lions. Yes, the Detroit Lions.
These are not your father’s Lions. Detroit dominated the NFC North in 2023, winning the division by three games. The Lions, too, have been diligent about improving the roster, so it’ll take a significant step forward for Green Bay to catch them.
But taking a significant step forward may be just exactly what the Packers are about to do.
Packers’ Projected Depth Chart
Quarterback (2)
Starter: Jordan Love
Backup: Sean Clifford
Running Back (3)
Starter: Josh Jacobs
Backups: AJ Dillon, MarShawn Lloyd
Wide Receiver (6)
Starters: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed
Backups: Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, Samori Toure
Tight End (4)
Starter: Luke Musgrave
Backup: Tucker Kraft, Ben Sims, Tyler Davis
Offensive Line (10)
Starters: Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jordan Morgan, Zach Tom
Backups: Andre Dillard, Royce Newman, Jacob Monk, Sean Rhyan, Kadeem Telfort
Defensive Line (8)
Starters: Rashan Gary, T.J. Slaton, Kenny Clark, Preston Smith
Backups: Kingsley Enagbare, Karl Brooks, Devonte Wyatt, Lukas Van Ness
Linebacker (6)
Starters: Quay Walker, Eric Wilson, Isaiah McDuffie
Backups: Ty’Ron Hopper, Edgerrin Cooper, Kristian Welch
Cornerback (6)
Starters: Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon
Backups: Corey Ballentine, Carrington Valentine, Kalen King
Safety (5)
Starters: Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard
Backups: Evan Williams, Anthony Johnson Jr., Benny Sapp III
Specialists (3)
Kicker: Anders Carlson
Punter: Daniel Whelan
Longsnapper: Matt Orzech
Packers’ Roster Changes
The youth movement on the Packers roster over the past two offseasons has not been exclusive to the quarterback position or even to the offense. Yes, the Love-for-Rodgers swap out is most notable, but other stalwarts at key spots have been allowed to leave and then replaced by younger players with fewer accomplishments but more potential.
Aside from QB, the most pronounced position at which this has happened is at running back, where Aaron Jones is out and Jacobs is in.
Jones had 8,016 yards from scrimmage and 63 touchdowns for Green Bay in his seven seasons, but he’ll turn 30 in December, which is likely why the parties went their separate ways.
Jacobs is equally, if not more, explosive and turned 26 in February.
The Packers’ offensive line has seen similar changes.
Left tackle and David Bakhtiari have been synonymous for years in Green Bay. But that is no longer the case, as Bakhtiari remains a free agent, with 2022 seventh-rounder Rasheed Walker being tabbed as his replacement. Green Bay also utilized a first-round pick this year on Jordan Moses, who is set to replace veteran Jon Runyan.
It’s the same story on defense. Veterans such as linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and safety Darnell Savage were allowed to leave. Meanwhile, Green Bay inked the 25-year-old former New York Giants safety McKinney to a monster deal. It also allocated two second-round picks (and one pick in the third and fourth rounds) on players who will be starters or primary backups this season.
Players Added:
- OT Andre Dillard
- RB Josh Jacobs
- K Greg Joseph
- S Xavier McKinney
Players Lost:
- OT David Bakhtiari
- LB De’Vondre Campbell
- TE Josiah Deguara
- RB Aaron Jones
- OT Yosh Nijman
- S Jonathan Owens
- OG Jon Runyan
- S Darnell Savage
2024 Draft Class
- 1st Round, 25th Pick: OL Jordan Moses
- 2nd Round, 45th Pick: LB Edgerrin Cooper
- 2nd Round, 58th Pick: S Javon Bullard
- 3rd Round, 88th Pick: RB MarShawn Lloyd
- 3rd Round, 91st Pick: LB Ty’Ron Hopper
- 4th Round, 111th Pick: S Evan Williams
- 5th Round, 163rd Pick: OL Jacob Monk
- 5th Round, 169th Pick: S Kitan Oladapo
- 6th Round, 202nd Pick: OL Travis Glover
- 7th Round, 245th Pick: QB Michael Pratt
- 7th Round, 255th Pick: CB Kalen King
Packers’ Coaching Staff
The biggest change to Matt LaFleur’s staff in Green Bay this season was on defense, where he selected Hafley, the former Boston College head coach who also has seven years of NFL coaching experience, to take over. The change at coordinator led to other changes on the coaching staff roster on defense.
- Matt LaFleur, Head Coach
- Rich Bisaccia, Assistant Head Coach, Special Teams Coordinator
- Jeff Hafley, Defensive Coordinator
- Adam Stenavich, Offensive Coordinator
- Luke Butkus, Offensive Line Coach
- Tom Clements, Quarterbacks Coach
- John Dunn, Tight Ends Coach
- Eddie Gordon, Assistant Offensive Line Coach
- Rob Grosso, Offensive Quality Control Coach
- Connor Lewis, Assistant Quarterbacks Coach
- Ryan Mahaffey, Wide Receivers Coach
- Sean Mannion, Offensive Assistant
- Ben Sirmans, Running Backs Coach
- Jason Vrable, Passing Game Coordinator
- Myles White, Coaching Assistant (Minority Fellowship)
- Derrick Ansley, Passing Game Coordinator (Defense)
- Anthony Campanile, Linebackers/Running Game Coordinator
- Wendel Davis, Defensive Quality Control Coach
- Ryan Downard, Defensive Backs Coach
- Sean Duggan, Defensive Assistant
- Vince Oghobaase, Assistant Defensive Line Coach
- Anthony Perkins, Defensive Quality Control Coach
- Jason Rebrovich, Defensive Line Coach
- Byron Storer, Assistant Special Teams Coach
- Kyle Wilber, Special Teams Quality Control Coach
Packers’ 2024 Schedule
Green Bay begins and ends the regular season in splashy fashion, meeting the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil to kick off the season on Friday, Sept. 6. The Packers’ late-season schedule includes prime-time games in Week 13 through Week 16 before contests in Minnesota and at home against Chicago to close out the slate.
With the scheduling formula pitting the Packers against the NFC West and AFC South this season, plus the fact that they play second-place teams from the NFC East and NFC South, it won’t be an easy path. But in reality, there are no easy schedules in the parity-crazed NFL.
According to Pro Football Network’s NFL Strength of Schedule Rankings, the Packers’ slate this season is the 13th-hardest.
- Week 1: at Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil (Fri. 9/6 at 8:15 p.m. on Peacock)
- Week 2: vs Indianapolis Colts (Sun. 9/15 at 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 3: at Tennessee Titans (Sun. 9/22 at 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 4: vs Minnesota Vikings (Sun. 9/29 at 1:00 p.m. on CBS)
- Week 5: at Los Angeles Rams (Sun. 10/6 at 4:25 p.m. on CBS)
- Week 6: vs Arizona Cardinals (Sun. 10/13 at 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 7: vs Houston Texans (Sun. 10/20 at 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 8: at Jacksonville Jaguars (Sun. 10/27 at 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 9: vs Detroit Lions (Sun. 11/3 at 4:25 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 10: BYE
- Week 11: at Chicago Bears (Sun. 11/17 at 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 12: vs San Francisco (Sun. 11/24 at 4:25 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 13: vs Miami Dolphins on Thanksgiving (Thurs. 11/28 at 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
- Week 14: at Detroit Lions (Thurs. 12/5 at 8:15 p.m. on PRIME)
- Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks (Sun. 12/15 at 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
- Week 16: vs New Orleans Saints (Mon. 12/23 at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN)
- Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings (Sun. 12/29 at 1:00 p.m. on FOX)
- Week 18: vs Chicago Bears (Sun. 1/5)
2024 Season Prediction for the Packers
It’s nearly impossible to dislike the approach Green Bay’s front office and coaching staff have taken to reshaping the roster. It’s never easy to move on from a future Hall of Fame quarterback, but it’s always important to do it prudently and with intention.
Green Bay has done just that by identifying the replacement (Love) and then by investing resources into developing an infrastructure around the player that will put him in a position to succeed.
The youth movement is on in Green Bay. While some cagey veterans remain on the roster to provide leadership, the depth chart is complete with ascending players and those who are smack dab in the middle of their prime.
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Expect Love to air the football out this year, spreading targets to one of the youngest, yet most promising, wide receiver corps in the NFL. Jacobs, a dual threat at running back, will be there to balance out the attack while adding in his own explosive plays.
A 4,000-yard passing season for Love and a 1,500-scrimmage yard, 10-touchdown output from Jacobs is in play for LaFleur’s group. Reed is poised for a true breakout season. Defenses must pay respect to Doubs and Watson on the outside, which gives LaFleur and Love plenty of opportunity to scheme up opportunities for Reed, who can line up anywhere on the field.
Defensively, Hafley has the talent he needs to create chaos for opposing offenses.
The defensive line is stout and features a pass-rushing duo in Gary and Smith that produced 17.0 sacks last season. At linebacker, Walker has the potential to be a game-wrecker. In the back end, McKinney figures to solidify a group of young defensive backs that includes a true shutdown corner in Alexander.
Record Prediction: 12-5 (1st Place in the NFC North)
