After winning the NFC North for three straight years from 2019 to 2021, the Green Bay Packers haven't reclaimed the division title since. They've had to watch the Minnesota Vikings and even the Detroit Lions take over the division over the past three seasons.
They're hoping that changes — and more — in 2025.
The last quarterback to secure an NFC North crown for Green Bay was Aaron Rodgers, a consistent fixture atop the division. Since his successor, Jordan Love, has taken the reins, the Packers have settled for Wild Card berths the past two years.
If Green Bay wants to do more, it will largely fall on Love to lead them there, according to CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin, especially now that he's surrounded by a "deeper, healthier supporting cast."
"Remember at the close of 2023, when the young quarterback had moments of Patrick Mahomes-esque flair? His loose cannon of an arm had Green Bay surprisingly scrappy in the playoffs to end his first year as a full-time starter. Then 2024 happened, and injuries wrecked his equally youthful wide receiver corps, while Love's own inner Brett Favre occasionally exacerbated the wounds," Benjamin wrote.
"All signs point to a big rebound at Lambeau Field, where Love's gifted arm can now feed an offense that added two weapons in Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, and still features the bruising Josh Jacobs on the ground. If the pass rush ever truly comes alive for Jeff Hafley's defense, we might be talking about a Super Bowl contender here, not just head coach Matt LaFleur's fourth career NFC North crown."
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Love now has one of the deepest wide receiving corps in the NFL, thanks to the additions of Golden and Williams to an already talented room. Add in all the other components and you have high expectations for the third-year starter. That said, for Love, it's all about silencing critics in 2025, many of whom believe he took a step back last season.
“What is a step back, is what I’d ask,” Love said. “Everybody has different opinions, things like that. You’ve got to block that stuff out. It’s all about the goals of the team. At the end of the day, I’d say we won more games than we did the year before. So that’s why I ask people, what is a step back? Everybody has opinions and things like that, you try to block that out and just focus on doing me, being the best player I can be and go forward. At the end of the day, personal stats and things like that, that’s all in the back. You’ve got to focus on goals of the team first and foremost.”
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Love currently holds an 18-15 record as a starter with a 1-2 postseason mark. Last season, he was 9-6 under center. Backup Malik Willis helped the Packers earn their other two wins to complete an 11-6 campaign. Benjamin predicts the Packers will finish with the same record in 2025, though with a division title this time.