After a very entertaining offseason, the Green Bay Packers are entering an NFL season full of uncertainties. The Green and Gold went through some significant changes in the past couple of months and are getting ready to face a challenging 2023 campaign where their chances to compete for a Super Bowl are not great.
After many years of contention and winning one Super Bowl, the Packers parted ways with Aaron Rodgers, who was traded to the New York Jets back in April after a long back-and-forth between the player, the Packers, and the Jets. Now, the Jets are Super Bowl favorites, while the Packers…Not so much, as you can tell by the Iowa betting odds by ClutchBet.
A New Era In Wisconsin
It’s not a secret that Rodgers was the heart and soul of this team, and his absence will be painful for them, but life goes on, and the Packers are set to start a new era — parting ways with a player like the four-time NFL MVP.
Jordan Love will be responsible for leading the Packers in the short and mid-term, trying to have the same effect Rodgers had on this team after Brett Favre left. He has big shoes to fill, and the team gave him a little extension, leaving the door open for a future divorce between the young quarterback and the franchise.
Love will have to prove his worth next season to try to get a new deal with the Packers, but right now, that looks complicated. This is a different franchise, and its success will depend on Love’s ability to maximize his teammates’ talents.
With their legendary quarterback gone, wide receivers followed through, affecting the team’s chances to try to be competitive this campaign. The roster has suffered plenty of changes in the last couple of seasons, which is problematic for them.
The main reason he always complained about his team was his lack of weapons, as he did so much with his available talent. If Rodgers wasn’t lucky, Love will get a worse team to start the season.
The bright side is that the coaching staff remains almost untouched from last season. Jerry Gray left and now is the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
The NFC North Is Tough
Green Bay will also face big competition, as the rest of the NFC North could potentially be better than them. The Minnesota Vikings are a tier-2 team in the NFC, unable to compete against the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles or San Francisco 49ers.
They’re still expected to be better than the Packers. The Detroit Lions suffered significant changes during the offseason, and their trade decisions are still a big mystery around the NFL world. Then again, they were competitive last season, and if they can pick things up right where they left them, they have chances to fight for the division.
The Chicago Bears are a difficult team to assess, as they can take big steps this upcoming season or keep wandering around, waiting for one more year to see what their young players can do.
Still, they all might look better than the Packers this upcoming season. Green Bay must prove they can be competitive enough to challenge their division rivals.
Matt LaFleur will have much work to do this season, as these Packers are looking like anything but actual contenders. Things were a little better with Aaron Rodgers, but now they face the grim reality without the legendary No. 12 calling the plays.
