After a season of growth and flashes of upside, the young Green Bay Packers flamed out in the Wild Card round last Sunday. They could not replicate the magic they put on display in Dallas a year ago, and it was a flat-out disaster in Philadelphia, wire to wire.
Keisean Nixon fumbled the opening kickoff. Despite the valid controversy over whether the Packers should have retained the ball, it was a harbinger for the rest of the game. Jeff Hafley’s defense made a valiant effort against a potent Philadelphia Eagles attack, but the offense couldn’t get going. As the page turns to Year 3 with Jordan Love, fans and media have wasted no time theorizing what big additions could be on the horizon to take this promising core over the top.
With Aaron Rodgers’ dead money off the books, Brian Gutekunst is out of salary cap hell and has an intriguing amount of flexibility heading into the offseason. The team’s primary needs feel pretty straightforward: athletes on the outside, at wide receiver and cornerback. Some edge-rushing help could also be in store after Rashan Gary’s disappointing season and Lukas Van Ness’ underwhelming development thus far, but that feels tertiary.
Someone floated an interesting suggestion for Green Bay’s blueprint on Kay Adams’ show earlier this week: “It’s looking like they need some receiver help one way or the other. … Maybe a veteran or something we’ll see.”
On the surface, it seems obvious. The wide receiver by committee has been fun while it’s lasted. However, it hasn’t led to the emergence of a true WR1, and time is running out on the rookie contracts for Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Jayden Reed.
Gutekunst will have some decisions to make, with Reed feeling like the only sure extension. However, the quote wasn’t interesting because of what was suggested. Instead, it was who suggested it.
Legendary Packers receiver Davante Adams.
Adams left Green Bay after eight incredible seasons because he didn’t believe his success was sustainable with Rodgers departing and Love taking his place. His journey since that point has been frustrating and fruitless. Meanwhile, the Packers have undergone a swift, smooth, and rapid rebuild, even if they don’t have much to show for it yet.
Adams is currently with the New York Jets. However, his future is up in the air. With Rodgers likely finished there (and everywhere), even Adams’ smallest comments, from a refusal to ever play for the Chicago Bears to an acknowledgment that he underestimated Love when deciding to leave, instill small glimmers of hope that a cinematic reunion could be on the horizon.
At 32, Adams’ time as Love’s top wideout would be limited. However, he would be more affordable than Tee Higgins, the other conceivable acquisition whose market will be robust. They could also try to trade for Tyreek Hill, who has expressed doubts about the Miami Dolphins’ direction. Still, he has a complete package of age, character, and financial concerns.
The return of No. 17, at least in his full form, may be short-lived. Still, he would become a crucial piece of a potential championship-level team for the next two to three years and usher in the team’s future at the position with his leadership skills.
After Sunday’s loss, Josh Jacobs let it be known that he’s “going to try and get some guys in here.”
Hearing that from the former Las Vegas Raiders running back only fuels the Adams speculation and opens the door for a potential Maxx Crosby blockbuster. Jacobs has been a home-run addition. His physical playing style and Matt LaFleur’s masterful run schemes created a dominant ground attack all season. Based on the early returns, pillaging the 2022 Raiders doesn’t feel like a terrible strategy for Gutekunst.
The story of the 2024 Packers was simple: good, but not great. They took care of business in winnable games and failed to get it done against the NFC’s elite. That story began in Sao Paulo when they fell just short of taking down the Eagles, and it concluded at their hands in Philadelphia in a contest that inspired even less confidence.
Therefore, the story heading into 2025 becomes about getting to the next level. Figuring out how to do that inevitably begins with dreaming up significant additions to fill their biggest holes, just like Jacobs and Xavier McKinney did a year ago. It just so happens that a big part of this offseason’s solution seems to point toward an old friend who still can make an impact.
Whether the front office will pull the trigger is another story. Still, speculation of a storybook reunion is well underway.