Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst Addresses Key Offseason Challenges at NFL Combine

Indianapolis, IN — Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst faced a rigorous schedule Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine, engaging in a marathon of interviews and discussions that shed light on the team’s crucial offseason ahead. Beyond the routine of evaluating prospective talent and liaising with player agents, Gutekunst dedicated significant time to media engagements, conducting separate Q&A sessions with Wisconsin writers, state television reporters, and national outlets. In total, the general manager spoke for over an hour, dissecting the performance of a Green Bay squad that concluded the 2025 season with a 9-8-1 record, a campaign marred by a devastating five-game losing streak and a "collapse for the ages" in a Wild Card playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. His candid remarks offered vital insights into the team’s strategic direction and immediate concerns.

Bisaccia’s Unexpected Departure Leaves Packers Scrambling

One of the most surprising revelations from Gutekunst’s press conferences was the unexpected resignation of special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia on February 17. Gutekunst admitted the move caught the organization completely off guard, stating, "I wouldn’t say we were expecting it at all. It caught us by surprise, but I think there’s some other opportunities he wanted to look at." Despite the abrupt nature of the departure, Gutekunst expressed profound gratitude for Bisaccia’s contributions during his tenure, acknowledging him as a "fabulous football coach" and his exit as a "big loss."

Bisaccia’s three seasons with the Packers saw the special teams unit struggle for consistent improvement. In Rick Gosselin’s highly regarded annual special teams rankings, Green Bay ranked 22nd in 2022 and then plummeted to 29th in 2023, the final year of Gosselin’s rankings. Following Gosselin’s retirement from this specific analysis, Sports Illustrated picked up the mantle, where the Packers’ special teams finished 22nd in 2024 and 20th in 2025. While these rankings indicated a persistent struggle, Bisaccia, a veteran coordinator known for his demanding style, was widely expected to return for the 2026 season. His resignation now leaves the Packers in a unique and challenging position as the only NFL team currently without a special teams coordinator, forcing them to navigate a coaching market that has largely been picked clean.

However, Gutekunst attempted to frame the situation with a positive outlook. "I think I look at it kind of glass half full," he explained. "This actually allows us to take our time. I think when you get into that coaching cycle, sometimes you’ve got to move fast without knowing everything you want to know about the candidates." He emphasized that the absence of competition in the search affords head coach Matt LaFleur the luxury of a thorough evaluation process. "Right now, we don’t have a lot of competition so Matt’s taking his time, being really thorough. The candidates that he’s bringing in, I’m pretty excited about. So I know he’s going to spend some time with them this week and hopefully we’ll have that figured out sooner rather than later, but we’re not under any type of time crunch, which is nice." This measured approach aims to secure the best possible replacement, despite the initial shock of Bisaccia’s exit.

Uncertainty Looms for Rashan Gary and Quay Walker

The futures of two former first-round draft picks, defensive end Rashan Gary and linebacker Quay Walker, remain clouded as the Packers navigate salary cap complexities and performance evaluations.

Rashan Gary’s production took a noticeable dip in the latter half of the 2025 season. After an explosive start that saw him record 7.5 sacks in the first seven games, Gary failed to register a single sack in the subsequent 11 contests. With a substantial $28.02 million cap hit projected for 2026, his contract presents a significant financial challenge for the Packers. Releasing Gary would free up $10.98 million in cap space, a considerable sum for a team currently projected to be $4.3 million over the salary cap. Gutekunst’s comments on Gary’s future were notably reserved. "He’s on our roster and I expect him to play at that level or higher if he’s back next year," the general manager stated, adding a cautious "We’ll see how that goes," which suggests the team is actively evaluating all options regarding the highly paid pass rusher.

Linebacker Quay Walker, an impending free agent, appears increasingly likely to price himself out of Green Bay. Walker has been a tackling machine for the Packers, leading the team in tackles in each of his four NFL seasons. His consistent production made him only the second Green Bay player since 1975 to record at least 100 tackles in each of his first four professional campaigns. However, the Packers’ decision not to pick up Walker’s fifth-year option last offseason signaled their reluctance to commit long-term at his projected market value. Given Green Bay’s current cap deficit, making a competitive offer to retain Walker seems improbable. Gutekunst acknowledged Walker’s impact, stating, "Obviously (Walker’s) played very well for us in his time here and been an exceptional leader, and losing him would be tough." While expressing respect for the player and a willingness to bring him back "if we’re able to get him back," he also indicated the team’s contingency plan: "I think we have guys in house that can play and fill in if that’s not the case." This suggests the Packers are preparing for the strong possibility of Walker departing in free agency.

Josh Jacobs Poised for Return as RB1

Despite recent speculation regarding his future, running back Josh Jacobs appears firmly entrenched as the Packers’ lead back for the 2026 season. Jacobs, who recently turned 28, has accumulated a significant 1,840 career carries. Last season, he averaged 4.0 yards per carry, but his workload and efficiency were impacted by a knee injury suffered in Week 11, which limited him to just 72 carries over the final eight games. With a 2026 salary cap hit of $14.54 million, some analysts had floated the possibility of a release to create cap space.

However, Gutekunst’s comments firmly quashed such speculation, indicating Jacobs’ vital role in the team’s offensive scheme. "Obviously Josh played really well for us last year, major part of our football team," Gutekunst affirmed. He lauded Jacobs’ physical attributes and reliability, adding, "Very durable, tough. Yeah, he’s a very important cog in what we’re trying to do here." This strong endorsement suggests that the Packers view Jacobs as an indispensable part of their offensive identity and intend for him to remain RB1.

Addressing the Elephant in the Room: The Inability to Finish

Perhaps the most critical issue facing the Green Bay Packers this offseason, as highlighted by Gutekunst, is the team’s alarming inability to close out games and seasons. This pervasive problem has become a defining characteristic of recent Packers campaigns and a major impediment to their success.

The 2025 season was replete with agonizing examples of late-game collapses. The Packers held a 99% chance of defeating Cleveland in Week 3 with 3:45 remaining, yet they lost. Similarly, they had a 99% chance to beat Chicago in Week 16 with just over 2 minutes left, only to squander the lead. The most painful collapse occurred in the Wild Card round against the Bears, where Green Bay had a 96% chance of victory with 4:55 remaining, a game they ultimately lost. Statistical analysis revealed the truly improbable nature of these failures, with the odds of losing all three games under such circumstances calculated at an astonishing 1-in-250,000.

This pattern extends beyond individual games. The Packers concluded the 2025 season on a five-game losing streak, mirroring a similar end to the 2024 campaign with three consecutive losses. This consistent inability to perform in crucial moments has left Green Bay stuck at the No. 7 seed in the playoffs for the last three seasons, unable to advance further.

Gutekunst acknowledged the severity of the issue, stating, "We’ve talked a lot about this. Our ability to be more consistent in situational football and finishing off games." He recognized the frustrating trend: "A number of our games the past couple of years, we’ve been up in the games and have just not been able to close them out." The general manager expressed confidence in the team’s character but underscored the urgency of finding a solution. "Our group, we’ve got to get to that point. I really like the guys in our locker room. I like the makeup of our team, but that’s an area that we have to fix." The challenge for the coaching staff and front office will be to instill a "closer" mentality and strategic execution to overcome this glaring weakness.

Jordan Morgan’s Path to Left Tackle

Jordan Morgan, the Packers’ first-round draft pick in 2024, appears set to finally settle into his preferred and most natural position: left tackle. Throughout his collegiate career, Morgan made 35 starts at left tackle, and he consistently maintained that this was his optimal NFL position. However, his rookie season saw him deployed across the offensive line, making seven career starts at right guard, three at left guard, two at right tackle, and only one at left tackle.

With Rasheed Walker almost certain to depart in free agency, a clear pathway has opened for Morgan to become the Packers’ starting left tackle in 2026. Gutekunst expressed strong confidence in Morgan’s readiness for the role. "I think he was ready last training camp," Gutekunst stated, reflecting on Morgan’s rookie development. "I thought he had a really good training camp. I thought he was ready to go and I think if we were to need him at any point in the season to play left tackle, we were very confident he could go there and play winning football." The general manager further solidified Morgan’s projected role, adding, "So yeah, I think certainly if Rasheed’s not here, even if Rasheed is here, I think he’d have a pretty good crack at that." This commitment signals a significant positional shift and a clear development strategy for a key young offensive lineman.

Sean Rhyan Emerges as a Center Option

Another potential reshuffling on the offensive line involves Sean Rhyan, who unexpectedly stepped into the starting center role late last season. Rhyan, previously a backup interior lineman, was thrust into the spotlight after Elgton Jenkins suffered a season-ending fibula injury. With Jenkins now likely to be released, a move that would save the Packers a substantial $19.5 million in salary cap space, Rhyan could be a strong candidate to become the team’s long-term solution at center.

While Rhyan is an impending free agent, Gutekunst indicated that Green Bay would likely prioritize retaining him. The general manager lauded Rhyan’s rapid development and performance under pressure. "I thought Sean, obviously, pressed into that duty unexpectedly, I thought he got better each game," Gutekunst remarked. "It was about Game 3 or 4 of starting at center, he was playing at a very high level." Gutekunst highlighted Rhyan’s physical attributes, describing him as "less experience but more stout in there because he’s just a really physical, strong guy." He also noted the positive impact of Rhyan’s presence on the interior line: "With (Anthony) Belton coming to the right guard spot and him playing center, our ability to move people inside got better as the year went on because of that." This suggests Rhyan’s emergence provides a cost-effective and physically imposing option at a crucial offensive line position.

A Quiet First Round Expected for Green Bay

Packers fans anticipating a splashy first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft will likely be disappointed, as Gutekunst confirmed that the team expects a quiet opening night. Green Bay previously traded its first-round draft picks in both 2026 and 2027 to the Dallas Cowboys as part of the blockbuster deal that brought superstar Micah Parsons to Lambeau Field. Consequently, the Packers will not make their first selection until pick No. 52 in April’s draft.

When asked about the possibility of trading back into the first round, Gutekunst acknowledged the theoretical option but downplayed its likelihood. "Yeah, I think it would take a significant amount of resources to get back up into the first round," he explained. While he wouldn’t "shy away from that" if a truly exceptional player were available and the move made strategic sense, he tempered expectations. "I wouldn’t expect that to happen. Usually the areas of the first round we could get into would be more toward the back half, and so I wouldn’t expect it." He reiterated that while they would be "aggressive about it" if the "right player fell," the cost associated with re-entering the first round, coupled with the talent already acquired via the Parsons trade, makes such a move improbable. This means the Packers’ draft strategy will focus heavily on maximizing value in the mid-rounds, starting with their second-round selection.