It has been no secret to anyone in the NFL that the Green Bay Packers have been on a drive to develop and strengthen their young squad. As a testament to this forward-thinking approach by the franchise, on the opening day of last season, the Packers were well under the NFL’s average roster age. With the league average being around 26.3 to 26.8 years, the Packers were at less than 25.
While active NFL rosters will still have to be cut to 53 players, for teams that get to the postseason, two additional DFR (Designated for Return) spots will be open in NFL 2025, bringing it to a maximum of ten for the campaign. This is a huge flexibility bonus for the Packers should playoff action come their way, as they are once again going into the season with such a young squad.
Thoughts for the New DFR
The extra DFR leeway could see the Packers gamble on IR selections a little more deep into the season. At sportsbooks across the world, from the major US platforms to the leading UK operators recommended by UKClubsport, which offers bookmaker ratings and tools suitable for analyzing soccer, American football and other team sports, there has been little difference between the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs for Super Bowl success in the new season, with the Packers a long way back in the market.
Last season the Packers were the youngest team in action and with a hungry crop of rookies like Matthew Golden, Anthony Belton, and Barryn Sorrell potentially challenging established players like Rasheed Walker, Lukas Van Ness and Jayden Reed, the squad should stay in the same average age bracket. With there being a confirmed change to the DFR for the new season, the youthful Packers could get a helping hand.
Why It Matters
The key point here is that the physical pressures of playing at the top are so much greater than in college football. With interest in the likes of Anthony Belton and his huge upside of physical athleticism coming into the line, and getting wide receiver Matthew Golden suited up, the Packers are likely to be integrating more rookies this season.
Getting to the postseason only happens after a long campaign that can take its toll on such rookies. Young players take time to adjust their bodies to the increased demands of the NFL, and soft tissue injuries are common.
Now if a young player gets a strain midway through the campaign, there isn’t going to be a need to rush back a player who isn’t 100% and mess with the active roster at the end of the regular season. That could be crucial not only for the playoff push in securing a fully fit roster but also for the long-term development of the young players.
The Long-Term View
The Packers battled to the playoffs in 2024 but were nowhere near the level of their divisional rivals. Injuries were a big problem early in the season for Green Bay last season, and they ruined any big chance of early momentum.
QB Jordan Love, along with Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt and Lukas Van Ness, all had injuries come their way during the early part of the season. For Love, his knee problem was picked up at the end of their season opener (played in Brazil) and he carried that through for the rest of the campaign. Clark also picked up his foot problem during that opening round of action.
Those early setbacks could be cause for hesitation about throwing rookies in at the start of the new season. But with the extra spots available down the line, part of that risk is going to be mitigated, should the injuries start to stack up midway through the campaign.
Key Contributors Coming Back
Were Matthew Golden to get injured in something like Week 14 or 15, it wouldn’t necessarily be season-ending for the youngster. The Packers could simply sit and wait for the right time for him to return at some point during the playoffs, knowing they’d have those two extra aces up their sleeve.
The Packers rely heavily on their youth and the depth of it that they have, so this rule change feels particularly impactful for Green Bay. Could it be enough to help them level the playing field against squads that are more “veteran” age during the playoffs?
The Injury Debate
Recent high-profile injuries to the likes of Christian Watson, Luke Musgrave and Jaire Alexander are great examples of how hard the Packers have been (and can be) hit at any time. The Packers have a glut of defensive talent in their early 20s and are putting their stock in the potential of the young core that they have, led by a QB entering his third season as a starter. The new rule could just help them manage that development this season as they search for another playoff berth.
The post How Will the DFR Bylaw Impact the Packers in NFL 2025? first appeared on PackersTalk.com Blog Posts and Podcasts.