Getty Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl champs? Jordan Love could make it happen, and soon.
Well, this would be something. The Packers were a fascinating story in the 2023 season, with the youngest roster in the league, and an unassuming new quarterback taking over for two generations of NFL royalty at the position. And when they got of to a 2-5 start, it certainly appeared that the whole thing could end quickly in a disaster. But Jordan Love showed his worth, the young players got better and better, and the Packers put together a big playoff upset against Dallas followed by a near-miss against the 49ers.
Still, this was a 9-8 team and one with plenty of holes to fill—witness the firing of defensive coordinator Joe Barry on Wednesday. The Lions are still the top dogs in the NFC North and their opponent this weekend in the conference championship, the 49ers, should be the top team in the NFC for the next few years.
Toss all that, though.
That’s the sentiment from ESPN’s insider Jeremy Fowler, who wrote in his 2024 predictions column that the Packers will be playing in New Orleans in Super Bowl LIX around this time next year. And winning it. That’s right: Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl champs in one year.
‘The Packers Will Win Super Bowl LIX’
From Fowler’s column on Wednesday, titled, “NFL exec predictions: Destinations for Russ, Baker and Kirk,” came one with the heading, “The Packers will win Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025.”
Fowler wrote: “Yes, people are going there. Jordan Love proved a legitimate franchise quarterback, and the skill positions are loaded with first- and second-year players.
‘[Green Bay has] a young nucleus to build from — and the offensive line was playing really well,’ a veteran AFC scout said. ‘The defense was up and down but finished the year much better. They’ve always had talent on that side of the ball. Can they be consistent?’”
Consistency did arrive late for the Packers, but when it came, it was impressive. The Packers won six out of eight games to close the regular season, the losses coming in a bungled effort against the Giants and a superhuman performance by Baker Mayfield against the Buccaneers. Love was especially incredible down the stretch, throwing for 18 touchdowns and one interception in the final eight games, with a 111.7 quarterback rating.
The running game, behind a resurgent Aaron Jones, tallied 123.3 yards per game.
Matt LaFleur Warns on Complacency
Certainly, Fowler is not alone in projecting the Packers to be among the better teams in the NFC next year, especially with the playoffs having delivered a tough blow to both the Cowboys and Eagles. But it’s a long way from where the Packers are now to being Super Bowl champs.
Coach Matt LaFleur warned of allowing complacency to grip the team. After all, there is no guarantee that winning a playoff game in 2024 is going to pave the way to more playoff success in 2025.
“One of the things I said to our guys, the expectations going into this season are not going to be the expectations going into next season,” LaFleur said this week. “And they’ve earned that. But with that, you better put in the work because nothing’s guaranteed, like I’ve talked about. They’re going to have to get to work quickly. Got a couple of days to decompress, then get back on the grind.”