Regardless of what happens in the 2023 season, the Green Bay Packers will look different.
Yet, change doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I’ll admit, at the end of the last season, I was hoping that the Packers would move on from Aaron Rodgers and I got my wish when they finally traded him to the Jets.
It was an arduous process, but the Packers did a great job of setting themselves up for the future. Green Bay has a talented young quarterback, surrounded by weapons, and one of the best offensive minds in the game, plus there are some tangible assets in terms of draft capital and salary cap relief coming.
I’m as optimistic as I’ve been about the Packers in a long time. Rodgers will probably have a great season in New York. He’ll likely have better numbers than Jordan Love in 2023, but it was a good time to make the move and here are five reasons to be optimistic about the offense — in 2023 and beyond.
Aaron Rodgers won’t hold the team hostage
Aaron did a lot of great things over the years. He also held Matt LaFleur hostage a little in terms of playcalling. It never really seemed like the Packers ran the offense LaFleur wanted to run.
Last season, Green Bay didn’t run the offense they should have run and part of that is on LaFleur. The Vikings game was a great example. Green Bay ran it down their throat and Rodgers attempted around 20 passes.
That’s the team the Packers had last season. They should have leaned on Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Instead, Rodgers changed plays. Sometimes it worked and he did amazing things, but other times it didn’t.
I’m just excited to see what the offense looks like when it’s run as intended. Also, when the best players are showcased as they weren’t last season.
Another Aaron should play a bigger role for the Packers
The Packers faced another offseason dilemma with an Aaron — as they needed to figure out what to do with Aaron Jones. In the end, he took a pay cut but will still be among the top-paid running backs in the NFL.
Despite being one of the most dynamic players in the league at the running back position, Jones only touched the ball 16 times per game. The Packers handed the ball off to him on average just 12.5 times per game.
That’s criminally too low. I understand Dillon deserves his touches, but he should have gotten more too. I feel good about the offensive line if Elgton Jenkins and David Bakhtiari can stay healthy (big ifs), plus Jones should be utilized as a receiver more too.
LaFleur drove me crazy last year when he would talk about not getting Jones the ball enough after games. I think part of it was loyalty to Rodgers. Now that’s out the window, so the Packers can focus on a formula that actually favors the team they have, not the one they felt they had to be for Aaron Rodgers.
The skill guys for the Packers
I’m going to get into the tight ends in a second. However, just focusing on the Packers’ running backs and wide receivers, I feel pretty good about this upcoming season, as well as the future.
Dillon will have some contract stuff to work out after this season. I’m hopeful both Dillon and Jones will be in Green Bay for the 2024 season and beyond, but we know that’s probably not likely.
Still, there should be a sure-fire starter there and a draft pick reinforcement in 2024 if needed. The wide receiver position is loaded. I’m really excited to see what Christian Watson can do, especially with a quarterback that’ll work within the offense to get him the football as Jordan Love did in Philly.
You don’t have to make amazing throws with Watson. Just get him the ball in space…he’ll take care of the rest.
I love what I’ve heard about Jordan Love and Romeo Doubs this offseason. Plus don’t forget about Samori Toure. The kid dominated at Montana, then dominated at Nebraska, and made an impact last season for the Packers as a rookie.
Toure has the ability to stretch the field and be another dynamic threat. Plus, Jayden Reed is one of my personal favorites among the Packers’ 2023 NFL draft class.
All four of those guys are also under contract for at least the next three seasons. Add in the tight ends, and Jordan Love is really going to have room to grow up with his skill guys, which is a big positive, especially since he’s actually committed to working with them in the offseason.
Tight ends make life easier
I know I said Reed was my favorite pick, but it’s hard not to like Luke Musgrave. Kyle Van Ness has immense potential and that was a slam dunk too, however, Musgrave could blow the roof off for this draft class.
The Packers have just gotten by at tight end for the past few years. There have been some quality players but there wasn’t really an impact player at tight end.
Musgrave absolutely has a chance to be that guy. He caught 11 passes for 169 yards in two games before getting injured last season and averaged 15 yards per reception at 6-foot-6, 251 pounds. He also runs the 40 in 4.61, plus runs the 60 meters faster than the 40 and had the fastest 10-yard split of any tight end in the draft.
The former Oregon State Beaver also ran more than 20 MPH with the ball in his hands. He’s an insane weapon and it’s going to be fun to see what the Packers do with him.
Tucker Kraft is another big dude (6-foot-5, 259 pounds) and I love the idea of the Packers using a bunch of 11 personnel. These guys can be mismatches in the passing game but also have the chance to be the same in the run game if the Packers can get defenses stuck in their nickel and dime packages.
Another thing is that there end up being a lot of high-percentage passes to tight ends, which will be a good thing for the development of a young quarterback.
Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur can do their thing
The Packers have done a great job of surrounding Jordan Love with what he needs to be successful. The offensive line should be good enough and there are more than enough playmakers.
There are sure to be growing pains. Eventually, though, this could be one of the best offenses in the league and it should be more productive than people expect in 2023.
That all hinges on Jordan Love and so does the head coaching future of LaFleur. He’s not on the hot seat not, but he was a key part of drafting Love and has had three years going on four to develop him.
Jordan has all the tools needed to be successful. It sounds like the Packers have complete confidence in him. Now, we’ll get to see if LaFleur was right in his evaluation and can get the most of out the kid.
If he does, he’ll be getting another contract extension very soon. If not, someone else might be the head coach the next time the Packers use a first-round pick on a quarterback.
For all the reasons above, I’m bullish about Love and the future. It’s good to know what’s at stake. It will also be fun to see if Love is who the Packers believe he can be.
If so, this will be a dangerous team and a likely contender for years to come.
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