The Packers are heading into a stretch that could shape the rest of their season, and the trade deadline is right there in front of them.
Green Bay is 5-3 after a sluggish start, and while the team has started to find its footing, it still sits in last place in the NFC North. With a big game against the New England Patriots this weekend serving as the final matchup before the deadline, the front office has a chance to decide whether it wants to stand pat or make a move.
One name floated as a possible target is Khalil Mack. NFL analyst Moe Moton of Bleacher Report predicted that the Packers would go after the Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher, a move that would instantly change the conversation around Green Bay’s defense.
The Chargers are 0-7, and that kind of start can push a team toward a deadline sell-off. Los Angeles has not made that kind of move yet, but Mack’s age and the state of the roster make him a logical candidate if the team decides to deal veterans.
Mack has still produced this season despite the Chargers’ struggles. He has 21 total tackles, including five for loss, along with three sacks and six quarterback hits. Even on a team that has been a mess overall, he has remained a clear bright spot on defense.
For Green Bay, the appeal is obvious. A player like Mack would give the Packers another proven edge threat, and the fit gets even more interesting with star pass rusher Micah Parsons expected back soon from injury. The idea of Mack and Parsons working together would give the Packers one of the league’s most dangerous defensive pairings.
Mack is not the same player he once was, but that may actually make the fit cleaner in Green Bay. He would not need to carry a huge load; instead, he could settle into the role and operate within the schemes Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon puts together.
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Packers Walk Into A Patriots Moment That Will Dominate This Week
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Brady said he is excited to return to the stadium where so many of his biggest moments unfolded, while Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and others around the organization have been taking stock of the occasion. The conversation around the game has also drifted toward Rob Gronkowskis upcoming Hall of Fame induction, giving this week in Foxborough a distinctly Patriots flavor even before the teams take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Puts Packers On Edge As NFL Wait Continues
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For Green Bay, the uncertainty is the real issue. Jacobs has said he believes in his legal defense and expects to stay on the field for the rest of the season, but the NFL investigation is still ongoing, leaving the team to monitor a case that could continue to hang over its backfield. If the league eventually acts, any suspension would likely be applied against the games he has already missed, which only adds another layer to a situation the Packers would rather not have lingering into the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Kicker Problem Could Force A Move They Rarely Make
The Packers kicking situation has become the kind of problem teams usually try to avoid talking about until it is too late. Trey Smacks struggles this season have put Green Bay in a spot where the margin for error on special teams is getting thinner, and it has opened the door to an unusual kind of roster conversation for this time of year.
One outside suggestion has the Packers looking beyond the usual free-agent shuffle and into the trade market, where a reliable leg can be hard to find. The idea is simple enough: if Green Bay wants more stability, it may have to consider a move it rarely makes, especially with a veteran kicker on a contract year and a team like Indianapolis potentially willing to listen. [Read more 🡒]