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Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has had his fingerprints all over the team's last two wins. Gutekunst deserves a ton of credit for rebuilding a Super Bowl-worthy roster on the fly in the post-Aaron Rodger era. It was his decision to select Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Though that selection was criticized at the time, it has worked out and more for the Pack.
They're currently 6-2 and will compete with the 6-1 Detroit Lions in Week 9 at Lambeau Field for possession of first place in the NFC North. Green Bay wouldn't be in this position, though, if it wasn't for three huge moves that Gutekunst made to ensure his Super Bowl-worthy roster filled up some gaps.
Packers are thrilled to have Malik Willis as backup QB
Malik Willis was thought to be washed went the Tennessee Titans traded him to the Packers for a late-round pick. Gutekunst wasn't happy with his two backups in camp — Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt — so he cut both of them and traded for Willis, who the Titans had selected with the 86th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft but quickly moved off from in favor of Will Levis.
Willis was thought to be nothing more than a flyer, but when Love went down at the end of Week 1 and he was thrust into action, he proved to be a more than serviceable starter. Sure, head coach Matt LaFleur tailored Green Bay's offense to Willis' strengths — which is manageable passes and being a part of the rushing attack — but it can't be discounted how important it was for the Packers to go 2-0 while Love healed up.
Green Bay had hoped that was the end of Willis' run as starting quarterback, but when Love went down in Week 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Willis again stepped up and delivered Green Bay a huge win. He completed four of his only five passes for 56 yards, but one of those passes was for a touchdown and the other was a massive throw that set up the game-winning field goal.
“I mean, we've been blessed with having a backup that can come in and really be the guy in there, really be able to create things like that,” running back Josh Jacobs said after the game, according to the team website. “We all said in the huddle – Tucker Kraft was like, ‘Man, we've been here before,' and we all know what it felt like We just had the confidence in him and he came out there and did what he always do. He balled.”
Josh Jacobs has been everything he was paid to be for the Packers
Gutekunst made another tough move earlier in the offseason when he let running back Aaron Jones go in free agency. Jones was the heartbeat of the team with Rodgers on the New York Jets, so to see a fan favorite go, and then go tot he Minnesota Vikings, was tough for the Pack. The thing is, Gutekunst went out and replaced Jones with Josh Jacobs, who was an All-Pro running back for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Through eight games played this season, Jacobs appears to be on his way to league honors again. He's rushed 145 times for 667 yards and three touchdowns. Those marks include 127 yards and two massive touchdowns against the Jaguars.
Especially with Love on the sideline with injury, Jacobs proved to be an invaluable asset for the Packers and he was undoubtedly one of the reasons they won.
Gutekunst made the right football move bringing in kicker Brandon McManus
Gutekunst knew that he had to make a change at kicker. The Packers had been trying for two years now to find a suitable replacement for Mason Crosby, and though Gutekunst made a mistake by drafting Anders Carson last season, he's proven to be quick to make necessary changes — which brought Brandon McManus to Green Bay.
McManus came with off-field baggage, so there was risk involved by signing him. But Brayden Narveson (Carson's replacement) had proven to be unreliable, and with the Packers firmly in a Super Bowl window, a change had to be made. With playoff games usually coming down to just a few points, the Packers needed all the help they could get at kicker.
So far, McManus has paid off for the Packers and more. In fact, he's mostly responsible for their past two wins as he hit a game-winner against the Houston Texans and followed that up with the game-winner over the Jaguars.
Willis, Jacobs and McManus. Without either three players, the Packers may not even have a winning record right now.
As such, Gutekunst deserves a ton of credit.
