After four games, the Green Bay Packers’ offense ranks sixth in EPA per play, second in EPA per pass, third in total EPA, and eighth in success rate. Meanwhile, Jordan Love ranks second in passer rating, second in EPA per dropback, fifth in CPOE, and fourth in DVOA – all while missing Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Aaron Banks, Anthony Belton, and All-Pro caliber right tackle Zach Tom for multiple games. From a clean pocket, he leads the NFL in completion rate, yards per attempt, and PFF grade.
Still, with Green Bay’s offense off to a hot start and Jeff Hafley putting on a continuity masterclass with the defense — er, outside of the Dallas Cowboys game — it’s easy to forget that one of the team’s biggest weapons is on special teams.
Among all punters, Daniel Whelan ranks first in PFF grade and third in both yards per attempt and average hang time. Green Bay’s special teams have been a disaster to start the season, and he might be the only part of that unit that isn’t dysfunctional. Moreover, he might be the only reason Rich Bisaccia still has a job with the Green and Gold.
“He’s kicking the crap out of the ball,” Matt LaFleur said during training camp. And he has been all season.
Whelan signed a $7 million extension with the Packers just days before their Week 1 win over the Detroit Lions, keeping him tied to Green Bay through 2027. Based on his previous and current play, the deal already looks worth it — and it could start looking like a bargain sooner rather than later.
“I think he’s a young player that has shown a ton of growth and is going to be a real weapon for us,” LaFleur said following Whelan’s extension.
Whelan’s 46.2-yard average in 2023 stands as the second-highest single-season mark in team history, with his 46.1-yard average this past season coming in third. Among all players with 100 or more punts for Green Bay, he holds the top career punting average. Last year, he also made history as the first Packers punter to surpass a 46-yard season average.
Whelan kicked off the season with a strong showing against the Lions. He ranked third in EPA per play among punters, second in yards per punt, fourth in net yards, tied for first in longest punt, and sixth in punting grade. He averaged 54.7 yards per punt and placed two inside the 20-yard line.
Whelan kept the momentum going against the Washington Commanders, averaging 53.3 yards per punt. His 4.83-second average hangtime was just 0.01 seconds shy of JK Scott’s league-leading mark after four weeks. Then, against the Cleveland Browns, he totaled 265 yards on five punts, including a long of 64 yards and an average hangtime of 4.84 seconds, which is the league high.
Bisaccia highlighted Whelan’s steady progress every offseason since arriving in Green Bay in 2023.
“It’s a credit to him and his work ethic and the way in which he’s improved,” Bisaccia said in early September. “I think that the thing that gets overlooked a little bit is what he’s done the last few summers.”
The Packers mostly only see Whelan on the field as a holder for extra points. But whenever the offense stalls, he’s the guy they can count on to flip field position and make life miserable for the other team. If he keeps playing at this level, he might be too expensive in a few years — but that’s a problem for the future. For now, the team is reaping the benefits.
