Maybe Brian Gutekunst knows what he’s doing.
For some, that’s not a hard sentiment to accept. But for others, the GM for the Green Bay Packers has been on the hot seat ever since he traded the team’s former franchise quarterback back in April.
Now, the Packers have a new franchise quarterback, thanks to Gutekunst.
Jordan Love isn’t just good; he is really good. Over the last nine games, you could make an argument that no one is playing better football than he is.
Jordan Love's last 9 games:
212/300 for 2,422 yards, 21 TD passes, 1 INT
70.7 completion percentage
8.1 yards per attempt
116.6 passer rating
8 games with multiple TDs, 0 INT, 100.0+
Packers: 7-2 pic.twitter.com/XlrJGzJd78— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) January 15, 2024
Trading up to draft Love in 2020 wasn’t an easy decision as the prospect out of Utah State had as much risk attached to him as he did upside. But Green Bay’s front office had a plan, and that plan has come to fruition.
On Sunday, the Packers embarrassed the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in the NFC Wildcard Round. And they did it with the youngest roster in football.
Like every GM, Gutekunst has whiffed on some draft picks. However, his past two draft classes have been some of his best work.
Romeo Doubs had a career day against the Cowboys, totaling 151 receiving yards on six receptions with a touchdown. The 2022 fourth-round pick out of Nevada is tough as nails and has emerged into a go-to target for Love in big moments.
Meanwhile, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, and Zach Tom have been reliable starters all season, with Rasheed Walker developing into one.
Of the 13 players Green Bay selected in this year’s draft, 11 logged a snap in Sunday’s playoff game. Four of them played over 50 percent of the offensive and defensive snaps.
Guys like Luke Musgrave and Dontayvion Wicks each caught a touchdown. 13th overall pick Lukas Van Ness had a sack.
Seventh-round corner Carrington Valentine played a team-high 90 snaps on defense. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed four completions on nine targets against his coverage for 33 yards. Valentine also pitched in eight tackles.
Clearly, the Packers’ way of drafting and developing players is still formidable, even if the process has been somewhat accelerated over the past couple of years. They are a team that can win now and in the future.
Yet despite making the tough call to move on from Aaron Rodgers and having arguably the best draft of any team in 2023, Gutekunst is unlikely to win Executive of the Year. The selection of Love occurred over three years ago. Gutekunst was also unable to make any big signings in free agency due to the salary cap.
The story’s moral is that Gutekunst deserves more credit than he’s gotten. There are franchises that are desperately seeking a franchise quarterback. Gutekunst remained patient and ended up finding one on his first try. Every NFL franchise wants a roster loaded with young talent, and Green Bay is bursting at the seams in potential.
The Packers possess a lot of things teams around the league wish they had, including a good GM.
