The Green Bay Packers are the embodiment of A Christmas Carol in the NFL. They are the past, present, and future, and they are one of the only teams that can say that.
They won the first-ever Super Bowl. The damn trophy is named after their coach. Despite a lull before Brett Favre arrived, no one can argue that Green Bay is historic football royalty.
Until Aaron Rodgers officially puts on another jersey, they are still the present. Yes, they blew the game against the Bucs. And yes, Patrick Mahomes is very good. But if No. 12 is still the quarterback, there’s still reason to believe they’re a Super Bowl contender.
Despite recent controversy and uncertainty, the future figures to be one of success — as it always has in Green Bay.
Clearly, the future has been on the organization’s mind for quite a long time. From drafting Aaron Rodgers while Brett Favre was on the team to now drafting Jordan Love with Rodgers as the incumbent, the Packers have been the only team to consistently win in the present while building for the future.
If you saw Green Bay’s 2020 draft class, you would think that it was rebuilding. They drafted a first-round quarterback and a second-round running back — that doesn’t sound like a team that just played in the NFC championship. And where did they end up again next season? Back in the NFC championship.
Honestly, it’s unreal.
If any other team had drafted like that, they would not have found the level of success the Packers have had. It’s an anomaly of the NFL. They’re the only team that can win in the present while prepping for the future.
If you look at most other teams, their future heavily relies on their draft class. The Packers’ future is already on the team, watching and learning. Some would argue that sitting on the sideline of an NFL game is for the development of players than playing in college. If the Packers’ track record proves anything, it’s that.
The only other team that has even come close to building what the Packers have is the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that can be attributed to signing Tom Brady and drafting Kyle Trask, not due to a history of legacy and planning. The Bucs have nowhere near the history the Packers do — we all know that. Sure, we have to wait to see if Trask and Love can actually pan out, but they are in a great position to do so.
Preparing for the future clearly hasn’t comprised winning in the present in any way. Though they haven’t taken the next step, making it to the NFC Championship two years in a row is no small feat. Disregarding the off-season drama we have seen, the roster is built to win now. It’s getting increasingly more likely every day that Rodgers will be in green and gold this season, and with Aaron Jones returning with Davante Adams, the offense looks like it can still be one of the best. The defense may not be star-studded, but it is one of the best all-around units in the NFL.
Not only have the Packers been one of the most dominant teams of the 2000s, but they have also been one of the most historically dominant teams in NFL history. From winning the first-ever Super Bowl to having three of the best quarterbacks of all time, the Packers’ present and future are based upon a history of winning.
Obviously, the strategy for this winning formula has changed throughout the deep history of the Packers, but no matter what the equation has been, success has always been a part of it.
The Packers are tied with the Dallas Cowboys for the all-time highest win percentage in the regular season. The only difference is that the Packers aren’t a joke amongst NFL fans like the Cowboys have become.
Don’t be a Scrooge. Appreciate the foundations of the past, the potential of the present, and the foundations laid for the future.
