Five Critical Questions the Green Bay Packers Must Answer After a Disappointing Finish

The Green Bay Packers entered the 2025 season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Coming off steady progress in recent years and boasting a roster filled with young talent and star power, expectations were high that this could be the year the franchise reasserted itself among the NFL’s elite.

Instead, the season ended in frustration.

A five-game losing streak to close the year — capped by a stunning 31-27 Wild Card playoff loss to the Chicago Bears — forced the Packers into the postseason as the NFC’s seventh seed for the third consecutive season and raised serious questions about the organization’s trajectory. What once looked like a team ready to contend fizzled out in painfully familiar fashion, marked by second-half collapses, missed opportunities, and inconsistency in critical moments.

As Green Bay turns its attention to 2026, the Packers face a defining offseason. They are not a team in need of a rebuild, but they are clearly a team in need of answers. Here are the five most important questions the Packers must confront if they are going to take the next step.

1. Does Change Start at the Top?

The first and most consequential question centers on leadership.

With Ed Policy now in place as team president, the organization must decide whether continuity or change is the best path forward. General manager Brian Gutekunst has assembled a roster with undeniable talent. He successfully navigated the transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love without plunging the franchise into a full rebuild — no small feat in today’s NFL.

Gutekunst deserves credit for drafting Love, acquiring Micah Parsons, and building depth across the roster. Players like Javon Bullard, Christian Watson, and Tucker Kraft form a solid core around the team’s stars.

The more difficult evaluation lies with head coach Matt LaFleur.

LaFleur’s résumé is impressive on paper. He went 39-10 in his first three seasons, reached two NFC Championship Games, and helped Aaron Rodgers win two MVP awards. He also played a key role in developing Jordan Love and Malik Willis, and his offenses are consistently among the league’s most respected.

Yet the results over the last four seasons have been underwhelming. LaFleur is 37-30-1 in that span, with just one season of more than 10 regular-season wins. More troubling, the Packers have won just one playoff game since 2020.

Time and again, Green Bay has faltered in high-leverage moments. The collapse against Chicago in the Wild Card round was not an anomaly — it was a continuation of a pattern. Late-game mistakes, second-half stagnation, and an inability to close have defined the Packers under LaFleur in recent years.

The good still outweighs the bad, but the margin is shrinking. The question is whether this latest collapse forces the organization to reconsider its long-term faith in its head coach.

2. Who Is Micah Parsons’ Long-Term Running Mate?

When the Packers acquired Micah Parsons, the vision was clear: build a dominant pass rush capable of controlling playoff games. While Parsons lived up to expectations, the supporting cast did not.

Rashan Gary looked poised for a breakout early in the season, reaching 7.5 sacks by November and appearing on track for his first 10-sack campaign. Then the production vanished. Gary did not record another sack the rest of the season, raising questions about his future in Green Bay and whether he can be counted on as a complementary edge presence.

Lukas Van Ness battled injuries that derailed his season, missing significant time in October and November. Rookie Barryn Sorrell flashed potential late in the year, while speed rusher Collin Oliver was essentially lost to a hamstring injury after appearing in just one game.

Brenton Cox missed most of the season with a groin injury and enters restricted free agency, making his return uncertain.

Inside, Devonte Wyatt provided consistent pressure until his season-ending injury. Once he was lost, the interior pass rush all but disappeared.

Expecting Parsons to carry the pass rush alone is unrealistic, especially given his own health concerns. Green Bay must identify another reliable edge or interior rusher — either through development, the draft, or value free agency — to avoid repeating the same mistakes in 2026.

3. Which Players Are Worth Re-Signing?

The Packers face several key decisions with pending free agents, and salary cap constraints will force difficult choices.

Linebacker Quay Walker once seemed like a lock for an extension despite the team declining his fifth-year option. While the organization has consistently spoken highly of him, a deal has yet to materialize, and his future remains uncertain.

Wide receiver Romeo Doubs appears unlikely to return after the Packers extended Christian Watson and invested heavily at receiver in recent drafts.

Defensive end Kingsley Enagbare is a tougher call. He was productive and occasionally out-snapped Gary, but his limited pass-rush ceiling and the value of a compensatory pick may push Green Bay toward letting him walk.

On the offensive line, Rasheed Walker is expected to move on with Jordan Morgan set to take over at left tackle. The more intriguing question involves Sean Rhyan, who performed admirably at center late in the season despite limited experience at the position.

Do the Packers trust Rhyan or Jacob Monk enough to avoid adding a veteran at center for a team that still believes it can contend?

One player Green Bay would love to keep is backup quarterback Malik Willis. Unfortunately, his late-season performance — including a standout game against Baltimore — likely priced him out of Green Bay, as he now profiles as a potential starter elsewhere.

4. Who Will Lead the Defense?

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s future looms large.

If Hafley returns, the situation is straightforward. If he leaves for one of the league’s coaching vacancies, the Packers face another pivotal decision.

Internal candidates include defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, who coordinated New England’s defense in 2024, and passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley. Both would provide continuity, but neither is without risk.

External options could include Raheem Morris, who has prior ties to LaFleur from their time together in Washington and Atlanta.

If Hafley departs, Green Bay would be hiring its fourth defensive coordinator in eight years. With LaFleur firmly entrenched as the offensive architect, getting the defensive hire right is absolutely critical.

5. How Do the Packers Actually Get Better?

The final question is the most complex — and the most important.

Part of the answer is health. In the playoff loss to Chicago, the Packers were without Micah Parsons, Tucker Kraft, Devonte Wyatt, and Zach Tom — four of the team’s most important players. No team survives that kind of attrition easily.

Still, injuries are part of the NFL. The Packers must build enough depth to withstand them.

They also face limited flexibility. Without a first-round pick and with less cap space than in previous years, Gutekunst is unlikely to replicate splash free-agent signings like Xavier McKinney or Josh Jacobs.

That places increased pressure on internal development. Jordan Morgan must outperform what Rasheed Walker provided. Lukas Van Ness must take a leap. If Rashan Gary is released, someone must fill that void.

Green Bay is also likely to rely on value free agents and street signings to protect its compensatory pick formula, where it could receive significant draft capital.

Final Thought

The Packers are not far away — but they are no longer close enough to ignore hard truths.

Talent alone has not been enough. Leadership decisions, defensive identity, and late-game execution will determine whether Green Bay finally breaks through or remains stuck in the same frustrating cycle.

The 2026 season will reveal whether this disappointing ending was merely a setback — or a warning sign the franchise can no longer afford to ignore.