Whew. What an offseason. Everything the world thought it knew about the Green Bay Packers? Destroyed.
General manager Brian Gutekunst kicked off the offseason by throwing around terms like "urgency" while saying it was time to "start competing for championships." He dropped a spoiler alert on what lay ahead.
Gutekunst may have believed the Packers were ready to compete, but this offseason must've exceeded even his wildest dreams. Green Bay went from a playoff pretender with a dream to one of the NFC's true Super Bowl contenders. As the Packers' offseason fades into the rear-view mirror and a date with the Detroit Lions arrives, let's reflect and rank the most shocking moves the team made.
Ranking the Packers' most shocking offseason moves in 2025
5. Packers hand Aaron Banks $77 million on Day 1 of free agency
The Packers' decision to move on from Josh Myers? Not surprising. Their follow-up move to have Elgton Jenkins slide to center and sign a guard? Not surprising.
To hand $77 million to Aaron Banks? OK, that was unexpected. The contract raised eyebrows, eats up a significant chunk of cap space, and could cost the Packers future compensatory draft picks. But once you get beyond that, the move makes sense.
Throw out the salary cap spreadsheets for a moment, and it's possible to understand the Packers' thinking. Swapping Myers for Banks (with Jenkins moving to center) upgrades the offensive line.
It also signals a shift in philosophy. Banks is a mean, tough run-blocker, and that's the direction this offense is heading towards. The Packers lacked the physicality to move defenders in the run game last season — Banks will help change that.
It's fine not to love the contract, but the Packers identified their free agency target and made a big move to improve the offensive line. His arrival should help Josh Jacobs.
Level: Surprising
4. Packers switch Bo Melton from wide receiver to cornerback (and it works out)
Cornerback uncertainty dominated many of the offseason headlines. We knew the Packers had to do something, but switching Bo Melton from receiver to cornerback wasn't on many people's bingo cards.
But it's worked. OK, we don't actually know that yet until the real games begin, but Melton passed every test in the summer. He made the roster with apparent ease, which shows the Packers have full confidence in his ability to play his new position.
Melton providing sticky coverage isn't all that surprising, as his route-running ability translates well to defense. The same goes for his potential to force takeaways due to his receiving skills. But Melton also showed up in run defense, which would've required a far steeper learning curve.
We may see Melton play meaningful defensive snaps as early as Week 1, depending on Nate Hobbs' status. He has passed every test so far, and the Packers' most bizarre offseason gamble may have paid off.
Level: Bold
3. Packers release Jaire Alexander after a painful offseason-long soap opera
Green Bay's decision to release Jaire Alexander didn't surprise anyone. The timing? More so.
It felt inevitable at the beginning of the offseason, but as time went on and nothing happened, the narrative shifted. Not only did Alexander remain on the roster well beyond the draft, but the Packers did little to find a replacement. Beyond signing Hobbs in free agency, they didn't invest any premium draft capital at the position, nor make a bold trade.
Just when it looked like Alexander would stay, the Packers released him on the eve of minicamp. It's never fun to see an All-Pro depart, but at least the most tedious offseason drama had come to an end.
We'll see if the Packers ultimately regret that move, but the additional cap space did help them pull off a blockbuster trade (spoiler alert).
Level: Bold
2. Packers end two-decade-long wait, finally draft a first-round wide receiver
Now we're talking.
Brian Gutekunst spent an offseason smashing every Packers narrative to pieces. What's that? We don't draft wide receivers in the first round? Here's Matthew Golden.
Packers fans will always remember where they were when Mark Murphy announced Golden to Green Bay — thousands of them saw it live in living color in the shadows of Lambeau Field.
You likely need no reminding that Golden was the Packers' first Day 1 wide receiver selection in over two decades, something Aaron Rodgers never enjoyed during his time as QB1. And Golden has looked like a first-rounder all summer, offering hope that the Packers have found their new star receiver for Jordan Love.
The first-round narrative was always a myth, anyway. Green Bay wanted to draft Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk but didn't get the chance. Gutekunst attempted to trade into the first round for Christian Watson. It finally all worked out with Golden, and his arrival comes at the perfect time.
Level: Shocking
1. Packers make blockbuster trade with Cowboys for Micah Parsons
In any other offseason, the Packers selecting a first-round wide receiver would top this list. But this isn't any other offseason. Green Bay ended it by landing one of the most shocking trades in NFL history, stealing Micah Parsons from an NFC rival.
The cost? Steep — two first-rounders and Kenny Clark. But for a pass-rusher on a Hall of Fame trajectory, it still feels like a bargain.
Throughout all the rumors from random social media accounts, did we ever really believe it would happen? It wouldn't be the first time the Packers had been thrown into trade rumors, only for the player to land a massive extension with their current team. Or worse, the Chicago Bears get the trade over the line, like they did with Khalil Mack.
Not this time. Parsons is a Packer, and it's a truly franchise-changing move. Former Packers coach Jon Gruden compared the trade to the team's move for Reggie White. And that's fair — Parsons may quickly become the Packers' best pass-rusher since White.
Parsons changes everything. From pretenders to legitimate contenders, just like that. Everything we thought we knew about these Packers got blown into oblivion this offseason. This team has gone all the way in.
Level: Seismic