How a long-awaited offseason of stability will help Packers level up in 2024

There was a much different feeling in Green Bay this time last year. The Packers were navigating the difficult waters of moving on from future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and there was a feeling of uncertainty for the franchise.

Two individuals in crucial positions in the organization were relatively unknown commodities, and their success or failure could ultimately change the course of the franchise.

Luckily, it appears that good fortune was on the side of the Packers.

Head coach

Questions about Matt LaFleur's ability as a head coach are nothing new. It sort of comes with the territory when coaching a team quarterbacked by someone who will end up in Canton when his career is over. Not helping matters was the known rift between the two parties, as Aaron Rodgers was known to dislike certain play calls and make his own changes at will.

The good news for the Packers is that the first year of the post-Rodgers era under LaFleur was a success. Green Bay finished with a 9-8 record after stumbling to start the year and was able to advance to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, falling short to eventual NFC champion and Super Bowl runner-up San Francisco 49ers.

Seeing LaFleur weather the early storm of disappointing results and guiding this team into the postseason should bode well for potential future success. LaFleur has shown he can coach a team to a winning record that does not feature a slam-dunk Hall of Famer at the quarterback position. Of course, more needs to be seen, but the Packers are in good hands when it comes to their head coach.

Quarterback

The number of conversations about Jordan Love over the past few years has been quite exhaustive and time-consuming. There was a lot of criticism about how the franchise handled the expected quarterback transition, a process the Packers are familiar with, considering Rodgers was brought in to succeed Brett Favre in a very similar situation.

It was an up-and-down start for Love, but there were aspects of his play early on that showed that there was something to work with. Patience was required, and once exercised, it would pay off, as Love cemented himself as the franchise's future at the quarterback position.

Like LaFleur in his head coaching position, Love does have some stuff to work on. The good news is that it should come with time, and there is going to be plenty of that available in the short- and long-term.

Impact on the rest of the roster

Having definite answers on their head coach and quarterback will make the organizational evaluation process significantly easier for all parties involved. Moving forward with LaFleur and Love in their respective roles will lead to a team being properly constructed to get the most out of everyone on the roster.

It is about identifying organizational pillars and marrying them with proper roster construction. Having what should be long-term solutions at quarterback and head coach makes it significantly easier to move forward as an organization.

This will allow the Packers to address other areas of need on the roster, which should help them in their quest to return to their rightful place atop the NFC North.

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