It’s difficult to script a better start to the season for the Green Bay Packers.
A humbling playoff loss and a lack of significant personnel upgrades led to lukewarm levels of enthusiasm for the NFL’s youngest team heading into 2025. One blockbuster trade and two commanding victories over NFC contenders later, they are the talk of the town. Shiny new toy Micah Parsons is already wreaking havoc as a chess piece for future head coach Jeff Hafley, and Tucker Kraft is introducing himself to the nation on the offensive end. It’s definitely early, but it’s also abundantly clear that Green Bay will be a buzzsaw moving forward.
General manager Brian Gutekunst spent a lot of time thinking about the Wild Card loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, and it showed as he went about his spring. Many fans and media members expressed concern about the cornerback room, particularly after the team released Jaire Alexander.
Instead, Gutekunst opted to push his chips into offensive line depth, along with the addition of Matthew Golden. Veteran guard Aaron Banks and second-round rookie Anthony Belton joined what was already a solid starting five, along with 2024 first-rounder Jordan Morgan. On the eve of roster cuts, Gutekunst brought one final piece into the fold: three-time Super Bowl champion Darian Kinnard. Green Bay went back to the scene of last January’s crime, landing the former Eagle amidst dissatisfaction with the back of the OL bench.
Those moves immediately came into play. Star lineman Zach Tom, fresh off an $88 million extension, and Banks, who signed for $77 million of his own, sustained Week 1 injuries and were unavailable on the short week. Morgan and Belton started in their places, alongside regulars Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan, and Rasheed Walker.
On the opening drive, Jordan Love drove the offense down the field, but a holding penalty on Belton negated a gorgeous Jayden Reed touchdown and led to a turnover on downs. The next possession, Belton was out, and Kinnard was in. Matt LaFleur made it clear that he was not messing around and is ready to turn the page at any moment and go deeper into the bag of depth that Gutekunst gave him.
The pair continued to switch off for the remainder of the game, with the rookie surprisingly having the edge, logging 46 offensive snaps to Kinnard’s 17. That came after Kinnard received the bulk of the work when Tom went down in Week 1. With Tom reportedly dealing with a torn oblique, the depth will potentially be just as busy in the coming weeks.
Despite the early attrition, the line held up quite well on Thursday in what was another dominant victory. The defense, led by No. 1, is owning most of the headlines, but the offense also had a controlling night. Love went 16 for 22 for 241 yards and two scores when kept clean, according to PFF. Belton and Kinnard stepped up, allowing zero pressures on their combined 63 snaps.
PFF graded Morgan’s night a bit more harshly. The second-year product was Green Bay’s worst-graded offensive player, at a 41 rating. He allowed two hurries and blocked poorly in the running game, contributing to a rare inefficient night on the ground for Josh Jacobs. It’s not great, but it’s also not super alarming. Morgan turned in a strong preseason that led to a legitimate backdoor competition for left tackle with Walker. He’s a toolsy work in progress, which is typical for Gutekunst’s taste. Still, I would say his contrarian allocation of draft and salary capital at the position as a whole is looking pretty good.
After establishing themselves as true title contenders, next on Green Bay’s list is to take care of business on the road as they settle into the long season ahead. They also have some healing up to do, with Reed joining Christian Watson on the shelf after sustaining a broken collarbone on the unfortunately negated touchdown. Just two games in, the Packers are dealing with thin wide receiver and offensive line rooms.
One thing that hasn’t come up as an issue? Cornerback. Many fans and media were concerned about the cornerback room following Alexander’s departure. Keisean Nixon has answered the bell and silenced the naysayers.
Gutekunst and the front office have been putting together this puzzle since the day Love was drafted three years ahead of time in Roger Goodell’s basement. It’s not just Micah Parsons; this team is deep, talented, and young. An expedient, effective, and lightning-fast rebuild has emerged from Gutekunst’s vision, and he continues to be proven right early on.