2025 was arguably a season to forget for the Packers. A team plagued with injuries and disappointing collapses will want to bounce back in 2026. Here’s how the Green Bay Packers can get back to the Super Bowl.
We all watched the dominance from the Seattle Seahawks throughout the playoffs and in Super Bowl LX. Seattle, a team who has drafted well and made significant moves in free agency, was not going to be denied against New England.
If Green Bay wants to get back to the big game any time soon, there is a lot the staff and players should learn from that team out west. Yes, the same team that broke Packers’ fans hearts back in 2015.
Defense Wins Championships – Every Unit Needs a Stud
Yes, the Packers have obviously gotten the idea that defense does win championships as they traded for Micah Parsons last season and added to the corner room with Nate Hobbs in free agency.
While the Parsons trade was and will continue to be a franchise altering move, the corner room was disappointing in 2025 even with the addition of Hobbs. Acquiring Micah Parsons changed the entire identity of the pass rush group.
Players like Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness had much more of an impact just because of the presence of Parsons. The problem? When Parsons tore his ACL against Denver, not only did the pass rush suffer, but the corner room was fully exposed.
The Seahawks are a balanced team with adequate talent in the pass rush, the linebacker room, and the secondary. This is something the Packers have to fix in order to be a legitimate competitor in 2026.
Relying on Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Nate Hobbs to hold down the secondary will not get the Packers back to the Super Bowl. Seattle has multiple studs in their secondary that were dominant against New England.
Seahawks General Manager John Schneider built a championship roster by adding key pieces in linebacker Ernest Jones IV, return specialist/WR Rashid Shaheed while hitting an absolute homerun in his last few drafts.
The cards are in Brian Gutekunst’s hands, and he can get the Packers there, but finding a way to add a stud to the secondary is non-negotiable and will hold Green Bay back if they fail to do so this off-season.
I’d expect Brian Gutekunst to double up at corner in the draft, and there are plenty of options to consider per PFF.
The Super Bowl MVP Was a Running Back
There is no doubt that the Packers have a running back in Josh Jacobs. Since the start of his time in Green Bay, Jacobs has been a key piece of the Packers offense. The success in his first season was outstanding.
Jacobs finished the 2024 season with 1,329 yards, 15 touchdowns and averaged 4.4 yards per carry. 2025 was a different story, as the run game as a whole was underwhelming and struggled mightily throughout the season.
Jacobs finished 2025 with 929 yards, 13 touchdowns and averaged 4.0 yards per carry. The one-two punch with him and Emmanuel Wilson was inconsistent and did not pose a huge threat to opposing defenses.
The Super Bowl MVP this year was the running back for the Seattle, Kenneth Walker III. Walker finished the big game with 135 yards and averaged 5.0 yards per carry. His performance was game changer for Seattle.
Not only do the Seahawks have Kenneth Walker III, who earned over 1,000 rushing yards on the season, they also have Zach Charbonnet who, before his injury, earned 730 rushing yards and had 12 touchdowns on the season.
Packers’ running backs Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks are restricted free agents, meaning Green Bay will likely need to add additional bodies to the running back room this offseason.
It’s hard to imagine Green Bay will get anything out of their former third round pick out of Southern California, Marshawn Lloyd, who has appeared in just one game and has suffered countless injuries.
Green Bay needs a good one-two punch. Emanuel Wilson did good when his number was called this past season, but adding more energy to a depleted room never hurt anything.
Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur received extensions, but the pressure will continue to build as this Green Bay team is only getting older.
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