The Green Bay Packers' 2025 season ended in heartbreak-and not just your average playoff letdown. Blowing a 21-3 halftime lead in the postseason is brutal no matter who you're facing, but doing it against the Chicago Bears?
That’s a gut punch that’s going to sting in Titletown for a long time. The fallout was immediate and emotional, with fans calling for major changes, including the future of head coach Matt LaFleur.
But while the collapse may define the end of the season, it shouldn’t erase what went right along the way. Because make no mistake-there were some serious bright spots in Green Bay this year.
First and foremost: Jordan Love. The third-year quarterback looked every bit like a franchise cornerstone.
In that playoff loss, he threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns without a single interception. That’s not the stat line of a guy who lost the game-it’s the performance of a quarterback who did everything he could to win it.
Love showed poise, command, and the ability to make every throw on the field. His development is one of the most encouraging storylines to come out of the 2025 season.
Then there’s Micah Parsons. The midseason blockbuster trade that brought him to Green Bay paid immediate dividends.
Before suffering a torn ACL late in the year, Parsons was a one-man wrecking crew: 12.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, and a relentless stream of pressures that disrupted opposing offenses week in and week out. He was everything the Packers hoped for-and more.
But amid the highs and lows, there’s one name that deserves more attention: Tucker Kraft.
It’s easy to forget now, but the first major injury blow the Packers suffered this season came when Kraft tore his ACL against the Carolina Panthers in early November. He played in just eight games before going down-but in those eight games, he made it loud and clear: he’s not just part of the Packers’ future. He is the future.
According to team insider Wes Hodkiewicz, Kraft’s emergence was undeniable. “The guy is the future.
It’s undeniable at this point,” Hodkiewicz said. “He’s the future of the Packers’ offense and he’s the future of NFL tight ends.”
That’s high praise-but it’s backed up by the tape and the numbers. Kraft hauled in 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns in just over half a season.
He averaged a jaw-dropping 15.3 yards per catch, a number that’s exceptional for any receiver-let alone a tight end. And when it came to yards after the catch, Kraft was in a league of his own.
At one point, he led all NFL tight ends in YAC, averaging 10.8 yards after the catch per reception. That’s not just good-it’s game-breaking.
What makes Kraft special isn’t just the stats, though. It’s how he plays.
He’s physical, fast, and fearless. He’s a mismatch nightmare-too quick for linebackers, too strong for defensive backs.
And he brings a kind of edge that fits perfectly with NFC North football. Tough, gritty, and relentless-he plays like he was built for Lambeau.
Before the injury, Kraft was rapidly becoming Jordan Love’s go-to target. That’s no small feat on a team with multiple young weapons. He wasn’t just running routes either-he stayed in to block when needed, showing the kind of versatility that coaches love and defenses hate.
Tight ends have become focal points in modern offenses for a reason-they create chaos for defensive coordinators. And Kraft has all the tools to be the next great one. If he can bounce back from the ACL injury-and all signs point to him being on track-he could be the engine that drives the Packers’ offense for years to come.
The 2025 season didn’t end the way Green Bay wanted. But in the wreckage of that playoff collapse, the foundation for the future is clearly in place.
Jordan Love is ascending. Micah Parsons is a game-changer.
And Tucker Kraft? He might just be the secret weapon that takes this team to the next level.