No team in the NFL has been younger than the Green Bay Packers the last two seasons. It’s a blessing and a curse. The good thing is cheap contracts allow the Packers to build a contending roster. This young core in Green Bay is performing really well too; that’s what will become the curse, as the Packers are going to have to start dishing out contract extensions.
That means the word "urgency," which general manager Brian Gutekunst has been throwing around, couldn’t be more relevant. Green Bay already signed Jordan Love long-term, but a deep receiver room is due for a payday. That means winning now is more important than ever.
The last two seasons have ended up being extremely underwhelming, though. They lost three straight games, lastly a loss in the first round of the NFL playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles. The year before, they were knocked out after whooping the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington.
If they hope to lift a Lombardi trophy with this young core, this might be the season for them to do it. The longer it takes, the less likely it becomes, as roster turnover will start quickly.
The Green Bay Packers’ contending window is closing as young roster starts to age
Even the players understand how important it is for them to capitalize on a shot at a deep playoff run. They also know they’re good enough now to take advantage of it.
“With this type of locker room, where we’ve got pieces all over the board, offense and defense, it just makes that urgency get a little bit more intense, because the only thing that can really stop us is us,” said Packers running back, Josh Jacobs, per a Forbes story. “If we lock in on the things we need to do, if we put the work in, then we’ll reap the benefits.”
When Matt LeFleur took over this team, he was essentially brought in to keep the Packers afloat after their aging core forced their way out of Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers landed in New York and Davante Adams ended up in Las Vegas before reuniting with Rodgers in New York.
For the last few year, the Packers were a production by committee position group. They were young and had a lot of role players. Now with them drafting Matthew Golden, they’re looking to solidify who their top receivers are.
It’s not just a young core on offense either. Their defense has managed to be productive despite being young across the board. But now they’re coming to the realization that things move quickly in this league. They can’t wait around for experience, they have to make the most of what they have now.
The last two seasons were polar opposites of each other. In 2023, the Packers were the hot team that looked like a real contender. Last year, they lost in the first round after a lackluster end to the year. This year, they have to get back to the top and stay there. It’s the only thing that will prove that a few rebuilding years were worth it.
