© Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images. The NFL offseason is over, all 32 teams have transitioned to minicamp, and training camp arrives in about five weeks. And with the perk of hindsight, CBS Sports has decided that the Minnesota Vikings’ main rival, the Green Bay Packers, had the fourth-worst offseason around the sport.
It’s rare shade for Green Bay, a franchise largely known for wise decision-making.
Jordan Dajani: Packers’ Offseason Was Rough
Per Dajani, the Jacksonville Jaguars took the naughty prize of the worst offseason, but the Packers weren’t far behind, three spots away.
He explained, “Green Bay has established itself as a middle-of-the-road team, and the problem is I think it got worse this offseason. Green Bay lost its most reliable wide receiver in Romeo Doubs, linebacker Quay Walker and left tackle Rasheed Walker in free agency.” “The Packers also parted ways with cornerback Nate Hobbs and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins, and traded pass rusher Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys and wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles. As far as additions go, the headliners were veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin, defensive lineman Javon Hargrave and South Carolina defensive back Brandon Cisse.”
Oddsmakers expect Green Bay to finish in second place in the NFC North, narrowly losing out on the top spot to the Detroit Lions.
Dajani continued, “Then factor in that star pass rusher Micah Parsons is expected to start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, which means he will miss at least four games, and the Packers should be worried about star running back Josh Jacobs, who is facing domestic violence charges. When you look at the NFC North, the Bears are coming off their best season in more than a decade, the Lions are always going to be competitive and the Minnesota Vikings have reason for optimism with new quarterback Kyler Murray.”
“Talking heads have tried to label the Packers as sleepers in 2024 and 2025, ever since that impressive 2023 playoff run in Jordan Love’s first season as a starter. However, I feel less optimistic about Green Bay than I have in years.”
Losses Outweigh the Additions
Dajani outlined the Packers’ additions — Franklin, Hargrave, and Cisse, among others — but the subtractions were unfortunately noteworthy. Offloading Jenkins, Gary, Wicks, and Hobbs, in addition to Malik Willis, Quay Walker, Romeo Doubs, Kingsley Enagbare, and Emmanuel Wilson, is no small project. Green Bay even had a brief relationship with cornerback Trevon Diggs, but was not interested in prolonging it.
The Packers may find a way “not to miss” all their departures, but from a June perspective, they said goodbye to more talent than they welcomed.
Help Needed at OLB, at Least for a While
Green Bay also needs help at outside linebacker. It’s unclear when Parsons will return — it could be October, or it could be near Thanksgiving. Parsons is such a star that it would be utterly foolish to rush him back from his torn ACL.
In the meantime, the Packers will rely on these EDGE defenders:
For a Super Bowl-contending team, that group is underwhelming, and until the Packers signed a free agent like Joey Bosa or Leonard Floyd, they’re merely hoping for the best.
The club has also been tied to Jadeveon Clowney’s free agency in the rumor mill, though every NFC North team could stand to add Clowney. It’s a summer of 2026 oddity — every NFC North squad seems to need one more pass rusher.
Packers Usually Figure It Out If you’re a Packers fan reading this — probably not on a Vikings-themed site, right? — have no fear. Green Bay has an uncanny tendency to make the most of suspect situations, even after Aaron Rodgers left the franchise in 2023.
Jordan Love and Co. seem to have the NFC’s seventh seed on lock, and until proven otherwise, onlookers should pencil them for a 9-8 record or better. The Packers are coached well, Love is a Top 15 passer, and the rest just falls into place.
Regarding the naughty list — all the departures and the “bad” offseason — the Super Bowl might be a long shot. It’s why Green Bay has +2200 Super Bowl odds, when a club like the Los Angeles Rams is at +550.
The Packers’ season begins in about 80 days at U.S. Bank Stadium against — you guessed it — the Vikings.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
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