Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst stood on the sideline prior to the September 7, 2025, season opener against the Detroit Lions, the weight of another offseason already visible in his posture. While the rest of the NFL spent the first wave of free agency in a frenzy, Gutekunst moved with characteristic restraint. He added defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and wide receiver Skyy Moore, yet he allowed a wave of significant departures to walk out the door without immediate replacements.
The list of exits is sobering: quarterback Malik Willis, wide receiver Romeo Doubs, linebacker Quay Walker, pass rusher Rashan Gary, cornerback Nate Hobbs, and offensive linemen Elgton Jenkins and Rasheed Walker. In a rare proactive move, Gutekunst did swing a trade with the Indianapolis Colts to bring in linebacker Zaire Franklin. Still, the early returns suggest the front office is once again prioritizing draft capital and compensatory picks over splash spending.
Even so, one name continues to surface as a targeted addition that could instantly change the temperature inside the locker room.
Ernesto Cova of Dairyland Express has made the case loud and clear: the Packers should get on the phone with former New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke before March ends.
Okereke just finished the 2025 season in New York with a performance that belongs in franchise lore. He started all 17 games, posted 143 total tackles — the fourth-most in a single season in Giants history — and added a sack, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, and six passes defended. The numbers are impressive on their own. The intangibles, Cova argues, are what make the signing irresistible.
“Okereke is coming off the fourth-most tackles in a single season by any Giants player in franchise history, and even though he may not be the flashiest addition to this team, he’s a beloved and respected locker room presence, and that can never be underestimated,” Cova wrote. “That’s why the Packers must get on the phone with his agent to hammer out a deal before March ends.”
Spotrac’s projection puts Okereke’s next contract in the neighborhood of $12.1 million per season — a number that fits comfortably within Green Bay’s current structure and delivers immediate starter-caliber production at a position that lost Quay Walker.
Yet here is where the analysis must remain clear-eyed. Signing Okereke would not solve Green Bay’s most pressing defensive deficiencies. The cornerback position remains dangerously thin after Nate Hobbs departed. The defensive line and pass-rush rotation still need reinforcements following Rashan Gary’s exit. Those are the two biggest holes that defined the painful ending to last season, and they remain the priority for any realistic contention window.
No one inside Packers nation would complain about adding a 143-tackle, two-interception linebacker who brings leadership and reliability. Fans are simply desperate for movement — any movement — after watching key pieces walk away with little visible urgency from the front office. Okereke would upgrade the linebacker room and inject veteran stability. He would not, however, be the fix that turns a good defense into a dominant one.
Gutekunst appears content to play the long game, banking on compensatory draft picks and letting the market settle. That approach has worked before, but after the way 2025 concluded, patience is wearing thin. The $12.1 million defensive upgrade isn’t coming to help. He’s coming to dominate the middle of the field, to erase gaps, and to make opposing offenses pay.
Packers nation, the phone should already be ringing in Okereke’s camp. The question now is whether Gutekunst will make the call before the window closes — or whether the biggest needs will once again have to wait until the draft.
