Packers Reclaiming NFC North Crown?

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Organized Team Activities are underway in Green Bay

The Green Bay Packers' OTAs got underway last week, which, of course, can add more excitement to the build-up to a new NFL season. The majority of the 2025 roster is together in attendance; this is the very first look at the latest version of the team. So, naturally, everyone is already trying to make evaluations. Don't get us wrong, that first clip of Jordan Love throwing a beautiful pass to Matthew Golden hit better than any pharmaceutical product could ever accomplish. After our NFL football-less drought since the final seconds of the Super Bowl in February, practice throws can be just what the doctor ordered. Especially when you have some shiny new weapons like the Packers have this year. We've spent several weeks imagining what it would look like seeing that connection, and now it's happening. Who cares that it's just running drills or practice reps?

Perhaps the biggest encouragement coming out of OTAs is the status of Christian Watson post-ACL tear. Many doubted Watson would be able to return early, not until three-fourth of the way through the season at the earliest. To see Watson participating in team workouts is an encouraging sign that his rehab has been going very well, and maybe the Packers will see him back sooner than we expected.

When you ask Matt LaFleur about how players look, you get some kind of variation on "They look good." Of course, they look good; everyone looks good in OTAs. Why would anything else be said? Unless it's a gaping problem they can't hide from, no coach is going to purposely bring drama into their locker room this early.

Reacting to second open practice of Packers OTAs

CHTV co-founder Aaron Nagler is joined by Justis Mosqueda of ACME Packing Company to discuss all the reports and updates coming out of the Green Bay Packers second OTA practice available to the media.

Who Will Start at Safety Opposite Xavier McKinney?

The Green Bay Packers still have questions at safety as OTAs continue. The team knows that Pro Bowler Xavier McKinney will be the starter at one safety spot, the other safety remains a question. The primary candidates are both second-year players who were drafted by the team in 2024.

Evan Williams started six games for the Packers last season while playing in 13. The secondary seemed to play its best when he was inserted into the lineup. The fourth round pick out of Oregon broke up three passes, forced a fumble and made his first career NFL interception. He also made 49 total tackles. Williams proved himself to be a smart football player who put himself into position to make plays.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was impressed by how quickly Williams learned the defense and adjusted to life in the NFL. “He’s a very intelligent player,” Hafley said midway through the 2024 season. “I think one of the biggest things he’s done to put himself in the situation that he’s in now and having a bigger role is he’s starting to learn how to study the game more and he’s starting to understand how serious you need to take it because, when those opportunities come, you have to be ready for it.” As a rookie, Williams did well in coverage in limited action.

The player Williams replaced at safety midseason may be his biggest competition. GM Brian Gutekunst selected Javon Bullard in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Georgia alum played in 15 games last season and started 11.

Bullard did his best work closer to the line of scrimmage as the strong safety. He made 90 total tackles, recovered one fumble and made two tackles for loss. The issue for Bullard as a rookie came in pass coverage. Bullard had a disadvantage. He spent most of training camp lining up at safety. But, when Jaire Alexander got hurt and was out of the lineup, the Packers moved Bullard to the slot and Williams took over at the traditional safety spot.

If Alexander is unavailable, the chances of Bullard being the starter in the slot increase. At OTAs, however, when Alexander was not there, the base defense included Keisean Nixon and Hobbs on the perimeter. When they went to the nickel set, Carrington Valentine moved to the perimeter and Hobbs moved to the slot. Again, this is all very preliminary at OTAs, but it gives us an idea of the way the coaching staff is thinking at the moment. In the end, it may come down to a battle between Williams and Bullard at safety.

As head coach Matt LaFleur is fond of saying, iron sharpens iron. The Packers may have to “good” problem of trying to get both of these talented second-year men on the field as much as possible.

Packers fans owe Kenny Clark an apology

CHTV co-founder Aaron Nagler and Bill Schmid of the Packers Radio Network discuss Kenny Clark's injury revelation, the offensive line battle and expectations for Jordan Love heading into his third year as a starter.

Reclaiming the NFC North Crown

Cheesehead TV Nation wants the North back!

It has been three long years since Green Bay won the NFC North. After finishing with a divisional record of 1-5, the Packers and HC Matt LaFleur look to progress forward beyond the 7th seed in the playoffs and third in the division. Going 0-4 against the Lions and Vikings again is unacceptable. A lot has to go right to reclaim the crown, such as the offensive line staying healthy and reliable, elevating as one of the best in the league and improvement in pressuring the quarterback leading to increased turnovers and sacks.

Check out some other important factors that need to happen for the Pack to win the kings of the North title back.

Packers Returning Receivers Deserve Benefit of the Doubt for Down 2024

At this point it is well known that the Packers’ young wide receivers did not live up to expectations in 2024, after impressing in 2023. Most people projected Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson to take a real step forward entering their second and third years in the NFL respectively. Almost across the board, Green Bay’s receivers were worse in 2024 than they were previously.

The most glaring issue was drops, with the quartet having 26 of them in 2024, averaging a drop rate of 12.1% between them. It has been discussed plenty that Love’s 2024 season, and specifically his stat line, was significantly impacted by the plague of dropped passes by his receivers, but what does not get talked about enough is the flipside of that argument. The context which must be added to the struggles Green Bay’s receivers had last year is that they played with a quarterback who was injured essentially from start to finish. Love hurt his knee in week one, meaning Malik Willis then had to play the next two games. He then injured his groin in week eight, leaving the game and again forcing Willis into the lineup. Finally, Love suffered an elbow injury on his throwing arm in the regular season finale. He was reluctant to admit it, but it sounds like the various ailments hampered Love all season. They cost him practice time, and he was never able to get truly into a rhythm at any point in the year.

This lack of time on the practice field, as well as missing games or having to leave them early, very likely had an impact on Love’s cohesion with his pass catchers. From their perspective, it cannot have been easy to play with different QBs with different skillsets, which meant the game plan changing, sometimes with no notice if Love had to exit mid-game. It was a turbulent, disjointed season for the entire offense, and it is difficult to separate one position group from the collective group in terms of assigning blame.

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Packers 2025 Rookie Watch with Big Mac Breakdown

Aaron chats with Malcom of Big Mac's Breakdowns to look at the progress of the Green Bay Packers 2025 rookie class.

Will Lukas Van Ness Make the Third-Year Leap?

When Lukas Van Ness chased down Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields for a solo sack in his first game as a Green Bay Packer, many Packers fans had visions of double digit sacks in his first year as a pro. On that play, Van Ness ignored a play fake and took a perfect angle on the nimble Fields to corral him from behind and sling him to the turf along the sideline. It had Packers fans slapping nicknames on him such as “The Luke Ness Monster.”

Double digit sacks did not materialize, however.

The rookie defensive end from Iowa finished the season with four total sacks, showing flashes at times and offering some promise for what might lie ahead, but at no point looking anything like the second coming of Clay Matthews III. In his second season, Van Ness showed us that he indeed was no Matthews. If anything, he regressed a bit, not just statistically, but from an eye-test perspective, on a Packers defense whose pass rush was far too often anemic.

As it turns out, Van Ness was dealing with with a lingering injury throughout the 2024 season, a broken thumb. Initially thought to be a minor injury, Van Ness told reporters this week that it was absolutely limiting his ability to use his hands to engage with opposing blockers.

Now, with that said, amidst the consternation and doubt, it’s only fair to remember that Van Ness was drafted for what the Packers envisioned he could become in a few seasons – he was a developmental player, albeit one that cost some pretty hefty draft capital at his 13th-overall price tag (ouch). We were willing to hold out hope and give the 6-5 linebacker a chance to refine his game and adapt to defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s system.

In short, it’s borderline now or never. Perhaps the Packers replacing Jason Rebrovich with DeMarcus Covington as defensive line coach will unlock Van Ness’ substantial potential. Whatever does the trick, it’s time for Van Ness to take a big step forward if the Packers’ pass rush is going to make a leap in 2025.

Can Packers QB 6th Year Magic Strike a Third Time?

Heading into the 2025 NFL season, all eyes will be on quarterback Jordan Love.

Coming off a 2024 season in which he played through knee and groin injuries, Love will be expected to bounce back in a big way for the Packers. And if Love can play at a high level, which we have seen in spurts over his five-year career, it would be the spark needed for the Packers to get back in Super Bowl contention, a place they haven’t been in 15 years.

Love enters his 6th season as a pro (3rd as a starter) with expectations to get the Packers back to the playoffs for the third straight season. Green Bay has made the playoffs five times in six seasons under head coach Matt LaFleur. In Love’s first two seasons as a starter, the Packers finished 9-8 and 11-6, making the playoffs as a wild card team both times.

“Talk about the Super Bowl, that’s the goal for us. We talked about that last year and it’s the same message this year. We are trying to win a Super Bowl," Love said to reporters this week at Packers OTA's. "I’m definitely trying to be that guy to take this team and lead them to that.

“When you talk about Aaron and what he did in his third year, I never try to compare because that’s so hard to do. At the end of the day, I’ve been here, going on year 6, my third year playing, everything is right there in front of us. The goal is definitely the Super Bowl, that’s the mindset we have.”

There are many parallels to Love’s first two seasons as a starter with those of his two predecessors, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.

Brett Favre’s first three seasons as a starter: 1992 (9-7), 1993 (9-7), 1994 (9-7); three wild card appearances, two playoff wins over the Lions in ‘93 and ‘94. Aaron Rodgers’s first three seasons as a starter: 2008 (6-10), 2009 (11-5), 2010 (10-6); two wild card appearances, four playoff wins (all in 2010, including Super Bowl XLV). Love’s first two seasons as a starter: 2023 (9-8), 2024 (11-6); two wild card appearances, one playoff win.

In the case of both Favre and Rodgers, they were both in their 6th season in the league when they were able to lead the Packers to Super Bowl titles. In 2025, Love will also be entering his 6th overall season, 3rd as a starter, like Rodgers did in 2010. Can he lead the Packers to the team’s first division championship since 2021? Based on the reports from the team’s OTA’s last weekend, the team is beginning to look more it is Love's team, for the first time in his career.

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