After two seasons of building up the roster following the end of the Aaron Rodgers era, the time is now for the Green Bay Packers to hit the “go” button and make a Super Bowl charge.
General manager Brian Gutekunst declared at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign that the Packers needed to ramp up their sense of urgency and get back to competing for championships. He set the tone the week before the regular season with a blockbuster trade, vaulting Green Bay firmly into contention for top spot in not only the NFC North, but the wider conference overall.
Here are six reasons why the Packers can win it all in 2025:
A quarterback with no limitations
Jordan Love was supposed to take the next step in 2024, but his season was curtailed by multiple injuries which cost him playing time and left him compromised when he did manage to suit up.
Entering his third campaign as Green Bay’s starting quarterback, Love has no meaningful physical limitations – despite having surgery to repair the thumb on his non-throwing hand earlier this summer – and looks to have a vice-like grasp of Matt LaFleur’s offense.
Beyond just his improved health, Love is a quarterback who has no physical limitations to his game. He can make any throw at any time, while also possessing the mobility required by modern day QBs. That part of his game was noticeably limited in 2024. He ran the ball once every 21 snaps in 2023, compared to once every 35 last year.
There are still things to clean up with Love’s game, such as his accuracy on routine throws, and he has yet to put together a full season of the elite play he has displayed in stretches.
But there is nothing holding him back from becoming one of the top five or so quarterbacks in the league in 2025, and that is arguably the biggest contributor to the Packers being true contenders.
Premier pass blocking
One of Love’s superpowers is that he is incredibly hard to sack, ranking in the top five in pressure-to-sack rate in each of the last two seasons.
His ability to get the ball out from any arm angle is a huge part of that, but he is also fortunate to play behind a consistently strong offensive line, particularly in pass protection.
Green Bay’s organizational philosophy to continually invest in the offensive line, as well as their knack for finding mid-to-late round gems and polishing them up, has consistently paid off over the years, going back well before Gutekunst’s tenure.
It is rare to find a bad team with a good offensive line. A strong barrier in front of the quarterback is essential for success in the NFL, and the Packers have made it a priority. Since 2014, Green Bay has ranked no lower than 10th in PFFs team pass blocking rankings in each and every season.
After drafting Jordan Morgan – who seems to be coming along nicely – in the first round in 2024, more investments were made this offseason, replacing the underwhelming Josh Myers with Aaron Banks on a big-money deal, and drafting Anthony Belton in the second round.
The ceiling of the group is TBD, but between Morgan, Banks, Belton, Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom, the Packers have the kind of depth to ensure that their pass pro floor is once again a group capable of winning a title.
Josh Jacobs
The Packers offensive line has not traditionally been as dominant in run blocking, but ultimately, that is what they pay the running back for, and in Josh Jacobs, they have one of the best in the league, especially when it comes to making something out of adequate-at-best blocking.
Teams have won the Super Bowl with far less talent at running back, and it is not a prerequisite to competing, but the Eagles showed last year how much a star rusher can supercharge an offense.
Looking to follow up a 1,400-yard, 16-touchdown season on the ground, carrying the offense for much of the year, Jacobs can be a force multiplier for the Packers in 2025.
A wealth of pass catching options
It looks as though Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are on course to be back from injury in time for week one, giving Jordan Love almost a full complement of weapons, with only Christian Watson currently out of action.
In Wicks’ absence, rookie first-round pick Matthew Golden has taken full advantage and according to the Packers’ unofficial depth chart, is already a starter following an impressive first training camp. Green Bay may have the next instant star wide receiver on their hands.
Third-rounder Savion Williams is also back at practice after an injury-plagued summer, and Romeo Doubs will continue to be a steady presence for the offense. Watson could return as early as week six from his knee injury, giving the Packers an impressive variety of options.
At tight end, Matt LaFleur may finally be able to reap the rewards of his two talented tight ends, with Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave both healthy.
That has been a rarity through their first two years in the league, and Musgrave looks primed to take a step and add a seam-stretching element to the Packers offense.
The plethora of young pass catching options in Green Bay not only provides depth, but the possibility that one or multiple of them could break out and become upper echelon players at their position in 2025.
Micah Parsons
On the defensive side, a quality pass rush is arguably the most critical element to contending for a Super Bowl, and the Packers received a huge shot in the arm in that regard when the team traded for All-Pro defender Micah Parsons last week.
Parsons is one of the truly elite pass rushers in the game, posting at least 12 sacks in each of his first four years in the league, and 52.5 in total.
More than just the production Parsons himself should provide, the knock on effect his presence should have on Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness and Devonte Wyatt, in terms of the matchups they see, could be immense.
With Parsons on the edge, Edgerrin Cooper at linebacker and Xavier McKinney patrolling the back end, the Packers could have stars at every level of their defense in 2025.
Matt LaFleur and Jeff Hafley
Aside from the players on the field, Green Bay are also fortunate to have two of the best play callers in the NFL on both the offensive and defensive side.
LaFleur’s offenses are consistently some of the most efficient and explosive in the league, while Jeff Hafley was extremely impressive in his first season as an NFL defensive coordinator.
Green Bay’s head coach masterfully kept the team afloat with Malik Willis at quarterback, and now with a healthy quarterback and every flavor of skill player at his disposal, should bring to life one of the top offenses in football once again in 2025.
Hafley’s ability to adjust on the fly throughout the year and not only work around a pass rush which was underperforming and a secondary which was beaten up, but still produce one of the best ten defenses in the league, cannot be overlooked.
With Parsons in the mix, Hafley should have the option of calling a simpler defense, trusting the front four to get home, but the versatility of Parsons also gives him the option to get even more creative than he was a year ago and put opposing offenses in a blender.
#reasons #Packers #win #Super #Bowl