Tell us the Green Bay Packers are all-in to win a Super Bowl without telling us.
That's what general manager Brian Gutekunst just did in his first public appearance since the stunning Micah Parsons trade.
Adding Parsons to the squad undoubtedly boosts the Packers' championship potential, but equally, handing out $188 million to one player can destroy the financial flexibility to retain other key players. Based on Gutekunst's comments, the Packers have a plan to maximize their Super Bowl window.
"I really like the cap numbers the first three years. I think that's going to give us the flexibility, with a lot of really good players we have coming up, that we're going to still be able to keep those guys," said Gutekunst.
He ain't lying. Per Spotrac, Parsons' cap hit is just $9.97 million this season and will remain below $27 million through 2027, giving the Packers a three-year runway to go all-in.
It could get ugly beyond that, with cap hits exploding to $64.3 million and $68.29 million in 2028 and 2029, respectively.
The Packers' plan is clear: push the cap hits down initially, retain as many core players as possible, and launch a Super Bowl bid with this soaring squad. It's a huge gamble that risks mortgaging the team's long-term future, but the upside is undeniable.
Brian Gutekunst quietly confirms the Packers' all-in plan following Micah Parsons trade
The Packers have found their cornerstone defensive star. The next Reggie White or Charles Woodson. Gutekunst is fully aware and made sure he wouldn't let this rare opportunity pass his team by.
"This is a very unique player that rarely becomes available to us," said Gutekunst. "A little bit like (Xavier McKinney) and Josh Jacobs, there's just not a lot of these players at this point in their career with their best football ahead of them that become available."
"Every opportunity we have to improve the football team, now and in the future, we're going to take a look at."
Talk about adding game-changers to this young roster. McKinney? Jacobs? And now Parsons? All three can single-handedly ruin an opponent's game plan.
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The Packers are risking it all to win now, but that's what it's all about, right? Winning championships. Gutekunst said as much during his end-of-season press conference eight months ago. He spoke about the need for urgency and why the Packers needed to cash in on their opportunity to win with such a deep roster.
He backed those words up, even sacrificing not one, but two first-round picks. We know how much the Packers value those — they treat Day 1 picks like gold dust.
"You guys know how we feel about picks here and how important they are to our football team. So, to make this move, you can understand what we think about the player."
Understood, undeniably.
In the words of the legendary Kevin Greene: It is time. The Packers have slowly built to this moment with a young core of ascending talent. Now, the Parsons trade is a seismic shift for this franchise.
Gutekunst stood at the podium eight months ago and spelled it out: "We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency. These opportunities don't come (around often). The life of a player in the NFL is not very long. We've got a bunch of good guys in that locker room, a bunch of talented guys in that locker room. I think it's time that we start competing for championships."
It's now clearer than ever. The Packers are all-in.