The life of an opposing quarterback against the Green Bay Packers’ pass rush last year was as easy as finding a seat in an empty movie theater.
Passers often had ample time to go through all their progressions from start to finish, then reverse course, give a quick thumbs-up to the sideline, and throw the ball. It was a never-ending routine.
According to ESPN, the Packers posted a 36% pass-rush win rate, ranking 26th overall. Rashan Gary led the team with 47 pressures, ranking 44th among qualified players. Of Green Bay’s 45 sacks, 23 came in four games. They only recorded five sacks in their four games against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.
Matt LaFleur acknowledged that the defense he had envisioned looked quite different than the one on the field.
“I thought there was an incredible amount of growth,” LaFleur said. “Maybe a vision of what we wanted to do and where we went were kind of two different things, but that’s good coaching. You make the necessary adjustments.”
His comments shed some light on what was behind this belief. Green Bay’s pass rush struggled, which forced Jeff Hafley to adopt a more creative approach. “I envisioned rushing four and playing three deep, four under a heck of a lot more,” LaFleur added. “We ended up doing a lot of simulated blitzes and different pressures and playing a bunch of Cover 2. You always evolve throughout the course of the season.”
The Packers are less than two weeks into the offseason and have already made moves. On January 17, they relieved defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich of his duties. Then, on January 21, the organization interviewed Kacy Rodgers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive line coach, for the vacancy.
A coaching change isn’t the only way the Packers could improve their pass rush. Brian Gutekunst also suggested he was open to addressing the position in free agency, and one name that immediately stands out is Khalil Mack.
Brian Gutekunst tried to acquire Mack from the Oakland Raiders in 2018. Not only did he fail, but Oakland traded Mack to the Chicago Bears, where he went on to make first-team All-Pro.
Mack turns 34 in February. While he may not be the player he once was, that doesn’t mean he can’t help Green Bay’s front seven. He recorded 23 sacks over the last two seasons, with six in 2024, and has regularly played over 80% of the snaps in a season. Despite playing one fewer game, Mack registered two more pressures than Rashan Gary, Green Bay’s leader in that category.
“If we kinda have to do some different things because we have an opportunity to acquire a player that can impact our team like these two guys (Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs) did, we’ll do it,” he said.
Mack fits that criteria and can improve Green Bay’s pass rush from Day 1.
Gutekunst also addressed Green Bay’s sense of urgency heading into next season.
“We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency. These opportunities don’t come very often. The life of a player in the NFL is not very long. We’ve got a bunch of good guys in that locker room, a bunch of talented guys. I think it’s time we start competing for championships.”
After the Los Angeles Chargers’ playoff loss to the Houston Texans, Mack said he would discuss with his family whether to keep playing football. Ultimately, he chose to suit up for another season, but his career is winding down.
Mack is seeking one last chance to chase a championship. Based on Gutekunst’s comments about urgency, the Packers share a similar drive to secure a ring ASAP.
Green Bay’s timeline and Mack’s align. There are no more excuses about the Packers being a “young team.” They’ve made the postseason in the first two seasons of the Jordan Love era and have built enough chemistry to be a threat to contenders. However, they came up short once again.
The Packers want to win now, and bringing in Mack can help them do that, even if he only plays a year or two. Whether he can solve all of the defense’s pass-rush problems is uncertain, but he can certainly improve the defensive line.