Misguided or Logical: Breaking Down Brian Gutekunst’s Key Comments

Speaking to reporters for the first time since the playoff loss to the hated Bears, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst on Wednesday was asked how he digested losing a 21-3 lead against Chicago and, ultimately, losing their season in the process.

“Not well,” Gutekunst said bluntly.

“In every season, there’s successes and there’s failures and there’s disappointments and things like that. I was proud of our team in a lot of areas this year, but finishing games is certainly something that we got to concentrate on as we head into 2026. Certainly, we played very, very well in the first half [against the Bears] and had a lot of things in front of us. And when you get in situations like that, you expect to win the game.”

While they expected to win, they did not, and that puts the Packers in a position where they’re chasing the Bears and trying to fend off the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions just to find NFC North supremacy, let alone compete for a Super Bowl championship.

That is the goal in Green Bay, and one Gutekunst did not shy away from.

One of the skills executives have to master is the ability to say a lot of words without giving away too many things.

Gutekunst has done that well over the years, and there is proof that things he says at the podium can be taken with a grain of salt.

Last year, for example, Gutekunst said he thought Josh Myers had his best year in Green Bay, only to let him walk out the door without a fight in free agency. A shining example would be referring to Aaron Jones as the “heartbeat” of his team following the 2023 season, only to give the team a heart transplant by cutting Jones shortly after signing Josh Jacobs.

With those examples in mind, we wanted to test out whether some of the things that Gutekunst said in Wednesday’s media availability pass the smell test. So, here are a few things he touched on, with the thought as to whether it was logical or misguided.

Special Teams: A Lot Better

The special teams in Green Bay have been bad since Desmond Howard won MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXI.

OK, that’s an exaggeration, but not by much. Since Brandon Bostick’s infamous flubbing of an onside kick in the 2014 NFC Championship Game at Seattle, the Packers’ special teams have largely been terrible.

After helping the 2021 season flame out with a disastrous performance against San Francisco that included two blocked kicks and only having 10 men on the field in a season-deciding play, the Packers went big with their coordinator, hiring Rich Bisaccia.

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, right, and Rich Bisaccia are shown after having to call a timeout in Week 2. | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Not much changed. Special teams were OK in Bisaccia’s debut season in 2022 but bad the last three years. The troubles have carried over to the postseason. In last year’s playoff loss at Philadelphia, Keisean Nixon fumbled away the opening kickoff and Brandon McManus missed a field goal. In this year’s playoff loss at Chicago, McManus missed three kicks and the punt team gave up two big returns.

Despite that, Gutekunst echoed the sentiment that Bisaccia is an asset to the organization.

“I really think over the last four or five years, we’ve probably put more emphasis on teams than we ever have,” Gutekunst said. He’s right, especially when compared to his predecessor, Ted Thompson.

“When I was working for Ted, which was always funny, because Ted was a special teams guy, but we were never really going to have a player that was strictly a special teams guy. He had to play a position and have a major kind of role or developmental role as a position player on offense or defense.

“I think when Rich got here, we certainly have added a lot of those kind of guys that are just more special teams-oriented players, and we improved, we’ve gotten a lot better. So, I have a lot of faith in Rich and what we’re doing there.”

Gutekunst is right to a point that the Packers have brought in players like Nick Niemann and Zayne Anderson for their prowess on special teams. He’s also right that it’s probably not fair to simply blame Bisaccia, who is well-liked in the locker room and across the league.

When special teams have been as bad as they’ve been in Green Bay for seemingly two decades, it’s never just the coach.

That being said, Gutekunst saying they’ve gotten a lot better on special teams simply isn’t backed up by anything on the field, which makes this an easy call.

Verdict: Misguided

Brandon McManus: Bring Him Back

Sticking with the special teams, kicker Brandon McManus had an up-and-down season while battling through leaky protection early in the season and an injury at midseason.

Gutekunst admitted that McManus’ injury situation may have been worse than he had let on. However, after sitting out a game at the Giants, he entered the postseason by making 32 consecutive kicks.

It should be noted that 30 of those kicks were less than 40 yards. In the age of the turbo-ball for kickers, is that going to be enough?

Regardless, the streak came to a crashing and devastating halt when he missed two field goals and one extra point against the Bears, a seven-point difference in a four-point loss.

While McManus has been disappointing in his two postseason games in Green Bay, his strong overall track record is likely something Gutekunst is going to lean on as the offseason progresses.

That does not mean you can write him with a Sharpie as the team’s kicker in 2026. Gutekunst said there will be competition; Lucas Havrisik, who filled in for McManus, was re-signed after the season.

“You know me, I want competition at all these spots, no matter what, if we can have enough spots on the roster,” Gutekunst said. “Like I mentioned before, he made 32 straight kicks up until that game. He worked through an injury thing early in the year, which I commend him for fighting through, and once he got through it, he was really, really good until that final game.

“So, he’s a pro’s pro. One thing that I’ve always felt good about is he knows how to kick in weather, so certainly didn’t see that game in Chicago, for him not to perform like he normally does. But we’ll have competition at that spot, but not because of anything that happened this past year, just I think you always want competition at that spot.”

Sticking with McManus, who is due a $1 million roster bonus on the third day of the league-year, is the correct decision given his track record. That, at minimum, should give him an opportunity next season. That being said, adding competition, and having a short leash, is the right call. The Packers cannot afford to light points on fire in crucial games.

Verdict: Logical

Injuries: Not an Excuse

Next man up. That’s the company line anytime someone gets injured, but there are simple realities that should be acknowledged when a season ends.

Could the Packers have won a Super Bowl without Micah Parsons, Zach Tom, Devonte Wyatt and Tucker Kraft? Hardly. The five-game losing streak to end the season is a testament to the impact that Parsons, specifically, had on the team.

Brian Gutekunst wouldn't use injuries as an excuse for the Packers' late-season collapse. There's a reason for that. ⬇️https://t.co/QCiSq4U6jP
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) February 4, 2026

By the end of the season, the Packers felt like a MASH unit on the field with the number of injuries they were nursing, specifically on the defensive front.

Gutekunst wasn’t having any of that when he talked about his team’s close the season.

“I just think it's the mindset,” Gutekunst said. “I got one (Super Bowl) ring since I've been doing this. And it was the year that we had more injuries than I think any other, right? So, it's nothing against any other teams here. But you never feel like, ‘Hey, we can't go win this game.’ You know? I fully expected where we were in the middle of the playoff game to win that game and be heading to Seattle and win that game.”

That’s an admirable stance for Gutekunst to take. It’s the one the organization should take, specifically in-season and publicly.

No matter who was injured, the Packers had enough quality players to win at Chicago both times they played them during their five-game losing streak and against Baltimore at home in the home finale. Injuries might be an excuse for why they did not win a Super Bowl, but we’ll never truly know since they choked away a wild-card game they should have won.

Verdict: Logical

Cornerback Room: It’s Strong

While Gutekunst said otherwise at the time, the cornerback depth chart was a question mark dating to last year’s offseason. So, it wasn’t a surprise that group endured an up-and-down season.

Nate Hobbs, the team’s big free-agent addition at the position, got injured in training camp and was never truly healthy throughout the year. Carrington Valentine was inconsistent in coverage, has poor ball skills and is a terrible tackler.

Gutekunst’s comments about Keisean Nixon when asked if “wholesale changes” were needed at the position were particularly interesting.

Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) catches the game-winning touchdown against Keisean Nixon. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Keisean had a very, very good year. I think he was in the top three in PBUs and did some really good things,” Gutekunst said.

“Do we need wholesale changes? No. I do think it’s an area – those guys can get hurt. They’re the smaller guys on the field. We ask a lot of those guys in run support. The depth there, for me, is important that we have answers.”

Nixon is not as bad as he’s made out to be by some fans. He was probably their best cornerback in 2025. It’s also true that Nixon probably should not be the best cornerback on a team trying to compete for a championship. The last Packers’ title team had a cornerback corps of Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields. Nixon’s not cracking the lineup if guys like that are on the roster.

Gutekunst has used only seventh-round picks on cornerbacks the last three seasons, with Valentine the only one on the roster. In fact, he has not drafted a cornerback before the seventh round since taking Eric Stokes in the first round in 2021.

Gutekunst talked about needing to add depth for this season. He needs more than depth. Valentine and Nixon are playing on expiring contracts. Hobbs could be released this offseason.

Cornerback wasn’t good enough, and that’s a big reason the Packers’ defense faltered down the stretch. Gutekunst needs to prove this position isn’t a blind spot for him.

Verdict: Misguided

Tucker Kraft: Extend His Contract

The Packers have a plethora of players at the offensive skill positions set to hit free agency in the next two offseasons.

Romeo Doubs is set to hit free agency next month, and is unlikely to be re-signed. After the 2026 season is where things get interesting. Receivers Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are set to be free agents after next season. The biggest name of them all, though, is tight end Tucker Kraft, who suffered a torn ACL in the team’s Nov. 2 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Does Gutekunst need to see Kraft get back from his injury to give him a long term extension?

“Obviously, he’s a really important part of this football team. We’d certainly like to have him around but that’ll be something we work through with his people and we’ll see what’s best for us, best for them,” Gutekunst said.

“Certainly, the impact that he has on our football team, not only as a player but as a leader, is very important to us. We’ve obviously already been in contact with him and just let him know how we feel and we’ll kind of see how it goes.”

Kraft has emerged not just as one of the best players on the team but was growing into one of the core leaders in the locker room.

Gutekunst has a lot of things to consider when it comes to pending free agents, but it’s clear that Kraft should be a clear priority, or at least a 1A next to Watson.

Verdict: Logical

Josh Jacobs: Important Part of Team

Coming full circle from the start of this story, Gutekunst two years ago called Aaron Jones the “heartbeat” of the team. A few weeks later, Gutekunst released Jones after finding a younger replacement, Josh Jacobs.

Now, Jacobs is in a similar position. He’s entering his age-28 season after battling through some nagging injuries this past season.

The run game was significantly worse than it was in 2024, although that appears to be more the fault of the offensive line than it was Jacobs. That being said, running backs age quickly in the NFL, and Jacobs has a lot of mileage on his body.

Gutekunst sounded like someone ready to keep his veteran running back.

“Yeah, Josh is a warrior. Really important part of our football team,” Gutekunst said. “Everything that he brings to us on the field, in the locker room, he’s an important part and I think he’s got a lot of good years left.”

The reality is that the Packers should be in the position of keeping good players on their team. Jacobs is one of their best. As much as some people will try to tell you that running backs don’t matter, Jacobs is far and away the best man for the job in Green Bay’s backfield.

What they need to do is find him some help that Matt LaFleur is willing to use. If MarShawn Lloyd is unable to stay healthy, they need to find someone who is a home run hitter.

Under almost no circumstances, however, should the Packers be letting Jacobs walk in a title window.

Verdict: Logical

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Special Teams: A Lot Better

Brandon McManus: Bring Him Back

Injuries: Not an Excuse

Cornerback Room: It’s Strong

Tucker Kraft: Extend His Contract

Josh Jacobs: Important Part of Team

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