3 moves Green Bay Packers must make during 2024 NFL offseason

The post-Aaron Rodgers era of the Green Bay Packers got off to a pretty good start in the 2023 NFL season. In his first full year as starter, QB Jordan Love exceeded expectations, leading the team to a 9-8 record and playoff berth after Rodgers failed to do so last season. The Packers would surprise everyone in a 48-32 win over the No. 2 seeded Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the postseason. The Packers came close to upsetting the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round. Despite that loss, Green Bay had a lot to be proud of in 2023-24.

Love finished second in the NFL in passing TDs with 32 while throwing for close to 4,200 yards. The Packers also found hidden gems in rookie WRs Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks, both of whom contributed with Christian Watson out most of the season. Between Love, Reed, Wicks, Watson, Romeo Doubs, and TEs Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave. The Packers enter the 2024 offseason with the only concern on offense being at running back.

Aaron Jones is in the final year of his contract and is owed $17.5 million in 2024. Jones could have his deal restructured or the veteran RB could be a cap casualty this offseason. RB AJ Dillon is an unrestricted free agent and may not be retained. So if Jones doesn’t return as well, the Packers will need to find a new RB room via free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.

could shift the defense to a 4-3 scheme, which he’s used in the past at BC and Ohio State. Hafley also coached DBs for the 49ers under Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who runs a 4-3. The Packers have the personnel to do this upfront and have Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie in the middle. The secondary is where things get interesting for Green Bay. Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens and Johnathan Ford are free agents. Keisean Nixon is also a free agent. The Packers could make changes to the secondary via the draft and free agency.

So what do the Packers need to do this offseason to take that step into contender status in the NFC? We take a look at three things to get them going in the right direction.

3 things Packers must do this offseason

Hold off on that Jordan Love extension

Before you overreact, hear us out. Love is signed through 2024 but is eligible for an extension this offseason. Looking at the going rate of QBs and the rising salary cap, that contract could be worth north of $40 million per season. Love is coming off a great year but still has just 18 career NFL starts in which he’s gone 9-9. That’s a lot of money to invest long-term in a player who, while looked great this season, hasn’t proven much.

The Packers can opt to let Love play on this contract for 2024 and if he shows he can be an elite QB again, sign him long-term. Green Bay could also opt for the franchise tag after the 2024 season. The going rate for QBs on that is projected to be around $43 million. If Love were to play on par with his 2023, the Packers are fine paying that price for Love on another one-year deal. Love might not, well, love this idea. But if all goes well, Love will get paid plenty. We also know Love’s contract will be easier for the Packers to navigate in 2025, when the salary cap is expected to rise again.

Chances are Love is the guy and a franchise QB. If Love can lead the Packers back to the playoffs and advance, you know he can win and feel better about signing him long-term. The New York Giants overreacted on an extension for QB Daniel Jones and you see how that’s working out. Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow just got paid a ton. Giving Love anywhere near $50-55 million per season feels very knee-jerkish. Let’s make sure he’s the guy to get the Packers back to the Super Bowl first before shelling out a ton of money.

Figure out David Bakhtiari’s contract situation

The Packers will be in a cap crunch. We mentioned Jones’ deal could be restructured or he could be released. LB De’Vondre Campbell could be in that same boat to clear cap. Bakhtiari is 32 years old and played in one game in 2023. He tore his ACL in 2020 and hasn’t been the same since. Bakhtiari is entering the final year of his deal worth just under $40 million. That’s a lot to carry for a potential empty space on the offensive line.

So what to do? The Packers could restructure Bakhtiari’s deal to clear some cap space. They could also release him and clear around $21 million, but that would take on a lot of dead cap. That’s fine given it’s one year and the Packers have a lot of depth on the offensive line. You’d have to bring back one or both of Jon Runyan and Yosh Nijman. But between Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Royce Newman, Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom, the Packers have a strong line.

With that, it seems fine to just release Bakhtiari. He likely won’t ever be 100% healthy again and even if he is well enough to play, may not be a better option over Jenkins and Walker at tackle.

Draft or sign a running back

If the Packers move on entirely from Jones and Dillon, they’ll likely need to either draft multiple RBs or sign players via free agency. The easiest route appears to be through the draft. The Packers should look to keep Jones or restructure his deal. But it’s important to add a RB through the draft on a rookie deal. It doesn’t really feel like Patrick Taylor or Emanuel Wilson will be long-term options. The Packers should let Dillon walk and keep Jones for another season.

In the draft, the Packers should look to add a RB in the mid-to-late rounds. Dillon and former Packer RB Eddie Lacy were both second-rounders. Jones was a fifth-rounder, so Green Bay has done well finding backs later in drafts. A few names being tossed around appear to be Florida State back Trey Benson and Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright. Benson would cost an earlier pick but Wright could be had in the mid-rounds.

If the Packers decide to bring in someone via free agency, don’t expect it to be a big name like Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley or Austin Ekeler. But the RB free agent class is very deep. The Packers could bring in a change-of-pace back with upside to spell Jones. It would be a surprising move given Green Bay’s history of building offenses through the draft. But the Packers may feel more comfortable bringing back Dillon or signing a backup on a one-year deal than having a rookie serve as RB2.