The Packers spent the offseason making a point, and the point was pretty clear: they still see themselves as a contender.
That’s not how a lot of national reaction framed it. The outside conversation painted Green Bay’s offseason as a teardown, with plenty of hand-wringing about the talent that walked out the door and a lot of certainty about what it all supposedly means for this year. But from the Packers’ side, the moves read less like panic and more like a team cleaning up its own mess, trimming the roster, and doubling down on the belief that last season’s collapse was about circumstances as much as anything else.
And there was a collapse. The Packers’ 2025 season unraveled late, with injuries piling up and the roster fraying as the year went on.
Tucker Kraft, Micah Parsons, and Zach Tom were the headliners on the injury list, but they were hardly alone. By the time the Packers hit the wildcard round, they were shorthanded and lost to the Bears.
So when the front office started making changes, it didn’t take much digging to see the logic.
Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks were moved out because the Packers were done with the “no number one receivers” era and wanted to slim down the wideout group. They gave extensions to their two most explosive pass catchers and opened the door for their 2025 first-round pick to handle a larger role.
Elgton Jenkins was moved on from because he was old, injured, expensive and, as the source material puts it, disgruntled after spending a year lightly grousing about his position switch. That one, from the Packers’ perspective, hardly seems mysterious.
Rashan Gary was traded because the Cowboys were willing to send a fourth-round pick for a player who rode Micah Parsons’ coat tails for half a season and then disappeared entirely after Parsons went down.
Quay Walker headed to Las Vegas because he was a poor fit for the Packers’ defensive philosophy. Walker basically acknowledged that in his introductory press conference with the Raiders, though in a more complaint-oriented way, when he talked obtusely about his poor fit and usage in Green Bay.
Nate Hobbs was cut because he was rarely healthy last season and wasn’t good when he was. Even when he did suit up, he only got to 20 snaps in a game once after Week 7, and that came on a Packers defense whose secondary was often the main reason games slipped away late.
The Packers are also leaning on the 2026 first-round pick they sent to the Cowboys last year in the Micah Parsons deal. Counting that as a loss without acknowledging what it brought back misses the whole picture. Late first-round picks are a gamble anyway, and the Packers already spent that pick on a player they believe changes the equation.
On top of that, Green Bay is expecting draft picks Brandon Cisse, Chris McClellan and, to a lesser extent, Dani Dennis-Sutton to help patch defensive issues from last year. The free-agent additions of Javon Hargrave and Benjamin St-Juste are part of the same plan. Each move points back to the same goal: address the weak spots, stay in the mix, and keep the window open.
That’s really the story here. The Packers didn’t chase noise this offseason.
They moved on from players they no longer wanted, added help where they thought they needed it, and sharpened the offensive approach they want to carry forward. The message is obvious: they know where things fell apart last season, and they’re betting these changes keep them in contender status.
Will it work? We’ll see.
But the Packers’ own view of this offseason is pretty simple. They believe they’re right where they expected to be all along.
In Other News...
Jordan Love And A Few Surprise Packers Are Turning Heads Early
The first week of Packers training camp has already produced a few early camp storylines worth watching, and a couple of the youngest names on the roster have pushed themselves into the conversation. Matthew Golden and Christian Watson have looked like the most intriguing boundary options so far, giving Green Bay something to evaluate on the outside while Jordan Love has opened camp with sharp ball placement and better command of the offense, including a more visible willingness to use his legs.
J. Michael Sturdivant has also flashed enough to turn heads, even if the inconsistency has kept the picture from getting too clean just yet. The rookie wideout has the kind of talent that can put him in the 53-man roster mix, but the drops remain a real issue as the Packers keep sorting through the bottom of the receiver room, with key pieces like Tucker Kraft and Micah Parsons still not fully in the full-speed mix. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Face A Huge Pass Rush Debate As Crosby Buzz Builds
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Even without an official trade report, the conversation has already drifted into the uncomfortable part for Green Bay: what kind of assets it would take to get a player of Crosbys caliber and whether the team wants to push that kind of chip stack into the middle of the table. Health concerns only make the calculation trickier, and for now the Packers are left staring at a premium-name possibility without any clear sign the debate is close to being settled. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans Still Have One Clear Favorite At No 28
There are plenty of Packers players who have worn No. 28 over the years, but the conversation keeps circling back to Willie Buchanon. The cornerback arrived in Green Bay and quickly became one of the franchises standout defenders, a rare player who checked off accolades the way few others at that number ever have. He remains the only Packers player to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and his run of recognition included two Pro Bowl selections and a league lead in interceptions in 1978.
Buchanons place in team history has only hardened with time, helped along by his 1993 induction into the Packers Hall of Fame. Other names have worn the number, including AJ Dillon and Mike Michalske, but none have built the same rsum or left the same imprint on the defensive side of the ball. For Packers fans sorting through the best to ever wear No. 28, the answer still comes back to the same familiar name. [Read more 🡒]