One Big Question for Packers Coach Matt LaFleur, GM Brian Gutekunst

Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur are one of the better general manager-coach tandems in football.

Regardless of how you feel about individual decisions they’ve made, that is objectively true. They have helped lead the Green Bay Packers to two conference title games, five playoff appearances and avoid a lengthy rebuild when Aaron Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets.

That success, however, has not led to a Super Bowl appearance.

In a city named Titletown, expectations are always high. Simply making the postseason or beating the teams they are better than is not going to be good enough.

With this season’s disappointing finish, the Packers are 14 seasons removed from their last Super Bowl championship. In 2010, Gutekunst was the Packers’ Southeast scout and LaFleur was the quarterbacks coach in Washington.

Gutekunst sent a direct message to himself and the entire organization when he met with the media to discuss the team’s 2024 season.

The time to win is right now.

"I think, for me, the thing that's been on my mind as we've concluded this season is we need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency. These opportunities don't come often.

“The life of a player in the National Football League is not very long. We've got a bunch of good guys in that locker room, got a bunch of talented guys in that locker room and, yeah, I think it's time that we start competing for championships, right?”

If that time is now, there are questions both of these men are going to have to answer. Here is the biggest question facing each.

Matt LaFleur: Can you beat teams better than yours?

0-6.

That’s the record that is going to matter the most when talking about the 2024 Packers. In six games against the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles – the teams that finished with the best records in the NFC – the Packers lost them all.

The Packers had one win against a team that made the NFC’s postseason, and it came with a major asterisk. Yes, they beat the Rams in early October, but they were a shell of themselves with Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Tyler Higbee on the sideline with injuries. They were missing two starters on the offensive line, as well.

The Packers were able to eke out a 24-19 victory, but that hardly inspires any confidence considering how the rest of the season went.

Green Bay’s 22-10 loss to the Eagles in the wild-card round dropped LaFleur’s postseason record to 3-5. That includes back-to-back home playoff losses to Tampa Bay in 2020 and San Francisco in 2021 following 13-win seasons. Both losses were marred by decisions he made.

Sure, LaFleur has piled up success in the regular season. He’s a good coach. There’s no disputing that.

What separates good from great? Success in the postseason.

LaFleur, at this point, leaves a little to be desired in that effect.

This year in playoff-esque games, his teams were often tight and started slowly.

Their fatal flaws have come back to bite them during season-ending losses. The 2019 team could not stop the run. Raheem Mostert ran for nearly three football fields worth of yardage in the NFC Championship Game at San Francisco.

In 2021, the catastrophe on special teams against the 49ers was as predictable as the sun rising in the east.

The only real exception came in 2020. In an age in which aggressiveness is rewarded more than ever, LaFleur has often been too conservative.

If the Packers fail to win a championship in his tenure, the picture on his football tombstone will be that he kicked a field goal when trailing by eight against Tom Brady and Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game.

Brian Gutekunst: Can you finish the job?

Gutekunst by almost any measure has done a great job since taking over for Ted Thompson in 2018.

He was part of the decision to hire Matt LaFleur after the Packers moved on from Mike McCarthy. He added players like Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos, Billy Turner, Rasul Douglas, Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs.

He helped keep the final years of Rodgers’ window wide open and built rosters good enough to win a Super Bowl in 2020 and 2021.

His legacy, however, sits at the feet of Jordan Love and how he builds the team around him.

By any reasonable measure, almost anyone who roots for the Packers would have signed up for 20 regular-season wins and one playoff win in the two seasons since Rodgers was sent packing.

The 2024 season, however, exposed a gap between Gutekunst’s team and the top of the NFL.

Fair or not, if his team falters and does not take the next step, Gutekunst will get little credit for the success of the teams from 2019 through 2021. Most of that credit will go to Rodgers. Such is the blessing and the curse of having generational players on the team.

The Packers’ roster Is set up to go on a run. They are talented and young. But are they too young? The Packers certainly don’t think so, but they were beaten soundly by Detroit, Philadelphia and Minnesota during the season. Each of those teams have established veteran leadership and players who have been through playoff battles.

How much did that matter? There’s not a measurable statistic to answer that question, but how Gutekunst attacks this offseason will answer whether he thinks it does or not.

The reality Gutekunst is facing now is pressure that he placed on himself and the rest of the organization.

He said the time to compete for a championship is now. An 11-6 record and a wild-card playoff exit does not sound like competing for a championship. While the Packers were within 16-10 at one point during their loss to the Eagles, it was clear for most of the game which team was superior.

The clock is ticking.

All those young players are about to get more expensive. Jeff Hafley, a wizard at defensive coordinator in his first season, may only be around for one more year.

Detroit, with general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell, is built to last. Minnesota and Chicago have first-round picks at quarterback and respected offensive minds helping mold them.

Can Gutekunst put the final pieces around a talented roster to help finish the job?

That’s the most pressing question for him this offseason.

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Here's where you'll find the #Packers in the latest next-team odds for Myles Garrett, Deebo Samuel, Cooper Kupp and, yes, Aaron Rodgers. ⬇️https://t.co/5Cg6poBaMP
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) February 17, 2025