History tells us that when Brian Gutekunst speaks early in the offseason, we should probably listen to him.
Once you get past the classic coachspeak — or, in this case, the GM-speak — Gutekunst is usually pretty honest. Last offseason, he repeatedly spoke about his confidence in the Packers' cornerback room. We all assumed it was a smokescreen, but Gutey backed up his comments with a lack of action at the position.
While he also anticipated Aaron Jones returning, it was a true statement at the time. Circumstances changed, leading to his eventual release.
Gutekunst doesn't blatantly give away the Packers' offseason secrets, but he is typically forthcoming and open to giving his opinion about areas of need. He provided some of those moments during his NFL Scouting Combine press conference this week, spelling out one of the Packers' biggest offseason needs.
Expect the Packers to prioritize the pass rush after Brian Gutekunst's comments at NFL Scouting Combine
Green Bay's pass rush declined dramatically this season, causing Matt LaFleur to part ways with defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, Gutekunst made it clear where they need to improve.
"We need to affect the quarterback with four. How we do that remains to be seen," said Gutekunst. "Excited about the guys in the room, we'll see if we add to it."
He was never going to say, "Yeah, we will add a pass-rusher," but he subtly hinted at it. Last year, Gutey repeatedly expressed confidence in the cornerback room. It's a different story with the pass rush this offseason. He has made it crystal clear that the Packers must improve up front and win with four rushers to have a shot at closing the gap in the NFC.
"We need to affect the quarterback with four."
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) February 25, 2025
"It needs to be more consistent."
"We need to be able to control the game."
"That's got to get better if we're going to accomplish our goals."
Don't expect Gutey to stay status quo on the defensive line!!!
And with a simple "we'll see," he pushed the door wide open about adding to the room. These are the same two words he used to describe Jaire Alexander's uncertain future, with all signs pointing to his departure.
Defense wins championships. More specifically, dominant pass rushes win titles. The Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs have played in five Super Bowls. According to Pro Football Focus, in their two defeats, their opponents have combined for 77 pressures, 11 sacks, and nine quarterback hits.
Philadelphia won with an outstanding defensive front. Mahomes couldn't get comfortable at any point in the game, and it's a story most quarterbacks faced against Vic Fangio's unit. Jordan Love didn't fare much better. Per PFF, he faced pressure on 41.7 percent of dropbacks in the wild-card loss despite the Eagles rarely blitzing.
The real question is how the Packers upgrade the pass rush.
Will they sign a veteran like Khalil Mack? Make a blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby? Or is their next starting pass-rusher going to come via the draft?
Time will tell, but Gutekunst has clearly made fixing the pass rush a priority.