While the Green Bay Packers' 2024 season came to an end in disappointing fashion with an ugly 22-10 loss in the Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles, the campaign as a whole still has to be seen as a success.
For starters, their playoff loss came to the eventual Super Bowl champs. And with the way Philly played throughout the postseason, nobody was beating them. So, there's that.
As far as the regular season is concerned, the Packers notched two more victories than they did the season before, finishing the year at 11-6. And with the NFC North being the best division in football — at least until the playoffs began, that is — and Green Bay dealing with all sorts of injuries, they couldn't have asked for much more.
Now, the Packers are set for what should be an entertaining offseason in which they've got a little money to spend in free agency and a decent amount of picks in the NFL draft, which Green Bay will actually host for the first time ever this April.
However, the early offseason conversations surrounding this organization haven't been about any of that. Instead, most have revolved around the Packers' chances of trading for Myles Garrett, who has made it crystal clear that he has no desire to return to the Cleveland Browns.
Now, is there a chance that Green Bay could put together a package to acquire the six-time Pro Bowler? Sure. And the Packers certainly do need a little help in the pass-rush department.
But with the cap consequences the Browns would face by dealing Garrett, the likelihood of a trade still seems low, especially given all the problems they're already facing due to the Deshaun Watson debacle.
So, again, the Packers could pull some magic, but it doesn't seem likely. That said, though, it's not as if Green Bay won't have other options this offseason. And while none of the players below can match what Garrett would bring to the table, all of them could still come in and contribute.
Josh Sweat
While Josh Sweat was already set to be a hot commodity in free agency, his stock has risen even further after the seven-year veteran recorded 2.5 sacks on Patrick Mahomes in the Eagles' 40-22 victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl 59.
In his seven seasons, all of which have been spent in Philly, the 2018 fourth-round pick has recorded 43.0 regular-season sacks, 8.0 of which came this past year, and an additional 5.0 in nine postseason appearances.
Sweat's projected contract at Spotrac is a three-year deal worth roughly $56.4 million, giving him an AAV of $18.8 million, which should be doable for Green Bay.
Khalil Mack
lt's not typical for Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to go after an aging free agent, but Khalil Mack certainly isn't your average mid-30s defensive lineman.
In his age-33 season this past year with the Los Angeles Chargers, the 11-year veteran wasn't quite as dominant as he was in 2023 when he finished in the top 10 of the Defensive Player of the Year voting but still finished the year with 39 total tackles, 15 QB hits, 6.0 sacks, nine passes defended, and a pair of forced fumbles to earn his ninth trip to the Pro Bowl.
While the Packers have been the youngest team in the NFL the past two years, adding some veteran leadership to Jeff Hafley's defensive unit wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, especially when Mack can still produce at a high level.
Green Bay could be hesitant to give someone his age the $20-plus million he may command with a new contract, but Gutekunst may want to finish what he started seven years ago.
In his first season as the team's general manager in 2018, he made a strong push for Mack, only to lose him to none other than the Chicago Bears. Perhaps he can get the job done this time around.
Azeez Olujari
lf the Packers do want to take a cheaper route here and perhaps spend more money to address their issues at the cornerback position, Azeez Olujari could be an intriguing option.
A second-round pick of the New York Giants in 2021, Olujari isn't quite the overall disruptive force that Sweat or Mack can be, but he still racked up 6.0 sacks for Big Blue in 2024, matching Mack's total and falling just two short of Sweat's.
At 6'3" and 240 pounds, Olujari doesn't have the size of Rashan Gary (6'5", 277) or Lukas Van Ness (6'5", 272), but a bendier option on the edge could be what Hafley is looking for. He'll undoubtedly be a cheaper option, as he's expected to command roughly $7.6 million per season on a new deal.
The Packers had a ton of success acquiring good players from bad teams a year ago, as both running back Josh Jacobs and safety Xavier McKinney made the Pro Bowl. Perhaps Olujari could come in and thrive as well.