When the Green Bay Packers traded future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and finally handed the reigns to Jordan Love last offseason, many felt they had a murky immediate future.
There was nothing to suggest Love could be a quality starting QB, and some even wondered if he was on his way to being a bust.
He struggled early last season, but he played very well in November, December, and January and led Green Bay to a late-season surge that put it in the playoffs.
After winning six of their last eight regular season games, the Packers upset the Dallas Cowboys at “Jerry World” and was minutes away from pulling off another road upset, this time against the San Francisco 49ers, in the divisional round.
That success led former New York Giants Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Plaxico Burress to declare the Packers the “sleeper in the NFC” on “The Carton Show.”
It’s interesting Burress would say that, as many don’t think of the Packers as sleepers — they think of the Packers as an up-and-coming powerhouse.
Craig Carton said in the clip above that they should be a legitimate threat to the Detroit Lions, who finished 12-5 and gained first place in the NFC North in 2023.
There is no doubt the Packers seem to have a bright future.
Love threw 18 of his 32 touchdown passes in the final eight games of the season while having a grand total of just one interception during that span. He finished the regular season second in the NFL in touchdown passes, and it has made him look like a legitimate heir apparent to Rodgers, just as Rodgers quickly became a worthy heir apparent to Brett Favre after taking over under center for Favre in 2008.
But it should be cautioned that plenty of continued internal improvement will be needed in Green Bay to meet the suddenly high expectations people have for it this coming season.
The Packers’ wide receiver group of Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks needs to continue to grow and improve, as will its defense.
For the most part, Green Bay elected not to make any splashy offseason moves, so everyone will need to continue the upward trajectory that was seen late last season.
But if that happens, perhaps the Green Bay Packers can bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy back to Wisconsin some time in the near future.
Of course, their fans feel the latest edition of that trophy should always reside in Wisconsin.
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