The Packers may be riding a three-game winning streak, but the trade deadline noise isn’t going away. With nearly three weeks still to go before the NFL’s cutoff, the market is already moving, and some of the activity elsewhere in the league could end up mattering in Green Bay whether the Packers deal or not.
That’s the backdrop as rumors start to build around clubs that could be willing to listen. Several notable trades have already gone down this season, including moves involving wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., offensive lineman Cam Jurgens, and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. More deals are expected before the deadline arrives.
For Green Bay, the bigger question is whether general manager Brian Gutekunst makes another move of his own. The source material says that possibility shouldn’t be ruled out. Even if the Packers stay quiet, the shifting market around them could still shape what happens next.
One team to watch is Indianapolis, where the Colts have suddenly become much easier to read. The organization fired general manager Chris Ballard earlier this week after a 2-4 start and a divisional loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans. The timing wasn’t shocking given the direction of the season and the pressure that comes with new principal owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon’s win-now approach.
The Colts’ recent major decisions also pointed toward change. Ballard’s tenure included a trade of two first-round picks and a player for cornerback Sauce Gardner, along with an extension for quarterback Daniel Jones, and those moves didn’t produce the kind of return the franchise wanted.
“We have relieved Chris Ballard of his duties as General Manager.”
Irsay-Gordon explained the decision in a team statement: “As I said at the start of the season, the sense of urgency has never been higher. Our standard is to compete for championships, and I believe a change in leadership is necessary to meet that standard,” Irsay-Gordon said in a team statement.
“Making this change during the season was a deliberate decision. Waiting would only delay the important work that needs to begin now.
We will conduct a thorough search for our next general manager and take the time necessary to identify the right leader for the future of this organization.”
In the short term, assistant GM Ed Dodds will run the personnel side on an interim basis. Head coach Shane Steichen remains in place for now, but the source notes that his future is uncertain given the Colts’ losing record and zero playoff appearances during his time there.
That situation has already pushed Indianapolis into a de facto reset, and once that happens, the phone lines usually open. The Colts are expected to hear from teams interested in some of their players, with defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, guard Quenton Nelson, and running back Jonathan Taylor among the names mentioned as possible trade candidates.
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It also helps that Green Bays receiver room has had to absorb a major early-season hit, changing how the offense has distributed targets around Jordan Love. What looked like a race between established stars now has a different feel, because the Packers have gotten steady contributions from a tandem that is forcing a bigger debate about which team actually owns the deepest and most dangerous passing game in the division. [Read more 🡒]
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Matt LaFleur has already made clear he is willing to stand behind Jacobs, framing the situation in terms of second chances and what the Packers believe the running back can still mean on the field. The football side now shifts to Green Bays immediate plans, with Jacobs expected to be available as the Packers prepare for a major divisional test. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Add Receiver As Injuries Force Another Week 7 Shuffle
Another week, another roster adjustment for Green Bay as the Packers continue to juggle their depth chart heading into Week Seven. Linebacker Zaire Franklin is set to miss Sundays game with a shin injury, but the expectation is that his absence will be brief rather than something that lingers into the back half of the season.
The bigger change comes on the receiver side, where Skyy Moore has been placed on injured reserve after suffering an ankle sprain, meaning he will be out for several weeks. To help fill the opening, Green Bay added Coleman Owen from the Indianapolis Colts practice squad and put him on the 53-man roster, another reminder that the Packers are still looking for the right mix of availability and production as injuries keep forcing shuffles. [Read more 🡒]