Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is hoping he and his staff addressed most, if not all, of the issues that plagued them throughout last season.
The Packers opened the year with quarterback Jordan Love going down early due to injury. The second-year starter then battled inconsistency for much of the remainder of the season.
On defense, the pass rush lacked consistency, and injuries continued to pile up, including to now-former Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander, who’s since joined the Baltimore Ravens.
Still, Green Bay managed a third-place finish in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions — the NFC North — and reached the playoffs for the second straight year. But heading into 2025, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin sees the Packers’ depth and durability as major red flags.
“It was one thing for Jordan Love to battle multiple injuries in 2024; it was another for the quarterback to lose practically his entire receiving corps to various ailments by year’s end,” Benjamin wrote. “The Packers did their best to bolster their depth this offseason, spending not one but two early draft picks on receiver help, but at the end of the day, Matt LaFleur needs his arsenal to stay on the field to ensure his steady rate of postseason bids continues. That includes on defense, where Nate Hobbs will be tasked with filling the shoes of the also-oft-banged-up Jaire Alexander.”
The Packers haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Davante Adams in 2021. By drafting Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, they’re hoping to change that, along with supplementing for injuries to last year’s corps. Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson each missed time for a combined six games. As for Hobbs, he may not have Alexander’s talent, but his availability could be a key factor for a defense in need of stability.
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Despite the concerns, Benjamin believes 2025 could mark a turning point for Green Bay — potentially even a return to NFC North supremacy.
“All signs point to a big rebound at Lambeau Field, where Love’s gifted arm can now feed an offense that added two weapons in Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, and still features the bruising Josh Jacobs on the ground,” Benjamin added. “If the pass rush ever truly comes alive for Jeff Hafley’s defense, we might be talking about a Super Bowl contender here, not just head coach Matt LaFleur’s fourth career NFC North crown.”
