The Green Bay Packers may not have made the postseason, but several players seemed delighted after the Minnesota Vikings lost in their first and only playoff game against the New York Giants.
Despite a 13-4 record and an NFC North title in 2022, the Vikings lost in the wild card round 31-24 to the Giants. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was under heavy fire on Minnesota’s final offensive drive after checking down for a three-yard pass on 4th and 8 to T.J. Hockenson. The Vikings tight end was tackled almost immediately, sealing the win for the Giants.
Not surprisingly, several Packers players took to social media to throw shade at their NFC North rival. Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander took to Instagram to like a post by Minnesota’s official account showing the final score.
The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback hasn’t been afraid to talk trash to the Vikings. He even did so during the Week 17 showdown against Minnesota, doing the Griddy in front of Justin Jefferson after an incomplete pass.
All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari kept his comments short and simple by tweeting, “Love to see it.”
Love to see it.
Fellow Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas couldn’t believe Cousins’ decision on his last play of the 2022 season with his fourth-down checkdown.
He just threw a 2yard pass on 4th and 8 smh
“He just threw a 2yard pass on 4th and 8 smh,” Rasul tweeted.
Packers fans may have been disappointed with the way their season ended, but they can enjoy watching the team’s biggest stars taking some shots at the Vikings after their early postseason exit.
An Interesting Upcoming Packers Offseason
With their first season missing the playoffs in the Matt LaFleur era, the Packers have a lot of questions that need answering this offseason.
LaFleur didn’t take long to address any upcoming coaching changes, but fans weren’t thrilled to hear that defensive coordinator Joe Barry is likely returning in 2023. However, that didn’t stop further speculation once LaFleur’s brother Mike LaFleur became available after parting ways with the New York Jets.
Rumors are already flying surrounding the quarterback position. With Aaron Rodgers’ future up in the air, speculation has already surfaced that the Packers could be a top landing spot for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. Although that’s more likely to happen as a free agent, there’s also speculation that Carr could come to Green Bay in a QB trade swap to have Rodgers reunite with former Packers receiver Davante Adams.
Rodgers and Carr aren’t the only players creating buzz around Green Bay’s offseason. Star receiver DeAndre Hopkins could be available this offseason in a trade, with a proposal suggesting the Packers pursue the Pro Bowl wideout.
What’s Next for Minnesota?
After a disappointing end to a promising season, the Vikings could have some even tougher questions to answer this offseason compared to the Packers.
Vikings fans are already calling for a new quarterback after Cousins’ disastrous final play against the Giants. However, with a late draft pick and no promising options behind Cousins, the team’s current replacement option would be backup Nick Mullens.
Along with the QB debacle, the Vikings will have some tough decisions to make to fix their salary cap issues. Minnesota is currently projected at nearly $20 million over the cap for 2023, while key contributors like Garrett Bradbury and Patrick Peterson set to hit free agency.
The Vikings had a lot of close victories in 2022, but with the quarterback situation and cap issues, it’ll be difficult for the team to have the same kind of success in 2023.
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Packers Players React to Vikings’ First-Round Playoff Exit