Two versatile, productive running backs and a deep, experienced offensive line provide important foundational pieces around Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers’ first-year starting quarterback in 2023.

While the other skill position groups (wide receiver, tight end) in Green Bay are the youngest in football, Love will get valuable support from elsewhere as he navigates his first season as the Packers starter.

Pro Football Focus recently ranked positional groupings on offense entering the 2023 season. The Packers had the sixth-best running backs and eighth-best offensive line, and it could be argued both positions should be higher in the rankings

Attempting to connect two football teams separated by 15 years is probably a fool’s errand, but the 2023 Green Bay Packers have a special connection to the 2008 Packers, and it’s worth diving into to see if the first team quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers can teach us anything about the team about to be run by first-year starter Jordan Love this season.

Here are some things to consider about the 2023 Packers after diving into the 2008 team:

One big question surrounding the 2023 Green Bay Packers is whether the team is “rebuilding.” If you ask running back Aaron Jones that question, the answer is no. If you ask veteran offensive tackle David Bakhtiari, he has a different answer. So, who’s right? Well, in some ways, both players are correct.

Bakhtiari had this to say about the team’s possible rebuild just before the 2023 NFL Draft.“The Packers are rebuilding, whether you think so or not,” Bakhtiari told reporters. “Could they be good? I don’t know. Could they be bad? Probably, if you’re betting, more people are going to think they’re going to be bad than good. Isn’t that fair to say?”

This week at OTAs, the All Pro added, “To me, flat out how I look at it, it’s disrespectful to say you’re not rebuilding off of a Hall of Fame quarterback. It was disrespectful to say you weren’t rebuilding off of Brett Favre when you moved to Aaron. No one knew who Aaron was going to be, so I’m not going to sit here and pull back those words because that is, when you look at how it’s been building, how we were chasing after it and the cap. There was a bunch of situations that can definitely allude to it. We have a young team.”

Bakhtiari makes some sense. He joined the team in 2013 and every year since then, the Packers came into the season knowing they were going to be among the favorites to make the playoffs and likely contend for a Super Bowl title. There may have been the odd exception like 2019 when new head coach Matt LaFleur took over, but the bottom line was that if Rodgers stayed healthy, it was likely the Packers would have a winning record.

The Packers made the playoffs seven times in Bakhtiari’s first 10 seasons with the team. Of the three years the Packers didn’t make the playoffs, Rodgers missed time due to a serious injury in one of them, played through a knee injury in the second and endured a broken thumb in the third.

Matt LaFleur faces a very different challenge this year as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. While LaFleur has already proven he can thrive in challenging situations, the 2023 season will require him to take a different approach than he has in his first four seasons with the team.

When he first joined the team in 2019, LaFleur faced a unique challenge. The culture of the team had become toxic and that resulted in Mike McCarthy’s firing late in the 2018 season. Part of the problem was the relationship between McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers had gone sour.

LaFleur had to change the culture in the dressing room and quickly earn the respect of his quarterback. He managed to do both things. He helped integrate four new free agents into the dressing room in Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos and Billy Turner and made the locker room a healthier place by establishing a leadership council of players and improving communication between himself and the team.

He also worked with Rodgers to create a hybrid offense that combined the Shanahan school offense LaFleur wanted to implement and some of the best things Rodgers liked to run from McCarthy’s more traditional West Coast based system.

The result was a team that surprised a lot of people by finishing 13-3 and reaching the NFC Championship Game.

It’s no question that the Green Bay Packers have had three of the best Quarterbacks in the history of the league wear their jersey. But behind the Quarterbacks, they’ve also had some great Running Backs as well. After all, their most infamous play design is a run that brought them success for many years. Unfortunately, due to the athleticism of defenders today likely spoiling that play, we may never see one of the best Packers Running Backs of the last 20 years run it. But boy would it be neat to see Aaron Jones taking off in the Lombardi Sweep.

When Aaron Jones was drafted in the 5th round of the 2017 NFL Draft, there was no pomp and circumstance. He was number 182 overall and initially was looked at as just another running back. The Packers actually had just drafted a running back, Jamaal Williams in the fourth round. So, to some casual fans it seemed like a pointless pick. But after a 2016 season of not having an established Back due to injuries at the position and most of those Backs not returning the following year, the Packers needed to reload.

Jones flashed in some areas in 2017, but had his true breakout in 2018 where he had 934 all-purpose yards and 9 touchdowns. He then followed that up with an even bigger breakout with 1558 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns.

Jones was well on his way to a great career in Green Bay amongst the greatest to wear the uniform. But how does he stack in comparison with them?

Easily Top 10, Maybe Top 5

If you look stat-wise at Aaron Jones, he’s currently holding the third most rushing yards in Packer’s history. We can’t just put him at 3 though because stats don’t completely make the player. He has Pro Football Hall of Fame caliber competition behind him on that list.

If there’s one thing that sets Jones apart from the rest of the pack, it’s his receiving abilities. Aaron Jones is a monster out of the backfield. He isn’t just a screen-pass catcher, he can also catch a ball thrown 20-30 yards downfield. That makes him a great dual threat running back.

If I were to choose, I’d put Aaron Jones at number 5 for the Packers all-time best running backs behind Taylor, Hornung, Canadeo, and Ahman Green. Clark Hinkle certainly threatens him for that number 5 spot, but I had to give it to Jones.

Aaron Jones not only has gotten it done on the field, but he’s endeared himself to the Packers faithful as well just being an all-around standup individual. No matter how much longer he puts on the Green and Gold, be sure to enjoy every moment of it as we’re witnessing greatness.

If you ever need proof that NFL is king, look no further than the hype surrounding the annual schedule release broadcasted live on NFL Network Thursday night. What came about from said schedule release for the Green Bay Packers? Well, nothing new because Matt Schneidman of The Athletic leaked the team’s entire schedule Thursday morning. That saved me a lot of time, so I extend my gratitude to him. At any rate, the Green Bay Packers will open up the 2023 regular season, head coach Matt LaFleur’s fifth year at the helm and Jordan Love’s first year as QB1, against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field at 3:25 pm CST on FOX. Will Love begin the process of owning the Bears just like his predecessor owned them for almost two decades? The Packers will also close the regular season against the Bears. 

No Aaron Rodgers, no problem in the eyes of the television networks as Green Bay will play five prime-time games – two at home and three on the road – throughout the 2023 season (pending any late-season flexes): Week 4 (09/28) at home against the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football; Week 5 (10/09) on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football; Week 13 (12/03) at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football; Week 14 (12/11) on the road against the New York Giants; and Week 17 (12/31) on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. 

The Packers will also play on Thanksgiving Day against the Lions, coming off a game against the Los Angeles Chargers, for the first time since the 2013 season. (Of note, the Packers play both games this season against Detroit on short weeks.) That season, the Packers got smoked like a turkey, 40-10. The last time the Packers played on Thanksgiving Day (2015) resulted in a deflating 17-13 loss to the Bears, the night that the franchise retired Brett Favre’s number. 

As Schneidman pointed out, Green Bay will not play a 2022-23 playoff team until Week 8, when they host the Vikings. The Packers’ bye week is Week 6. Among the squad’s first six games, only two are at home. 

Arguably Green Bay’s toughest stretch is from Week 7 until Week 14 as they play four teams that made the playoffs last year. I also expect the Broncos (Week 7), Rams (Week 9), and Steelers (Week 10) to be better in 2023 than they were in 2022. 

Additional Nuggets

The Packers have the ninth-easiest strength of schedule based on their opponents’ 2022 win percentage (.476), and the easiest in the NFC North, according to NFL Research (h/t Andrew Siciliano).

Green Bay will travel 11,956 miles throughout the 2023 season, the second-least amount in the NFL, according to Bill Speros (h/t Adam Schefter). 

The Packers will play every team in the NFC South in 2023, just like they did in 2020. That season, they went 3-1, with the lone loss being to Tom Brady & Co. in Week 6.

1. While Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder saw action in only four games a season ago (73/115, 708 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs), 2023 will be his first full year as a starter. Expect the Falcons, who will host the Packers in Week 2 (12 pm CST, FOX) to lean heavily on the run throughout the upcoming season, though, especially against the Packers, with the duo of second-year back Tyler Allgeier and rookie Bijan Robinson.
2. The Panthers, who will host Green Bay in Week 16 on Christmas Eve (12 pm CST, FOX), drafted QB Bryce Young with the first overall pick. The Alabama product will reportedly start training camp as QB2, but do not be surprised if he is under center when the two teams face off against each other. Speaking of Carolina’s offense, new head coach Frank Reich & Co. totally revamped that side of the ball as they traded away WR DJ Moore and signed WR DJ Chark, WR Adam Thielen, and RB Miles Sanders.
3. QB Derek Carr and his team, the New Orleans Saints, will travel to Lambeau Field in Week 3 for the first time since Week 7 of the 2017 season. In the 26-17 loss that season, Aaron Jones carried the ball 17 times for 131 yards and one touchdown while quarterback Brett Hundley registered a 39.9 passer rating (12-of-25 for 87 yards and one interception). 
4. When the Tampa Bay and Green Bay meet in Week 15 at Lambeau Field, who will be the Bucs’ starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask? In two career games against Green Bay, Mayfield has completed 33 of 57 total passes (57.9%) for 333 yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions, with a passer rating of 55.7. 

The Packers will also play every team in the AFC West in 2023. The team did the same in 2019, going 3-1.

1. The Packers will travel to play the Raiders and Davante Adams in Week 9 on Monday Night Football. Get your popcorn ready for the Jaire Alexander-Adams matchup. It is only the third time this century, and the first time in Las Vegas, Green Bay has played at the Raiders’ home stadium. The Packers are 2-0 in those games, including an emphatic 41-7 victory on December 22, 2003, one day after Brett Favre’s dad passed away. The Raiders, who finished 6-11 last season, are ushering in a new era at quarterback, with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. The team also signed WR Jakobi Myers in free agency.
2. The Denver Broncos, the Packers’ Week 7 opponent, spent over $235 million in free agency, the most in the NFL. Head coach Sean Payton is the new sheriff in town after the team fired Nathaniel Hackett. Green Bay’s trip to Denver will be its first since the 2015 season. 
3. The Packers will play host to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13 for only the third time in the last 20 years and the first time since 2015, a game in which the Packers won, 38-28. QB1 Jordan Love’s first-ever regular season start came against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium during the 2021 regular season, a 13-7 loss that prompted several people among the fan base to say that Love sucked and was an awful draft pick. 
4. The Chargers will travel to the Frozen Tundra in Week 11 for the first time since the 2015 season. The Chargers added another big-bodied weapon on the outside for QB Justin Herbert, drafting WR Quentin Johnston in the first round. That’s all fine and dandy, but that won’t help them stop the run. The team ranked 27th and 30th in 2022 and 2021, respectively, in terms of opponent rushing yards per game. 

Green Bay will travel to Pittsburgh for the first time since 2017 to face off against the Steelers in Week 10. 

LaFleur will greet his old boss, Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams, in Week 9 at Lambeau Field. It will be the fourth matchup between the two teams in the last three seasons (2020-21 Divisional Round, 2021 Week 12, and 2022 Week 15). The three prior matchups resulted in a victory for the good guys.

All four major sportsbooks have the team’s over/under win total at 7.5. Give me the over for a 10-7 record. What do you think the Packers’ record will be in 2023? 

Given the amount of inexperience within the Green Bay Packers wide receiver room, making a veteran addition to provide some stability would make sense. However, for the time being at least, the Packers are going to hold off.

Including the recent draft picks and undrafted signees, the Packers have 10 receivers on the 90-man roster currently. Seven of them were drafted within the last two years. Only three have any NFL snaps. And Romeo Doubs is the most experienced of the bunch, with 529 career snaps.

Experience isn’t the be-all-end-all, but there is oftentimes value in having it. Experience could provide the Packers with stability in the midst of potential week-to-week volatility with such a young position group, another valuable aspect as Jordan Love goes through his first season as a starter. It’s also another voice to help guide the young players in practice, in the film room, and from the sidelines on Sundays, diagnosing what is taking place on the field in real-time.

However, just as the Packers are doing at the quarterback position, they want to give their young wide receivers reps and see what they can do before deciding whether or not to make a veteran addition.

“Time will tell,” said Matt LaFleur after Saturday’s practice. “It is certainly a very talented room, and it’s going to be a hell of a competition in terms of who is getting the snaps. At first glimpse at some of these young guys that were just in here, they are some talented guys and are going to be exciting to work with. We will see how it goes. It will be a very fluid situation just in terms of how much we throw at them. If need be, I know Gutey is going to do whatever he can to help field the best possible team, and if need be, we will turn that way (signing a veteran receiver), but right now, we are just going to let those guys compete.”

Not that any free agent signing at this point would break the bank, but the Packers, who have $9.46 million in available cap space, according to Spotrac, don’t have much spending power either. So they might as well see how their young pass-catchers perform before deciding to spend cap space they don’t have.

Also, it’s not as if there are many free-agent options left at this stage of the offseason. A few of the top remaining players still available at wide receiver include Julio Jones, Jarvis Landry, Breshad Perriman, N’Keal Harry, and Kenny Golladay.

What these young receivers need right now are reps. And what the Packers want to avoid is what happened last season with Sammy Watkins, who was taking reps away from Watson and Doubs, but his playing time wasn’t translating into production.

Thinking big picture, more opportunities for this young receiver room will hopefully shrink the learning curve that every first and second NFL player experiences, thus leading to a greater impact sooner. Not to downplay the 2023 season, of course, the Packers still want to win, but they aren’t considered Super Bowl contenders either. As they transition to Love, they have the opportunity to transition at other positions as well and can be better positioned to then compete in 2024.

Love and his receivers, as well as the tight ends, have a unique opportunity to grow together. Just about everyone will be starting the 2023 season from a similar point in terms of NFL playing time. Without question, there will be growing pains, but the payoff could be huge as well, especially at two positions where there is so much playmaking potential on this roster.

As the most experienced players on the roster, both in terms of NFL snaps and tenure in the Matt LaFleur offense, Watson, Doubs, and Toure are now going to be thrust into leadership roles. Although still young themselves, because of the time that they spent last season with Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard, who set the standards and expectations for the room, LaFleur feels that this trio of receivers is ready for much larger roles both on and off the field.

“They do that naturally,” said LaFleur. “It’s fun to watch the jump that a lot of these guys make from Year 1 to Year 2 in terms of just how they mature as men. They are going to be two of the guys that we lean on in that room; Samori is another one that knows the standards and expectations of that position room. I’ve said it prior, in terms of what the guys that have been here before set those standards and those expectations, all three of those guys are really smart dudes, and they understand what it takes. They are going to have to take on a larger leadership role, regardless of whether they want to or not.”