The Green Bay Packers have successfully transitioned from another future Hall of Fame quarterback to their new franchise signal-caller, Jordan Love. However, general manager Brian Gutekunst isn’t satisfied.
Gutekunst made it clear on Thursday, Jan. 16, that it’s now time for the Packers to take the next step.
Packers Young Roster Ready for Next Step?
“It’s time that we start competing for championships,” he told reporters.
Based on the final rosters from the 2024 season, the Packers possess the youngest roster in the NFL. So, in many ways, they are ahead of the curve after they posted an 11-6 mark during the 2024 campaign.
Although, Green Bay, Wisc., is nicknamed “Titletown” for a reason. The expectation is to win Super Bowl trophies. The Packers have won four of those in their history, along with nine other titles before the Super Bowl era.
Green Bay‘s 13 NFL championships are the most in league history, and it’s evident Gutekunst agrees that the expectation in Green Bay should be Super Bowl titles.
“You always have some disappointments in the year,” Gutekunst said. “I think, for me, the thing that’s been on my mind as we’ve concluded this season is we need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency.
“I think they’re ready.”
With that expectation heading into 2025, it will be interesting to see if the Packers add more veteran experience, particularly on offense. The Packers didn’t have any offensive players 30 years or older start a game in 2024.
Former Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, though, discussed on FanDuel TV’s “Up & Adams” the possibility of returning to Green Bay this offseason. Adams turned 32 in December and will be 33 by the end of the 2025 NFL season.
What do the #Packers NEED to focus on this offseason???
Davante Adams: "It's looking right now like they might need some receiver help in one way or the other… Maybe a veteran or something we'll see."@tae15adams @heykayadams @packers @MSGNetworks | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/xYLISbJFFA
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) January 14, 2025
Difficulty of Contending in the NFC North
Gutekunst wants the Packers to contend more seriously for the Super Bowl immediately, but there’s one obstacle in the way — the NFC North.
The Packers won the division title in eight of the last 12 years when quarterback Aaron Rodgers played in Green Bay. But since Rodgers’ departure, the rest of the division has greatly improved.
Green Bay hasn’t won the NFC North since 2021. Despite winning 11 games, the Packers were third in the division in 2024.
The Packers actually posted a 10-1 record outside the NFC North during the 2024 campaign, but they were just 1-5 inside the division, with their only victory coming against the 5-12 Chicago Bears, splitting the season series against them.
In recent years, NFL owners have discussed potentially changing the playoff format. But as it stands, only division winners get to host playoff games.
The last time the Packers won the Super Bowl, they were a Wild Card team and won three road games to advance to the Super Bowl. However, that’s a much harder path to take to the big game.
The Packers must perform better in the NFC North and win their division to have the best chance of taking the next step, as Gutekunst would like to see.
Of course, that’s easier said than done. The Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings both dominated the division and the rest of the league in 2024. The Lions were tied with the best record in the NFL at 15-2. The Vikings weren’t far behind at 14-3.
The Bears also have the potential to improve next season under a new head coach. Chicago started the 2024 season 4-2 but lost 10 straight games before beating the Packers in the season finale.