Ray Nitschke’s No. 66 is one of the easiest calls in Packers history. The number has been worn by a short list in Green Bay, but none of the others come close to matching what Nitschke did in it.
The group is respectable enough: Al Barry, Fred Cone, Ralph Davis, Mike Lewis, Paul Rudzinski, George Svendsen and Deral Teteak all spent time in No. 66.
Svendsen wore it for the final two seasons of his five-year run in Green Bay, Cone used it as a rookie before moving to No. 31, and Teteak had it for his entire five-year stretch with the club. But this is Nitschke’s number through and through.
His path to Green Bay started with a dream of landing in Chicago. A Cook County native, he starred at Illinois and earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors in 1957.
When the 1958 NFL Draft arrived, he badly wanted the Bears to call his name. Instead, the Packers took him in the third round at No. 36 overall.
That draft became a franchise gold mine. Green Bay came away with Nitschke, Jim Taylor and Jerry Kramer, all of whom ended up in Canton. The Packers also opened the draft with linebacker Dan Currie, who was no throwaway pick either, earning a Pro Bowl nod and two All-Pro selections.
Nitschke didn’t even begin his Packers career in No. 66.
He wore No. 33 as a rookie, then switched to 66 in 1959, Vince Lombardi’s first year in Titletown. He also didn’t become a full-time starter until 1962, but that hardly means he was sitting on the sidelines.
He started both the 1960 and 1961 NFL Championship Games, and in Green Bay’s 37-0 win over the New York Giants in the second of those title games, he intercepted a pass in the Packers’ first championship in 17 years.
Once he took over as the team’s starting middle linebacker in 1962, the production and recognition followed. He earned Second-Team All-Pro honors that season and then delivered one of his biggest playoff performances in the 1962 NFL Championship Game against the Giants, when he recovered two fumbles and knocked down a pass that led to an interception in a 16-7 Green Bay victory. He was named MVP of that game.
From there, Nitschke became the center of a Packers defense loaded with future Hall of Famers. He made the All-Pro team four years in a row from 1964 through 1967, and those seasons lined up with the final three of Green Bay’s five titles during his career. The last two came in the first two Super Bowls.
He was built for the biggest stages. In the AFL-NFL World Championship Game after the 1966 season, Nitschke posted six tackles and a sack in a 35-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. The next year, in a 33-14 victory over the then-Oakland Raiders, he led the Packers in tackles.
Lombardi’s departure after the 1967 season didn’t end Nitschke’s role. He stayed in the starting lineup for all three years under Phil Bengtson. His workload finally dropped when Dan Devine took over in 1971, and Nitschke started only three games over his final two seasons before retiring ahead of the 1973 campaign.
For all the intimidation he brought, Nitschke also made plays on the ball. He finished with 25 interceptions, tied with John Anderson for the most by a Packers linebacker and good for a tie for 12th in franchise history.
His résumé speaks for itself: Packers Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, a place on both the NFL’s 50th and 75th Anniversary All-Time Teams, and a retired No. 66 in Green Bay in 1983. He was the only linebacker named to both all-time anniversary teams.
And yes, he once wanted to do all of that in a Bears uniform. Chicago passed on him, then landed Dick Butkus six years later. Butkus may have the individual awards edge, but Nitschke’s five rings make the argument pretty simple.
In Other News...
Romeo Doubs Just Sparked A New Packers Debate
Romeo Doubs first game with the Patriots offered a familiar reminder of why his departure from Green Bay still invites debate. Brought in during the 2026 offseason on a four-year deal, Doubs stepped into a receiving group dealing with injuries and immediately saw action in a recent game, drawing three targets as New England tried to piece together its passing game.
For Packers fans, the performance landed in that awkward middle ground where the old questions never quite go away. Doubs had one drop and one interception on the night, a rough enough debut to keep the focus on his fit and his reliability, but also a sample that feels too small to settle anything. Green Bays decision to move on from him remains part of the conversation, and this outing only adds another layer to it. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Week 1 Depth Chart Hints At Whos Winning Key Job Battles
The Packers first unofficial depth chart after roster cutdowns offered an early snapshot of how several of the roster battles appear to be shaking out heading into Week 1. Jacob Monk is penciled in at right guard, a notable sign for an offensive line spot that drew plenty of attention through camp and the preseason, while Barryn Sorrell is projected to line up opposite Lukas Van Ness at edge rusher.
Keisean Nixon also appears to be holding onto a starting cornerback job, even with fresh competition arriving through the draft and free agency. None of it is official, of course, but the chart does reflect what Green Bay saw throughout the summer and gives a useful read on which players have done enough to put themselves in position for opening week. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Defense Faces A Real Identity Debate Under Jeff Hafley
The Packers defense has already shown plenty of new wrinkles under Jeff Hafley, but the bigger question may be how willing Green Bay is to change its personnel habits to match what offenses are doing. Seattle has leaned hard into five defensive backs when opponents go with two or fewer receivers, using that grouping on 81 percent of those snaps, the highest rate in the league. Green Bay, by comparison, has gone in the opposite direction, using that look on only 14 percent of such plays, which is second-lowest in the NFL.
That contrast speaks to a broader identity debate between coaches who see the same modern passing game through different lenses. Jonathan Gannons approach with the Seahawks has emphasized flexibility, and Nick Emmanworis ability to move between slot and linebacker roles gives Seattle a kind of matchup freedom that few defenses can copy cleanly. For Hafley and the Packers, the challenge is figuring out how much of that adaptability belongs in their own version of the defense, and how far they are willing to go to get there. [Read more 🡒]