The Green Bay Packers limped to the finish line in 2025 and went one-and-done in the playoffs. Unfortunately, it seems like the team has hit a ceiling in recent years, and it's not abundantly clear right now what it's going to take to finally get over the hump, but the 2026 offseason could always bring some positive change.
If nothing else, the Packers have a stud quarterback in Jordan Love and a head coach in Matt LaFleur who simply knows how to win, so loading up the roster with as much talent as possible is really one of the only things the front office can do at this point, as both Love and LaFleur are some of the best in the NFL at what they do.
But with free agency looming in about a month, the Packers have to ensure the roster holes are taken care of, and with 31 other teams trying to improve their own situations, it would not be a shock if Green Bay hit some rough patches. Recently, the team's worst-case offseason scenario was identified, and it would truly send the offense into a spiral.
Green Bay Packers must avoid watching the offensive line fall apart this offseason
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report talked about the Packers worst-case scenario for this offseason, which he identified as the team watching the offensive line fall apart.
"The Green Bay Packers could certainly afford to add a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver this offseason. However, they showed this past season that they can reach the postseason with a mix of good receivers and a quality running game.
Plus, the Packers can still hope that 2025 first-round draft pick Matthew Golden develops into that coveted No. 1 target.
However, Green Bay could be poised for a big step in the wrong direction if it can't protect Jordan Love and open holes for Josh Jacobs. That will be a real danger if the Packers' offensive line falls apart. Unfortunately, that could happen.
Elgton Jenkins is coming off a fractured fibula and looms as a potential cap casualty. 2025 free-agent addition Aaron Banks disappointed in Year 1, while Rasheed Walker and Sean Rhyan are both slated to be free agents.
Keeping the current group together might not be sensible, but parting with three starters and not finding an upgrade at any spot that isn't right tackle—Zach Tom is well above average when healthy—would be an organizational failure."
The Packers offensive line was a bit of a sore spot in 2025, and if General Manager Brian Gutekunst can't make the right moves along this unit, things could really collapse. In today's NFL, games are won and lost in the trenches, and this isn't up for debate. If an offense can't run the ball consistently and protect their quarterback, they won't win much of anything.
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It's not a surprise that some of the teams that boast the best offensive lines in the NFL like the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears, for example, all made the playoffs or sport an extremely efficient offensive operation.
Gutekunst simply has to get this situation right, but making too many changes along this unit could end up coming back to bite the team. One obvious solution could be to re-sign Rasheed Walker and ensure the starting tackles are set in stone for 2026.
The left and right tackle positions are the most important along the offensive line overall, as they protect the quarterback's blindside and are also tasked with blocking team's best pass-rushers, but the interior is where things can get sticky.
Believe it or not, the Packers could cut Aaron Banks with a post-June 1st designation and actually save just over $18 million on their cap, all while eating a dead money charge of $6.75 million. As Knox notes as well, Elgton Jenkins could be an obvious cap casualty, and being able to clear those savings could give Green Bay a runway to rebuild the interior offensive line a bit.
Fortunately, there are many competent interior players along the offensive line set to hit free agency, so that could be an area that Gutekunst could easily improve. But again, making too many changes could come back to bite the team.
The solution might be somewhere in the middle - re-signing Walker and bringing Banks back for another season could still give the Packers an opportunity to upgrade the other two starting positions along the offensive line, as Zach Tom is locked down as the right tackle.
But we can all agree that a failure to fix the offensive line in free agency would totally spiral the offense out of control.