Thank Goodness Packers Football is Almost Back
The answers to off-season questions can begin to emerge. (And Sundays have meaning again.)
By Kevin Gibson
The NFL offseason can be a lonely, dismal time. But on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. EST, life becomes bright again for Green Bay Packers fans.
Packers fans have navigated quite a wavy sea since Jan. 12 and that ugly 22-10 playoff ouster at the hands of eventual Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles. Following Jordan Love’s three-interception performance while trying to run the offense minus some key weapons, there was the high of the first-ever draft in Green Bay, the first wide receiver taken in the first round since 2002 and the heartwarming story of Barryn Sorrell’s long wait to be drafted.
Then there was the rollercoaster of fan favorite cornerback Jaire Alexander’s injury and eventual exit from Green Bay. Of course, just last week, as training camp was drawing to a close, the bombshell trade for Micah Parsons blew away the NFL landscape.
Talking heads and fans alike have pontificated on what lies ahead, which is part of what the off-season is about. We endure it the best we can and keep one eye closed when looking at Twitter or X or whatever it's called these days. But starting Sunday, we can sit back and enjoy the spectacle that is professional football. And cheer. Only starting then will questions begin to be answered.
Will Jordan Love take another step in proving he’s the long-term answer under center? Not everyone is convinced of it.
Will his receivers catch the ball?
Will Marshawn Lloyd ever get on the field?
Do Kesiean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Nate Hobbs (when healthy, ahem) have what it takes to lead the cornerbacks room?
Will Edgerrin Cooper emerge into a Pro Bowler (or even All-Pro) as most believe he will?
Collectively, can the Packers take back the NFC North?
Will Jeff Hafley’s pass rush be more consistent with the addition of Parson? (OK, we probably can feel pretty good about that one.)
Finding out the answers to all these what-ifs is part of the fun, and part of the satisfaction week after week is that Sundays again have meaning for hardcore Packers fans. Sundays aren’t just about washing your car or mowing the lawn anymore, starting this weekend. It’s time to don your favorite Packers gear, pour your favorite beverage into your green and gold pint glass (or rocks glass) and bust out the brats.
And this Sunday, we’re going to start seeing the answers to all the above questions, and more, emerge. How the Packers fare at home against the Detroit Lions is going to be the beginning of the litmus test for how much ground the team has gained on its division rival (if any). And while the Lions have lost some key coaches and have new faces on the interior offensive line, dominating linebacker Aidan Hutchinson is back on the field following a broken leg last season in Week 6. The Packers are going to have a fight on their hands -- the Lions have won six of the last seven meetings, after all.
Last season, the Packers finished on a sour note, losing an ugly game to the Bears in Week 18 followed by the quick playoff exit. Hopes are now reborn. Let’s enjoy the ride, because it’s going to be over much sooner than we want it to be. And let’s hope the upcoming season ultimately ends the way we believe it can.
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Kevin Gibson is a professional writer and author based in Louisville, Ky. He's also a former sports writer who covered high school, college and professional sports, a Packers shareholder and a fan since 1975. Even John Hadl couldn't break him. Follow him on Twitter: @kgramone
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Comments (33)
dblbogey
September 05, 2025 at 02:16 pm
I've been seeing 2026 draft predictions for 3 months now. Thank God the 2025 season has finally started. I will let you know my predictions for the Packers season in 18 weeks. Go Pack Go.
murf7777
September 05, 2025 at 03:46 pm
I'm wondering whether Golden will come out and look like a #1 WR that we have been missing since Adams. So, question to you all. Should I start Golden or Swift in my Fantasy team? Is Golden going to come out hot? As a side note, I will have Love as my QB. Looking for the big hook up.
LambeauPlain
September 05, 2025 at 04:43 pm
Golden does not have to be #1...yet like Watson, he's a the Flash with great hands who can burn you deep. So he will need to be accounted for.
Love will still target Doubs, Wicks, Reed, Kraft, Musgrave and Jacobs far more often...when they pass. And if they are running the ball successfully, even fewer targets to go around.
I do expect Golden will make a few plays that will show he was worthy of a #1 draft choice.
Leatherhead
September 06, 2025 at 01:23 pm
How many targets/touches do you think Golden is going to get. 5? For that matter, how many passes is Love throwing? Odds are that he'll throw fewer than 30, complete about 20 for over 200 yards.
Personally, because this is an opener, and opening games are often error-riddled, and that makes for exciting football. But I'll take a dull as dirt win this week.
Keep the ball in the hands of the veterans who've earned the right. Get it to Jacobs/Wilson. Throw to Kraft and Doubs and Reed. Lean on the vets. You can play Golden some snaps and maybe even see what he can do, but it's the other guys that need to be the front line weapons in this game.
Bitternotsour
September 06, 2025 at 02:50 pm
Musgrave in the seams. Jacobs off tackle. Golden for spicing it up. Zero punts to make it a happy day.
13TimeChamps
September 05, 2025 at 04:25 pm
"And Sundays have meaning again."
"The NFL offseason can be a lonely, dismal time."
Thankfully, I don't ascribe to either of these axioms. I've never had a problem finding enjoyment on Sundays, or any other day that football seems to have taken over when there aren't games on. Hanging out with the grandkids, motorcycle rides in the desert, getting frisky under the covers with my lovely wife when we're lucky enough to have the house to ourselves.
That being said, I do look forward to spending 3 hours or so every week watching the Packers play. Been doing it since 1962. Football has changed a lot since then. Expansion, free agency, the salary cap, seemingly constant rule changes, the wacky kick-off rules being the latest.
I have felt, for awhile now, that 2025 was going to be a pivotal year for Love, and MLF as well, in the sense that we should finally, definitively see what we have. This team has a ton of talent. Barring significant injuries, anything less than a NFCCG appearance would have to be considered a disappointment (insert Mr. Greene's now famous quote for emphasis)
As always....GPG.
LambeauPlain
September 05, 2025 at 04:45 pm
Watching the Packers since 1962 and still getting frisky...well done, Champs.
egbertsouse
September 05, 2025 at 06:51 pm
Too much information there….
Doug_In_Sandpoint
September 05, 2025 at 07:26 pm
It sounds like it may be a dismal time for Mrs. 13TimeChamps.
13TimeChamps
September 05, 2025 at 07:43 pm
Damn, kind of uncalled for. I hope nothing but the best for Mrs. Sandpoint. Enjoy your weekend,
Doug_In_Sandpoint
September 05, 2025 at 09:43 pm
I joke…don’t want any thing but the best for all. I apologize if it came out mean.
Since'75
September 06, 2025 at 12:29 pm
Don't think twice about it, this is just the internets.
Thick skin always prevails.
I don't like to see whining in football forums, it's not a good look, for anyone.
No offense LP.
LambeauPlain
September 05, 2025 at 04:50 pm
"Thank Goodness Packers Football Is Not Almost about Back".
Parsons practiced again today.
Hitnhope23
September 05, 2025 at 05:13 pm
Micah Parsons, the 188 million dollar version of Jaire Alexander.
Snap the ball
September 05, 2025 at 06:29 pm
Not till the 3rd year pf the contract
TOMMY'63
September 05, 2025 at 06:54 pm
The gm should have kept Alexander,under contract ,instead of running him out of
Town,low balling him! He was under contract for 2 more seasons, cut him and nothing
In return! If jaire can play 9- 10 matches, in a season is very good, we have a secondary
,please? Worthless!! We can't stop the run , a top offensive line with a good qb ,will score
Heavily against the pack. Is the ol any good? For me one of these are winning the sb,gb not in
The picture. No particular order. Buffalo,Baltimore,Detroit, philly,the 4 strongest teams in nfl
Oppy
September 06, 2025 at 07:10 am
The packers defense gave up the 5th fewest rushing yards in the league last year.
Suggestion, stop believing what you know is true, and start actually paying attention to what is true.
Since'75
September 06, 2025 at 12:31 pm
Damn....lol
Someone get Tommy some kool aid...ASAP
Oppy
September 05, 2025 at 08:08 pm
Hitnhope23, the $0.02 version of meaningless take
CheeseEdWest2
September 05, 2025 at 06:31 pm
And, what about Naomi?
In the spirit of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, the answers to many pressing questions will be revealed.
Snap the ball
September 05, 2025 at 06:38 pm
If his mom keeps going to Dallas game will be real soon
If he didn’t want to come here and just take the money should have stayed . Needs to be a clause in his contract. You owe us money back if you screw around.
I can’t believe they don’t have that already
Since'75
September 06, 2025 at 12:34 pm
Sorry in advance Snap....
But that is definitely in the top 5 of the dumbest comments i've ever read.
egbertsouse
September 05, 2025 at 06:53 pm
Sock it to me.
Snap the ball
September 05, 2025 at 06:41 pm
Hendrickson would have been lots better. Or a older Watt
Since'75
September 05, 2025 at 07:08 pm
Maybe....we should wait and see how this all turns out with Micah as a Packer.
Just a suggestion.
If they wanted Watt, they would have drafted him i think.
But....Kevin King was available so......
Snap the ball
September 05, 2025 at 06:57 pm
Jordan is better than the
Jalen
Williams
Etc
Love is about number 4 in the league All the tools in the shed
Needs to get after it if he wants it this year
If not just a slightly better than average team
I look at Prescott and. jalen
You ask any nfl coach pick one. 30 teams say Love
Time to make it happen. Not every other game. Every game
5 years into this thing …
He’s better than Sam darnold
Since'75
September 05, 2025 at 07:22 pm
So...what i'm getting from you is that, it is time to win something?
Since'75
September 05, 2025 at 07:21 pm
As a Packer fan, and equally a passionate NFL fan.....
There is definitely a void after the Super Bowl.
That doesn't mean there is nothing else to do, it just means we are passionate fans who absolutely love our Packers and the NFL in totality.
Personally, the NFL is the greatest sport in the world to me, and second place is distant when compared to the NFL.
If your like me, you absolutely love week 1 of the NFL, then the next thing you know, it's already week 16 or something, and you're like....DAMN, that went by quick!!
I'm pretty sure a lot of Packer and NFL fans feel that way
To me, the NFL season goes by in the blink of an eye.
MitchAnthony
September 05, 2025 at 09:21 pm
It makes winter that much more tolerable to go by that quick. But yeah, I get what you're saying.
Football season, and playing pool.
Since'75
September 06, 2025 at 09:32 am
Yea...i shot in a lot of pool leagues and tournaments.
Shot a guy #1 in the State at the time, i handled myself well and was up 4-2 in a race to 5.
I then proceeded to choke like never before...lol
JDH1313
September 05, 2025 at 07:45 pm
The season hasn't even started and they have a lot of star players injured! Just can't catch a break and have a full team healthy!
JohnnyLogan
September 06, 2025 at 09:56 am
Having a formidable coach–quarterback combo has always been the most important ingredient in football success. Think Lombardi/Starr, Favre/Holmgren, McCarthy/Rodgers—though in that last case it sometimes felt more like Rodgers/Rodgers. This season should tell us whether LaFleur/Love can join that lineage.
Both remain question marks. LaFleur has a habit of losing big games, and Love’s play swings between brilliance and inconsistency. Too often, LaFleur seems to coach scared—rolling out overly conservative game plans that leave the Packers buried early. Last year’s two matchups with the Lions were prime examples: while Detroit attacked quickly and built early leads, Green Bay tried to grind out long drives. By the time those drives stalled, the Packers were forced into desperation mode.
Part of this may be LaFleur’s hesitation to fully trust Love the way he once trusted Rodgers. If so, that mindset has to change. With what looks like a strong defense, LaFleur should feel free to open up the offense, knowing the unit can get the ball back if things don’t click. Playing inspired instead of cautious is the only way the LaFleur/Love partnership can prove it has that same winning formula.
HawkPacker
September 06, 2025 at 10:21 am
I think LaFleur needs to relax during the game. If he does, he should make better decisions such as when to throw the red flag as well as make the right in game changes.
He appears so hyper that he forces things and and these are usually wrong ones.