The Packers 2026 reality is going to be finding starter-quality players at DL, OL, CB, maybe LB, from within, lower round picks, the cap/camp cuts scrap heap and some UDFA dumpster diving.

The within part's more hope than probability based upon what we've seen from depth. The draft part is at best a 1 in 3 deal. The piggybank's paying the past's ass, so expecting bounce from FA is wishful thinking.

The Packers 2026 roster is going to be less than 2025's, so Matt and Co. better be planning on coaching their ass off.

All good points, but it won't happen. Gutekunst says he's happy with his corner back room. The ones who give up a 110 rating to the opposing QB and the one's that statistically miss more tackles than they make. He also said R Gary had a very good year even though the whole world watched him flounder the second half of the year. The DT room has nobody after D. Wyatt because he wouldn't pay Slayton. The O line is in shambles but to Gutekunst it's in good shape because of the depth they have. Did he watch that depth try to run block last year. He couldn't see J Love run for his life on nearly every pass play. Nothing will change because that's the Packer way.

" Arguably, the team did just that with the 2021 season when they retained Aaron Rodgers and kept most of the team intact via roster restructures and kicking the salary cap can far down the road. But they fell short."

That was going all in?

Funny thing was, reality tells us Gute wasn't 'all in'

Trading up for a 1st round pick on a QB to sit on the bench a year earlier, wasn't going 'ALL IN'
Gute drafted for the future, not for the team on the field.
That is clear and undisputed.

When you trade up for a first round pick, for a bench player in a wide receiver rich draft, that isn't going all in.
Stop it!!

IMO....The Packers felt they had to keep Rodgers because he just proved he was the best QB in the NFL at the age of 37, and then he proved it again at 38 years old.

When the Packers drafted Love, and Rodgers asked for a trade, they should have reaped a kings ransom for him.
That isn't hindsight, as i said it when it happened,
The same thing i said about Favre in 2015.

"When you talk to Brian Gutekunst or Matt LaFleur, they'll tell you that injuries sustained in the 2025 season were no excuse."

I'm so tired hearing that.

If it isn't an excuse, then quit bringing it up, as an excuse.
*******
Nobody in the Super Bowl victory season in 2010, used that injury riddled season, as an excuse.

They didn't have to.

9 teams changed coaches. We will see how many of them are in the Super Bowl within two years. My prediction is none.

The draft vs Free Agency.
Let Gute do, what Gute does best.
Spend Money!
The draft is for development.
(It will take years for those choices.)
The shortcut is Free Agency.
Stacking a room isn't going to
get us there.
But what Gute has to do is cut the guys
that didn't meet expectations.
The fool me once happens.
But fool me twice is on him.
He must remember talk is cheap.
Most of it comes from agents.
So stop throwing money down the drain.
Throwing money at a problem didn't make it
go away. The OL regressed.!
The problems in the trench on both sides
are on him. And the needs are obvious.

This draft depends on the BPA falling to us.
The only way to the SB, is excelling at
every position. And depth in the room.
Not just 1 fix and creating another.

'Returning to Glory Within 1-2 Seasons'

With as many needs, and the financial metrics in play, i reserve the right to say, i'll believe it when i see it.

Lets win a Divisional playoff game, and then revisit this subject.

Targeting solid, ready to play guys in the draft is not "thinking outside of the box". It is a sound philosophy that should be employed by a contending team that needs to fill holes and improve depth.

Glory? Being able to put together a complete game seems a worthwhile goal for this group.

gute has once again created a situation of his own making. NO 1st round picks and very little cap money to work with unless he chucks the deadwood like Jenkins, Gary, Banks and a few others. The need to focus their draft on CB, OL and DL. With each selection they should only choose a player from those position groups.
The only exception should be a QB in a later round. They are going to need someone to back up Love because Willis will most likely be gone. Thanks. Since '61

“ As we turn the page to the 2026 season, I am extremely optimistic and confident in our football leadership – Brian, Matt, and Russ – and their ability to get the right people in the right places for us to compete for our ultimate goal, a Super Bowl championship. It goes without saying, our season didn't end the way we wanted, but the season only ends the way you want for one team. That's the business.

I spent substantial time in the weeks following the season with our football leaders ensuring we are all aligned in purpose and communicating clearly and directly. I firmly believe we have the right people and a solid process for success. We have the distinct privilege of working for the Packers and everyone in our organization will continue striving tirelessly to develop and support a championship-caliber team.”

Ed Policy. https://www.packers.com/news/turning-the-page-feb-7-2026

To me this reads like a fan who has quaffed the internal cool aid far too long, from his assignment of credit and assessment of roster and outcomes or unity of vision, it all comes across as excessively congratulatory. Policy’s credibility is firmly on the line.

Your two main points seem to be: draft football players who are ready to contribute immediately. And don't stick with the things that haven't worked, but shake up the status quo. If that is the formula for success, the team is in in for another long drought. Since they have definitely decided to "stay the course" and bring back the same people who have seen the franchise get further from a SB during the last seven years.
Also, would it have really made a huge difference if the team had stayed totally healthy? Because LaFleur still has his tendencies toward becoming comfortable with leads, rather than looking to add to a lead and keep the defense off the field, so they are less likely to get gassed and give up leads late in games.

It's a conundrum. We are ready to fall into the trap of drafting for need which was a Hallmark of the post Lombardi era until Ron Wolf arrived.; It works until you realize the need guy you drafted isn't good enough and another team gets the guy you should have drafted...see Creed Humphrey vs. Josh Myers. Then again, because of the urgency of the Packers' situation, drafting best player available doesn't necessarily get you a guy for your position of need. We wouldn't be in this situation if we had a competent GM who didn't screw up the majority of his first round picks. For the last several years, he's had to compensate for that by spending money (Salary Cap money) on big free agent signings. Policy screwed up by extending the Gutester.

"If you ask me, if you put a healthy Micah Parsons, Tucker Kraft, Devonte Wyatt, Zach Tom, and maybe even Elgton Jenkins on the field for the remainder of the season, which they missed out on, the Packers are probably reigning North division champions, and either they would've made a deeper playoff run, or they would be playing in the Super Bowl tonight."

Well, if you ask me, this comment hides the answer to the team's woes every year. There is no doubt that the starting roster can achieve the desired goal, but no team can rely on the starting roster to survive the entire season.

The issue for this team is depth, not going 'all-in' for high-cost FAs, who keep your depth roster bare. Sure, having a star player is great, but the downside is the distance between the ceiling and floor of his replacement, as seen this season, though I don't think Parsons really offers the ceiling expected. This team could really use those draft picks, though again the selections made with them are too often very suspect.

Seattle has a very close ceiling and floor with its roster, which makes it easier to endure starter injuries. The saying goes, "You're only as good as the weakest link," and it's a saying that GB lives by, ensuring the weakest links are that—weak.

Let's go 'all-in' with football players that might turn into FAs we can't afford, and let other teams buy them and not achieve anything. This will happen to Seattle, but at least they reap the award of being in the SB before they lose those players. The Packers and the fans will continue to watch from the couch, or claim they won't because they believe GB should be in it, because, 'if only.'

Close the gap between the ceiling and floor with football players, and watch them go elsewhere after they play in the SB and make you proud and happy.

Happiness will never be spelled with 'if only.'

Do we have a few holes in the roster - yes. But besides the injuries and there were too many IMO critical ones - Kraft Parsons, WYatt, Tom -to really extend things. Also 2 give away games - Cleveland field goal miss and the on side kick fiasco against the Bears. Those dont come along or at least better not. Finally 2 players did not play to the high standard that they usually play - McKinney and Jacobs. Both especially Jacobs dont have back to back bad seasons. So I am optomistic rather than pessimistic despite no first round draft picks - But everything will depend upon 2 things - Lafleur upgrading the offensive play calling - not being so pedestrian especially to start second halfs and using last years first rounder and our new DC getting the defense playing as well as last year without those too soft segments when we have the lead. Getting a philosophy of having pressure will improve the back fields performance

Look, I've been a Packer fan since the 1960. Seen the highs and lows. So it pains me to say this....BUT...
No Super Bowl this year.
No Superbowl next year.
Why? Because we have serious deficiencies (O-line; Pass Rush; Run Stop; CBs; STs) AND no draft picks before number 52. All this talk about finding field ready starters in rounds 2-7 is fantasy. Plus we got almost no Money for FAs. (Even if we did, we haven't been too good about picking them (Banks, Hobbes, Hardiman.))
Bottom line: Our ceiling for the next 2 years is 9-8, maybe 10 wins; maybe a Wild Card; then 1 and done.
But I'll still watch my Pack.
The Szotman

Green Bay should hire Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens always had great drafts and always had extra draft picks every year he was their GM. They always had comp picks too, so they were replacing good players every year. Maybe he would do some mentoring with Gutey.

Not trying to be a Negative Nelly here, but just in case in the Packers do not capitalize on the latest "all-in" move, don't fear the Dark Ages; just hope that they're of short duration because the modern NFL is conducive to rapid turnarounds providing the right people are in charge. The Dark Ages give you a chance to learn lessons, draft top level talent, learn lessons, and procure the right leaders. Look at some of the dynasties that emerged from their dark ages such as the Steelers, 49ers, and Cowboys. The Packers themselves spent much of the 1950's in the dark ages, and look what followed.

As far as the current Packers leadership goes, it's easier said than done for these leopards to change their spots even though a window of urgency has been created. After all, many of us have been begging for these philosophical changes for years. So until we see some tangible proof that this is indeed occurring, it helps to temper your expectations and take a bit of the "que sera, sera" approach instead... And by the way, a need that wasn't mentioned was the special teams; call it whatever you like, but the slapdash or haphazard approach the Packers have taken here has proven costly to our playoff seeding and results over the years.

5 names.

Jordan the bust love
Matt la fleur the panicking man
gutey 1st round Is my nightmare
russ ball the King of dead money
ed policy the new Mark murphy

where do you want to go with that bunch of average to bad professionals?

A point left unsaid about this upcoming season is the large turnover in the coaching staff. While an optimist might say this might bring some added enthusiasm, the pessimist would point out the recent season of Detroit and Philadelphia. Both teams looked awesome in 2024 only to fall flat in 2025. The downturns were seen largely because of assistant coaching changes.

Since MLF will be around next season he must evaluate why this team often sucks after halftime. How many leads were lost this year?
The game that troubled me the most was the Ravens loss. They simply beat down the Packers and Hafley had no answer. I'm in the minority, but I'm glad Hafley is gone. We saw what the defense was when Micah Parsons went down. That was the real defense and it wasn't good. Gannon will have his work cut out for him.

After free agency and the draft we will see what Gute and the coaching staff can do. Gute has to pull a rabbit out of his hat this off season or it's .500 again and the barbarians will be at the gate again.

➡️ NFL Super Bowl LX 2026 Live➡️ https://bb-ustv.com/super-bowl/

Only 13 years...look what we have been reduced to. We are used to our GM and Coaches monumentally failing to get the right mix of players and get what players you are missing...

for AR last years it was a #2 WR and a poor ST representation.

Today: (Offense) A Playoff level starting Center ,Tackle, Veteran TE , Kicker that does not miss every kick.

(Defense) 1 playoff level starting DE's with a pass rush 10+ sacks
2 playoff level starting DL strong in pass rush and run stop
2 playoff level starting CB's

GM that does not go all in until basic team positions are filled with quality starters.
HC that has a game plan and a plan to go to when the Defense adjusts to his game plan so he can exploit the change by the defense.

We can always watch ex packers like Jerron Reed play in this years game.

I’ve followed this team since the 1966 season. Living in NYS , it wasn’t easy in the old days.
I can’t help but feel a little more apathetic towards the 2026 season. I have absolutely no confidence in the GM or the head coach, or the new team president. I’m stunned at what Policy did, retaining Gute, and MLF. Seven years, nothing but regression, and draft picks that need a few years to show anything.
If Malik Willis ends up in Minnesota , the Packers will finish in the basement next year. THEN Policy will wake up perhaps.

John Schneider from De Pere, 5 Miles from Lambeau Field, they let him go in 2010 after 13 yrs with the packers.
Now Schneider has 3 SB (2 wins) exactly the same of all the packers organization in 60 years post Lombardi era.

This happens when you let go greatness and keep mediocre yes men.