Retirement always seems so far away until it’s staring you in the eye. For Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy, he’s already announced that his last day running the show will be July 13, 2025. Or, in other words, when he turns 70.
Murphy said his top remaining goal in his last three years is to bring another championship to Green Bay. But has the best opportunity for that already passed by the current Packers core?
Green Bay has come painfully close to reaching the Super Bowl recently. Last year the Packers bowed out in the divisional round after earning the top seed in the NFC for the second consecutive season.
Everything seemed to be lining up last year. Aaron Rodgers and general manager Brian Gutekunst had worked out many of Rodgers’ grievances with the front office. The Packers clinched the top spot in the NFC, meaning the playoffs were going through Green Bay.
Joe Barry took over as defensive coordinator and, with it, inherited an incredible unit destined to do some damage. Despite major injuries to Jaire Alexander and Za’Darius Smith, the defense was still really good, with Eric Stokes emerging as a rookie and free-agent acquisitions like Rasul Douglas and De’Vondre Campbell putting on otherworldly displays.
All of that, and it was still an early exit from the postseason for Green Bay.
Fast forward to now. Davante Adams is in Las Vegas. While optimism swirls with the unknowns in the wide receiver room, the Packers could have a glaring weakness at the position if things don’t shape up the way they hope.
The offensive line has question marks in its two best players up front, with David Bakhtiari still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in December 2020 and Elgton Jenkins being sidelined by the same injury last season.
Yes, Green Bay still has plenty of talent, and they added to it on the defensive side by taking two Georgia Bulldogs, Devonte Wyatt and Quay Walker, in the first round of the draft. Still, if not last year, why would it come together this year?
All the necessary dominoes were falling into place, with Green Bay securing the only bye in the NFC and the roster getting healthy entering the postseason. Rodgers was playing at an MVP level again, and the NFC didn’t boast a single team that really struck the fear of God into Packers fans. Then Jimmy Garoppolo strolled into town and put up six points offensively. It was enough to sink the dreams in Titletown.
There’s no doubt the Packers will be back in the hunt this year, but Murphy’s main objective is to win a title. Even with Rodgers and Matt LaFleur leading the way, it’s hard to blame Green Bay fans who don’t want to buy this stock.
So what are Murphy’s specific remaining goals he wants to hammer home in the next three years?
“The obvious would be championship,” Murphy said. “The football facility I’d like to see that, should be finished up next, in about a year from now. And then further development of Titletown.”
In his monthly column on Packers.com, Murphy even went as far as to say he wants to bring “multiple championships” back by the time he’s done.
Murphy has done an incredible job with the franchise, and he will be sorely missed when the calendar gets to July 13, 2025. But the harsh reality is that three years from now, he may have accomplished two of those three goals and still not won another championship.
Green Bay’s odds to win the Super Bowl are the third best at the moment, according to DraftKings (+1000), behind only the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They share the +1000 odds with the Kansas City Chiefs.
This isn’t a “woe is us” piece. The Packers are fine. But the continual buildup of a great regular season to a playoff disaster has run its course with some fans. It’s hard to blame anyone who’s turned sour on the idea of this core finally getting over its postseason hiccups.
With Rodgers, there’s always a chance. While that makes for a good throwaway line, or perhaps even the slightest sliver of hope when doubt comes knocking on the door, it’s the truth. Murphy wants another Super Bowl in the next three years, and most of the roster moves indicate that. The other hard truth is that the best chance may have already come and gone.
