Green Bay Packers: 5 offseason needs

The Green Bay Packers struggled in 2017 without quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and there are plenty of other issues to address this offseason.

Entering the 2017 NFL season, many believed the Green Bay Packers would be one of the last teams standing in the NFC. However, they saw star quarterback Aaron Rodgers go down in the middle of the season with a broken collarbone, and the season fell by the waste side after that. As they turn the page on a season that saw them finish outside of the playoffs, there are some pressing needs the team needs to take care of before the season kicks off in September.

With a new general manager in Brian Gutekunst, and a new defensive coordinator in Mike Pettine, the Packers look to make some big moves this offseason. They still have arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, and his weapons on the outside are some of the best in the business. They could certainly be challenging for a spot in the Super Bowl next season, and here are five needs they can address to get them there this season.

5. Figure out the backup quarterback situation

When Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone, nobody really expected Brett Hundley to be able to pick up the slack. Sure, he showed some signs of promise, but he just could not play consistent enough to lead the team to wins each week. Heading into next season, the team may want to look at replacing him as Rodgers’ top backup, and there are plenty of names available this offseason.

It is possible that Hundley is the man behind Rodgers next season, but he really did nothing this past season to make Packers fans happy about that. While names like Ryan Fitzpatrick and Scott Tolzien are not ones that jump off the page, they could be a better option if Rodgers goes down again. Rodgers has been fairly healthy during his NFL career, but we saw last season that one injury to him could spell the end of the Packers chances of making it to the playoffs.

Green Bay also has Joe Callahan on the roster, and head coach Mike McCarthy was unwilling to make a move from both he and Hundley when Rodgers went down in 2017. He may want to pull the trigger on a move this offseason, as the team has the talent to be a Super Bowl contender in 2018. For Packers fans, they likely will just keep their fingers crossed and hope Rodgers can play in all 16 games next season.