In this episode of PackersNow, Ben Kurkowski breaks down several key developments in the Green Bay Packers offseason.

First, the Packers were late to hire a new special teams coordinator after Rich Bisaccia stepped down, forcing Green Bay to choose from the final remaining candidate pool. What does the hiring of Cameron Achord mean for the future of Packers special teams?

Next, we examine what may have been the biggest missed opportunity of the offseason. The Jets and Titans completed a trade that sent dominant interior defensive lineman T’Vondre Sweat to the Jets. With the Packers potentially shifting toward a 3-4 defensive front, Sweat would have been a perfect run-stopping presence next to Devonte Wyatt. So why wasn’t Brian Gutekunst involved?

Ben explains why elite defensive linemen are one of the most predictable and impactful positions in the NFL, and why missing out on a player like Sweat could have long-term consequences for the Packers defense.

Finally, we dive into how the Packers can fill several major roster holes without sacrificing valuable compensatory draft picks in 2027. Green Bay is positioned to potentially gain multiple draft selections if they manage free agency strategically.

Potential solutions discussed include:

• Center Tyler Biadasz as a stabilizing option on the offensive line
• Offensive line depth with Mekhi Becton
• Linebacker options like Bobby Okereke, Leo Chenal, or Devin Bush
• Adding another reliable tight end such as Charlie Kolar

Can the Packers improve the roster while still maximizing their compensatory picks next year?

All that and more in this episode of PackersNow.

If you study Super Bowl winners and losers, one pattern shows up every single year:

Bad offensive lines do not win championships.

In this episode, we break down why the Packers should go all in on one major free agent move — and why that move isn’t at corner or defensive tackle.

We dive into:

• The offensive line pattern that keeps deciding Super Bowls

• Why average starters aren’t good enough when it matters most

• The difference between Gutekunst’s 2024 and 2025 free agency strategy

• Why paying for elite talent beats paying for “solid” veterans

• The long-term cap math that makes this move smarter than it looks

• Why protecting Jordan Love must be the priority

The player?

Tyler Linderbaum.

Young. Elite. Durable. Scheme-changing.

If the Packers want to return to dominant, sustainable offense — this is the move.

The Packers keep reshaping their coaching staff — and it matters more than people realize.

Green Bay adds Bobby Babich to the defensive staff alongside Jonathan Gannon, and this hire might be one of the most important moves of the offseason. Babich just led the NFL’s best pass defense in 2025 with limited talent, and now his voice joins Gannon’s as the Packers try to maximize their personnel.

From there, we zoom out.

This episode breaks down why the idea that “rebuilds take years” is mostly false — and how teams like the Seahawks and Patriots proved you can transform a roster in one offseason if you get the details right.

We cover:

• Why the Babich hire is a massive win for Green Bay

• What recent Super Bowl teams got right in free agency

• How value signings quietly flipped entire position groups

• Why creating a floor matters more than chasing stars

• How offensive and defensive lines can be fixed fast

• Which teams are positioned to make a massive leap next season

• Early value free-agent targets at every position

The lesson is simple:
Smart coaching + predictable free-agent value can change everything — fast.

The Packers have their new defensive coordinator.

Green Bay officially hires former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon to replace Jeff Hafley, and while the move wasn’t obvious at first glance, the logic behind it is sound.

In this episode, we break down:

• Why Gannon wasn’t initially on the short list

• How the coaching market and interview timing shaped the decision

• Why top DC candidates were never truly available

• What made Gannon stand out in interviews

• How his adaptability and coverage disguise fit Matt LaFleur’s vision

• Separating Gannon’s Arizona results from roster and injury reality

• Why stability at DC mattered more than upside alone

• The risk of hiring a fast-rising coordinator who leaves after one year

• Why Gannon’s head coaching experience is actually a strength

This wasn’t a panic hire.
It was a calculated one.

Now the focus shifts from who was hired to whether Green Bay can finally get defensive consistency over multiple seasons.

The Packers made the right move.

Green Bay officially extends Matt LaFleur, and despite how the season ended, this was the best possible outcome for the franchise. In today’s NFL, elite offensive head coaches are the most valuable asset in the league — and letting one walk would have guaranteed a downgrade.

In this episode, we break down:

• Why firing LaFleur would have been a massive mistake

• How his win rate, offensive consistency, and QB adaptability separate him from the field

• Why CEO or defensive-minded head coaches create instability long-term

• How expectations vs. results matter more than playoff emotion

• What LaFleur still must fix moving forward

• Why roster construction, not coaching alone, held this team back

Then we turn to the real looming change: the defensive coordinator position.

With Jeff Hafley likely headed to a head coaching job, we evaluate seven realistic DC candidates, including:

• Brian Flores

• Jim Schwartz

• Sean McDermott

• Jim Leonhard

• Aden Durde

• And more

This hire will define the Packers’ Super Bowl window. Getting it wrong again isn’t an option.

Stability is secured at the top.
Now the margin for error disappears.

This one hurts.
After blowing a 21–3 halftime lead and losing 31–27 to the Bears, we break down how a game that was fully under control slipped away, and why it never should have happened.
The passing offense was excellent. Jordan Love played like one of the best quarterbacks in football. We intercepted Caleb Williams twice, shut down one of the league’s best rushing attacks, and dominated the first half in every measurable way.
And then the second half happened.
In this episode, we walk through:
Why abandoning the passing game directly led to four straight punts
How early-down play calling flipped against all available data
Why asking a broken offensive line to “run out the clock” was never realistic
The difference between trusting your quarterback and coaching scared
How personnel failures on the offensive line made success nearly impossible
Why both Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst deserve real scrutiny
How missed kicks and special teams execution finished the collapse
And why injuries, bad luck, and roster construction all intersected at the worst possible moment
This isn’t a reactionary episode calling for firings. It’s a hard evaluation of decision-making, roster philosophy, and why this team, despite being good enough, wasn’t built to withstand mistakes in the biggest moments.
The season ends here. The questions don’t.

It’s official — we’re heading back to Chicago for the Wild Card Round, and this matchup is far more layered than it looks on the surface.

Before diving into the Bears, we address the one mistake from Week 18: playing Javon Bullard in a game that didn’t matter. Health was the priority, and we mostly executed that plan — except when it mattered most. Now we wait to see if that decision costs us on Saturday.

From there, we break down why we’re actually in a strong position entering this game:
• We’re healthier and fresher
• We essentially had a bye while Chicago played for seeding
• We’ve had nearly two full weeks to prepare for this exact matchup

On offense, the data is clear: early-down passing, play action, and short-yardage throws must define the game plan. We explain why throwing is far more efficient than running for this roster, how Christian Watson completely changes both the passing and rushing efficiency, and where Chicago’s secondary is most vulnerable.

Defensively, we dig into how to slow down Caleb Williams without blitzing, why zone coverage is the key, which coverages he struggles against most, and how disguising pressure while rushing three can neutralize his biggest strengths. We also examine the cornerback rotation, Trevon Diggs’ potential role, and why this game should lean heavily into coverage — not aggression.

This episode is about matchups, tendencies, and execution. No emotion. No narratives. Just the clearest path we have to winning at Soldier Field and advancing.

Midweek brought real news — and it forced a reality check.

With Nate Hobbs and Kamal Hadden officially out for the season, the Packers made a surprising but necessary move by claiming Trevon Diggs off waivers. We break down why Green Bay felt compelled to spend real money, why Diggs could realistically start in the playoffs, and how thin the cornerback room truly is right now.

We also address the Ravens loss, but not from a box score perspective. Malik Willis played near flawless football. The offensive game plan worked. The real problems were structural: no center depth, a broken interior offensive line, failed draft investments, and a defensive front that simply cannot survive bully-ball football.

From Sean Rhyan snapping issues, to the inability to stop Derrick Henry, to Rashan Gary’s alarming regression, this episode is about identifying personnel failures, not blaming play calling or effort.

Finally, we shift to what actually matters now: Week 18. With the Packers locked into the 7 seed, we lay out exactly who must sit, who should play, how the roster should be managed, and why this game is about asset protection, health, and information — not winning.

This is a reset episode. Less emotion. More clarity. And a hard look at how the Packers got here.

Despite two of the most crushing losses we’ve experienced as Packers fans, the Packers are officially in the playoffs — and that changes everything.
No matter what happens against the Ravens on Saturday or the Vikings in Week 18, the Packers are guaranteed at least the 7 seed. That reality completely shifts how we should be thinking about injuries, rotations, and risk management heading into January.
We break down what that means for Jordan Love, Zach Tom, Christian Watson, Josh Jacobs, Evan Williams, and several other key players dealing with injuries — and why resting certain guys may actually be the smartest path forward.
Then we preview the Ravens matchup, starting with the massive news that Lamar Jackson is doubtful and Tyler Huntley is expected to start. We dive into how the Packers should defend Derrick Henry, why first and second down will decide this game, and what defensive looks give us the best chance to force Huntley to beat us.
On offense, we look at how the Packers can attack a Ravens defense that lacks pass rush depth, how the run game should be deployed, and why Jayden Reed is positioned for a big bounce back game. We also address the Packers’ recent red zone struggles and what needs to change immediately.
This is the last guaranteed home game. The division is still technically in play. The playoffs are locked in. Now it’s about health, execution, and making sure we peak at the right time.

We just lived through one of the most impossible losses I can remember.

With Jordan Love knocked out on a helmet to helmet hit, Josh Jacobs clearly not right, and the offense forced to lean on Malik Willis in brutal wind, we still had the Bears dead in the water. Our defense played its heart out, we built a 10 point lead late, and at one point we had a 99.5% chance to win.

And then we found every possible way to lose.

We break down the entire game drive by drive: the early conservative first downs, the Bears failed gadget play gift, the missed red zone chances, the Jacobs goal line fumble, the dropped interceptions, the penalties that kept drives alive, and the moment everything collapsed: the dropped onside kick, the miscommunication TD, and the overtime snap drop that set up the dagger.

It felt exactly like 2014 in Seattle: lose the onside kick, give up the late TD, go to OT, and then surrender the bomb to end it.

Now the situation is brutal. We’re battered everywhere: QB, OL, RB, safety, receiver — and the path to the playoffs likely goes through the Ravens and Vikings. We also walk through the scoreboard chaos and the one scenario that could give us hope if other teams start resting starters.

We should’ve won this game five different times. We didn’t. Now we have to survive what’s next.