4 bold predictions for the Green Bay Packers in 2024 season

It's finally here. Eight months after the Green Bay Packers' heartbreaking playoff exit to the San Francisco 49ers, they are back to make another run.

Jordan Love enters his second season as the Packers' starting quarterback, and he has a fresh four-year, $220 million extension that makes him the highest-paid player in league history. Joined by a new-look backfield featuring All-Pro Josh Jacobs and third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd, expectations are high for the Packers' offense.

Underwhelming defensive performances led to Joe Barry's dismissal at the end of last season. In comes Jeff Hafley, whose aggressive approach gives the Packers' defense a fresh start with new ideas. He is also bringing a 4-3 system to Green Bay.

What can we expect from the Packers in 2024? It's time to make our bold predictions ahead of the new season.

Bold predictions for the Packers entering the 2024 season

Jordan Love wins MVP

The math doesn't lie.

In the final eight regular-season games in 2023, Jordan Love completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 2,150 yards, 18 touchdowns, and one interception, earning an elite passer rating of 112.7. They are MVP numbers.

The big question is whether Love can recapture that form and maintain it for an entire season. If he passes that test, he will make a serious case to win NFL MVP. If we take his numbers from the final eight games and average them over a 17-game season, it works out at 4,568 yards, 38 touchdowns, and two interceptions. They are better numbers than Aaron Rodgers' MVP seasons in 2014 and 2021.

Love showed his All-Pro talent in the playoff victory over the Dallas Cowboys. It didn't matter that he was playing in his first playoff game, or that it was on the road against a team with the No. 5-ranked defense that had won its previous 16 games at home by a margin of 566-285.

He was unfazed. Love completed 76.2 percent of his passes for 272 yards, three touchdowns, and a 157.2 rating, leading Green Bay to a 48-32 win.

The future is now. Again, the math doesn't lie.

Packers have a top-five defense with Jeff Hafley

The Packers already had the talent. They now have the defensive coordinator to get the best out of them.

Jeff Hafley's philosophy aligns with Green Bay's defensive strengths. Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Carrington Valentine are at their best when they can get in a receiver's face and press them in man coverage. Joe Barry's system asked them to drop deep and rally to the football.

Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Lukas Van Ness will put their hands in the dirt as 4-3 defensive ends rather than 3-4 outside linebackers. They all have previous experience in that role, which should maximize their production as pass rushers.

Hafley described what he wanted at the safety position, and the Packers responded by revamping the entire room. Xavier McKinney and Javon Bullard are the interchangeable playmakers Hafley wanted and should hit the ground running in this system.

Green Bay's defense has All-Pro talent with a new-look scheme. The hype train has left the station.

David Bakhtiari returns to Packers

David Bakhtiari is still searching for a new home, while the Packers lack tackle depth. A reunion makes more sense than ever. If he's fully healthy, Bakhtiari could resume his role as the Packers' starting left tackle, allowing Rasheed Walker to cover both spots as the swing tackle.

Green Bay kept Andre Dillard, Kadeem Telfort, and Travis Glover on the 53-man roster, but neither has performed consistently enough to run away with the swing tackle job. The Packers may have an issue if Walker or Zach Tom gets hurt.

Bakhtiari said he wants to play with the next Super Bowl MVP. That may require a return to Green Bay.

Packers make the Super Bowl

Love wins MVP, the Packers have a top-five defense, and Bakhtiari returns home. They are the ingredients of a Super Bowl run.

And why not?

Green Bay had the victory in the bag against the San Francisco 49ers last January. A win would've sent the Packers to Ford Field, where they dominated the Detroit Lions earlier in the season. The Niners and Lions are again among the NFC's best, and the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will likely be in the mix.

The Packers won't enter the season as NFC favorites, but they are among the top contenders. All it takes is for this team to get hot at the right time, and they can make a run all the way to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

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