Uncertainty looms large over 1265 Lombardi Ave. It's unlikely, but still plausible, that the Green Bay Packers could have new coaches leading the offense, defense, and special teams when September arrives.
Important questions remain without answers, but there is clarity in one area. It's undeniably obvious, painfully obvious in fact, where the Packers must focus their attention this offseason: the offensive line.
Matt LaFleur had to constantly reshuffle his starting five due to injury, but that's no excuse. Even when most of the preferred starters were healthy, the Packers' offensive line fell well short of expectations, and it's largely to blame for the offense crashing and burning in the second-half meltdown in Chicago. For Green Bay to reach the Super Bowl level, it must answer some tough questions along the offensive line.
Packers must prioritize the offensive line this offseason, especially with key departures looming
Green Bay's starting five must improve, and that's before free agency smashes it to pieces like a meteor.
Rasheed Walker, who has started 48 games at left tackle over the past three seasons, is a free agent and likely gone. Sean Rhyan has 28 starts at right guard and center in two years, and he's also a free agent. The Packers also face salary cap decisions on Elgton Jenkins and Aaron Banks.
It feels like Jenkins' time in Green Bay is up. Rhyan outperformed him at center this season, and the Packers can create $20 million in cap space by releasing or trading Jenkins. Banks likely gets another year, but Green Bay could decide to cut its losses and eat the dead money to get out of his contract.
So, what's left after free agency decimates the starting five?
Jordan Morgan will presumably start at left tackle. He showed real promise after the Packers finally ended the guard experiment and played him in his preferred position. Anthony Belton is the frontrunner to start at right guard, while Zach Tom will resume at right tackle. Assuming Banks returns, he'll likely remain at left guard.
READ MORE: Jordan Love just learned the harsh Packers lesson Aaron Rodgers already knew
There's a massive void at center. Green Bay could negotiate a new deal with Rhyan. He looked more comfortable than Jenkins despite playing out of his more natural position of guard, and the veteran earned a solid PFF run-blocking grade of 66.7, ranking 17th among 40 centers. However, despite only allowing one sack, Rhyan's 38.5 pass-blocking grade ranked dead last at the position.
The absolute dream scenario would be to sign Baltimore Ravens free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum, who has made the Pro Bowl three years in a row. Don't bank on it, though. The Ravens could franchise tag their star center, and even if he hits free agency, the Packers likely can't compete in the market.
Green Bay will need to restock the depth chart via the draft, look for affordable free agents, and also improve its coaching.
Much of the Packers' offensive line woes could come down to two key issues: Health and coaching.
The team lacked continuity along the starting five, which undoubtedly hurt them. Banks missed three starts and played through injury in others. The Packers lost Jenkins for half the season, while Tom missed five games.
"All we have to do is block it the right way, and those aren't issues," LaFleur said about the protection problems in the Packers' playoff loss.
That sounds like a communication and execution problem, not necessarily a talent issue. That's on the coaches to fix that. If LaFleur returns, he needs to consider a significant overhaul of his staff, which could mean replacing Luke Butkus as the offensive line coach.
With limited cap resources and no first-round pick, the Packers can't fix all their issues by simply adding talent, especially since they also need upgrades at cornerback and defensive tackle, and they likely need another pass-rusher.
It's tough, but Jordan Love repeatedly proved how unstoppable he can become when the protection is there, not just in the passing game, but also in the run-blocking, which was problematic all season. Green Bay rushed for just six yards on seven attempts in the second half at Chicago, which left the door open for a stunning comeback.
Yes, the personnel take a portion of the blame. The Packers should upgrade where they can, especially if a game-changing player like Linderbaum becomes available. But it's also on the coaches to find solutions, particularly in the run game.
If the Packers can build a top-10 offensive line, they'll put Love in position to lead a Super Bowl charge in 2026. If the blocking problems persist, forget about it.
It's the Packers' No. 1 priority.