Loved "the monkey's paw curled" reference.

I get the deflated pessimism after this past season, but I truly believe we had a roster that was ready to win a Super Bowl this year--before the injuries.
If we had ONLY lost Kraft and Parsons, our top two All-Pro candidates, I think we STILL would have had an excellent chance. People like to throw around the "you can't blame injuries/every team has injuries, etc. blahblahblah, but dismissing them as though they don't matter much is ridiculous. Ours had a HUGE impact.
When you said, "Who knows, maybe the whole thing really can just be chalked up to bad injury luck. After all, losing players the caliber of Micah Parsons, Zach Tom, Elgton Jenkins, Devonte Wyatt, and Tucker Kraft (among others) is always going to be a major blow." you were correct, and just being tired/annoyed by that doesn't make it less true.
Every one of those players was a Pro-Bowl quality starter
I'd also point out the losses of our key ST players: Nick Niemann, Zayne Anderson, Kristian Welch, Kamal Hadden, and Bo Melton, and the re-injury of MarShawn Lloyd had an under-recognized impact.
Despite all of the roster decimation, wewere never blown out in any game, and came very close to winning many more. Give us back half of those injured players, and I say we go to AT LEAST the NFC Championship game.

Unfortunately, last year's window has closed; I think our roster will not have as much potential in '26 as it did in '25. That's why "injury luck" is ALWAYS the biggest influence on who gets into the Super Bowl, in my opinion.

Ha. I knew I'd get an avalanche of downvotes.
So many people need to blame someone (coaches, GMs, players) rather than accepting that LUCK has a huge impact in sports.

Two weeks ago I knew I was going all in on the NFC to win the Superbowl. Yes I would prefer the Rams to be playing but the Seahawks are fine. I did not want the Broncos to win because I do not like Payton. I would rather see the Seahawks win over the Patriots because the Patriots won so many SB under Brady. Unless I do not care for the NFC team I will usually go for the NFC.

The Seahawks win by 13.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. That about sums up the Packers management philosophy.

I used to compare the Packers offseason to the movie Groundhog Day. Now, I compare it to the movie Blues Brothers. “We’re puttin’ the band back together. We’re on a mission from God.”

"run it all back"? Of course, why not?
I watched the tape of Gutey's press conference this morning, and what I saw was a guy that had just received an extension and was feeling very secure and comfortable with where he sat. No worries!
What I didn't see, or hear, was a dedication, promise, or anything close to an ultimatum that losing your last 5 games in horrible fashion was unacceptable, and would not be tolerated again.
Instead, we got his best MLF impersonation on how we (this team) can do better, and "yeah, we need to do better in Dec. and Jan.". At some point I almost expected the old McPuffy 'Pad Level' excuse, but it never came, he substituted praise for Bisaccia and Gary (in a lesser degree) instead. Try to sleep on that thought!
He also tried to bullshit us by saying "I expect all those guys under contract to be back'! How does that work with the salary cap, amongst rumors of low-balling assistant coaches you can somehow find an extra X-$millions within the cap to keep them all? Great, just don't tell anyone, but Rashan Gary, really!
I ended up slapping myself for ruining my own day at 5:00 AM, thanks Gutey!

Sadly, the author nailed this article. The Packers are clearly running it back again. The FO tried this a few years ago with Rodgers and Company and failed abysmally and apparently learned nothing from the experience. So here we go again. Ugh!

As a lifelong Packer fan I will once again cheer for the Packers and hope for the best, but the reality is I see very little chance for LaFleur to change his ways enough to get the Packers to the Super Bowl. Seventh place and a first round playoff loss appear to be our destiny.

"After avoiding the position for the past few years following Jalen Ramsey's departure, the Rams are now faced with an unavoidable problem that must be resolved. It would be malpractice for general manager Les Snead to ignore the concern once more. More size, physicality, proper technique, and discipline are needed at cornerback in Los Angeles, and one direction they could go to find that is in this year's NFL Draft, specifically through last week's Senior Bowl."

I read this article today and you could easily substitute Packers & Alexander & Gutey for Rams & Ramsey & Snead. The biggest problem with "Kicking the can down the road" is it still is the biggest need in 2026 along with DT run stopper, but now in 2026 add OL to the biggest needs category. With no extra money this year for a FA, the draft is the only source to fix those holes.

I did read T Vondre Sweat may be a casualty in Tennessee because Robert Saleh doesn't like "Gargantuan" players on his D-line. That could be an option for a trade of a day-3 pick, maybe a 2027 pick when we have those extra comp picks. That would fill 1 huge hole, and I know alot of posters liked him in the draft.

The MINNESOTA VIKINGS canned their general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. I think this is directly tied to not resigning Sam Darnold. It was baffling for the Viking not to resign Darnold for the "Pittance" he got from Seattle after the season he had. At the very least sign him and trade him for a 1st or 2nd round pick, sure beats a lower comp pick.

I would suggest GB do just that with Rasheed Walker. Why let him go for a probable 4th, maybe a 3rd round comp pick at the end of each round? Sign him to a 3-year $60 million contract and trade him before the draft for a higher pick or picks. He is the top available LT in free agency and will have multiple teams wanting him which would drive up the trade price. No way we would be stuck with him because teams always need average LTs who never miss games. A 2nd this year and a 3rd next would be huge to fix the CB, DT, and OL needs.

Just when I thought I couldn't get less excited about next season. I hope that press conference was just the usual BS. I am watching those early March roster bonuses. There are a few there I hope we cut the player before we pay the bonus. That will tell me some of what Gute is thinking. Then I will watch how he gets some salary cap room. Then I will know how much beer I am going to need to thru the season. GPG

As the injuries piled up, I was less optimistic of a Packers Super Bowl bid, but the 5 game losing streak, the inexcusable 4th quarter collapses, and the total meltdowns against the Bears, had me ready for house cleaning in the offseason. When they retained MLF, I was certain, there was an agreement, he would get rid of the weak coordinators and position coaches. Now. the only thing us poor fans can hope for is that upper management is smarter than us, and there really is a good chance the team will turn it around.

This coming offseason will be interesting to follow with the number of players set for free agency. Hope Gute and Ball can figure out a way to keep the keepers, and renegotiate those contracts that need attention. Looking at you Rashan.

As for the this or that choices, agree wholeheartedly with all except basketball over baseball. The NBA is unwatchable, and with college athletics how they are, I won't even watch March Madness this year, which is the only basketball I ever view.

"he has to produce results at least as good as Hafley’s did."

Talk about running it back! "At least as good", is not near good enough! Not the only reason, but the D has to take on some of those last 5 games and needs to improve when it comes to closing time.

There's a reason why most of the coaching staff remains. They aren't getting poached. In fact, the ones in the past that have been haven't fared too well. What does that tell us about running it back? Especially with that implant from the Bears that coaches the O-line.

Frustrating that everyone can see it except senior management.
And finally, so many have called for it.

Who lives in GB and what is the mood and talk on the street there?

S.O.L.I.D. (Spirit Of Lombardi Is Dead)

I don't post much in the off season but that's going to be my signoff rather than GPG until we go deep into playoffs or MLF goes. It's a tough statement but how else can we fans indicate our displeasure. Anyone want to join me? I wonder what would happen if I started handing our flyers for businesses to post in their windows? That might be too much but I've been 'yelling' this for 3 years - MLF isn't the guy to take us to the SB. Now I'll have to add Pilot to the list. I'm mixed on Gute but he's trending down.

I see that we are looking to be an average team at best for awhile. We will be fighting for the 7th seed.

I wonder if we will look at hiring Stoutland as Campen has been spoken for.

We as fans must be missing something about this season. Gutey likes our CB’s and thinks that they played well, I want what he’s drinking. Our sp teams play flat out stinks. And to praise the SP teams coach and McManus is totally shocking. Does he not know how a couple of simple plays cost us two wins. I have absolutely no faith in our future after reading about Gutey’s press conference.

This organization reeks of self-isolation; a bubble where they only listen to themselves and just reinforce their own vision and gradually drive it further from reality. In an organizational context, that inevitably eventually leads to real pain.

When LaFleur kept Joe Barry around an extra season when it was almost universally believed he would be replaced as the template for the Packers idea of accountability. There needs to be a major housecleaning, and if MLF won't do it, time to move on. And he apparently, like McCarthy before him, has a stubborn loyalty streak, or an ego problem, or something that won't let him admit he should replace coaches who are not getting the job done.
This would start with Butkus, where the OL is a mess, and there is no "develop" to the "draft and develop" approach the Packers have to draft choices. Then Stenavich. If he is not willing to go back to coaching the OL (where he was excellent), say goodbye and get someone else. I was really hoping for McDaniel from Miami, but the Charges grabbed him. Take a hard look at the DL coach, which is similar to the OL. A lot of "developmental" players but only two or three that are difference makers (and the Packers traded for Parsons, so that hardly counts). It could well be time to pull the plug on the LVN experiment. "Hercules" indeed! Physical traits are nice; I'd prefer football players.
Meanwhile, the team continues to play "musical chairs" with the OL. Draft tackles to develop them as guards. Pick a center, and pass over the football player who has made four consecutive Pro Bowls, and instead draft someone else, only to cut him last year. Then move a really good LG to become an "All World Center" who admitted he was terrible at the position.
The lack of accountability is amazing. The team pays lip service to being a SB contender, but rewards decreasing returns and multiple collapses at crucial times by extending those who are in charge of the failures. I apologize for this lengthy and somewhat scattershot post, but I'm just tired of accepting the status quo rather than making hard decisions.

I think we had a really good team last year, and if not for the injuries we might have made a real run at the Super Bowl. I have no problem with making some incremental improvements and running it back.

Tim: I see that photo of Policy wearing dark sunglasses, and with his current stance on MLF, I can't help but think of Tommy (from the rock opera of the same name by the The Who): "That deaf, dumb and blind kid...." Well, at least we have the Wisconsin Badgers women's hockey team to keep the glass half-full.

Obviously management thought
Bill Huber, Tom Silverstein and others
had fraudulent claims.
Fact, Values, Cause, Effect, and Policy.
All Ludicrous.
They had one true cure.
Instead of trying to seek other less effective
methods and Concerns .

It’s Believe in the magic of bubble baths
“And don't fix everything at once”!

POLICY “FIXED” the hole in the dike.
HE READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
RELAX! THERE’S STILL PLENTY OF TIME.
And the Extentions of MLF, Gute and Ball backed it up.
So forget the bad Luck. And suffering.
Fix a drink, it beats a Quack.
There won't be an explosion.

This concept of running it back has all the marks of arrogance from the Packers management. They seemed determined despite the last 3 seasons, and in particular the end of the last 2 seasons, to prove that what they have been doing and continue to do is going to prove them correct. Specking for myself I don't see any justification for that attitude.

Yes, injuries were a factor. but they will always be a factor. We don't even know if players like Kraft and Parsons will return from their injuries at 100%. Even fully recovered might mean they lose a step or even a half step. There is no way to know who will be injured next season. Also, the Packers are not going to be able to sign all of their players back. Some may just want to move on to another team regardless of what the Packers offer.

Running it back to me means to be ready to expect similar results for 2026 season. After 7 seasons as HC is MLF suddenly going to become that much better of head coach. Is Gannon that good of a coach that the defense is suddenly going to play at a championship level. He certainly didn't show that in Arizona. Gute is talking about resigning Gary. Really!! Give me a break.

In fairness we need to wait and see how FA and the draft plays out but I can't, at this point, expect anything different from Gute or MLF other than what we have seen for the 8 seasons since Gute took over as the Packers GM. Hopefully I'm wrong and time will tell. Thanks, Since '61

I thought it was time for the team to move on from LaFleur, but I don't feel the doom and gloom that Tim and so many others do. I think it's quite possible that the new DC will actually be an upgrade, and while Bisacchia has not improved the special teams as much as hoped, the only real weakness was punt and kickoff returns--areas where the team lacked dynamic players. The coverage units were quite good, and we had one of the best punters in the league, so possibly we had net positives overall on punt and kickoff returns vs. returns against. I'm not sure how to check on that. The kicker had two bad stretches (one in the playoff game--ouch!) but that wasn't Bisacchia's fault.

I would like to see a new mind brought in to the offensive side of the ball as OC or offensive line coach, but not knowing exactly how the decision making is divided up there, I don't know what would be best.

if there was a team owner MLF and Bassicia would be long gone, but the Packers sell out at home and make money so the people in charge are satisfied with a one and done season.

Vince Lombardi is famously quoted as saying, "There is no second place. Either you're first, or you're last". Now replaced at Lambeau by - Commitment to Complacency. Maybe that is why after his 1st Championship Game loss in which the clock ran out he promised that it would never happen again. Then he won 5 Championships and never lost another Playoff Game. That is Titletown, not what we are seeing now and have been for quite some time.

"But I’m having a hard time feeling any sort of excitement about what the next season brings in store."

This is exactly where I am as well. (Thanks Tim)

Pantz B.

16 years without SB.
I hoped Policy was a new Harlan, but he's not, he's a Murphy copy.
so we are on the way to make that 29 years without SB, as in the 70s / 80s.

Sorry, but I'm not buying the injury excuse. The Packers beat the crap out of the Bears during the first half of both games only to come out in the second half and implode. That's not bad injury luck, that's bad coaching!