Packers approach to WRs is making the rest of the league look silly

The Green Bay Packers absolutely shellacked the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, 38-10. It was a rousing win for Green Bay, and it also drops the injury-ravaged Niners below .500 in what continues to be a disappointing follow-up to their recent Super Bowl berth.

To be fair, the Niners were short several key players on Sunday — none more important than starting quarterback Brock Purdy — but even in non-ideal circumstances, this was a disheartening loss to a longstanding rival.

The Packers needed this in a tight NFC North race, with both Minnesota and Detroit also stacking another win on their records. It hasn't been the easiest campaign for Green Bay, but this team obviously has the talent needed to compete at a high level. The Packers' ability to quickly build out this roster around Jordan Love and his new mega-contract has been extremely impressive.

If you need proof of Brian Gutekunst's wizardry in the Packers front office, look no further than the combined salaries of Green Bay's seven rostered wide receivers — $8 million.

Cheap Packers WR room is doing plenty of heavy-lifting after 49ers blowout

Sunday wasn't Jordan Love's most explosive passing night — 163 yards and two touchdowns on 13 completed passes — but he spread the wealth around and got several folks involved. Romeo Doubs led the way with three catches for 54 yards before a concussion knocked him out of the game.

Love has been up to his usual tricks all season, ripping apart defenses with a live arm and impressive decision-making chops. He can't do that without such a loaded WR core. Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, Malik Heath — they've all made their presence felt this season, all on minuscule contracts.

San Francisco, meanwhile, is shelling out $22 million to Deebo Samuel and Deebo Samuel alone. He reeled in one of four targets for 21 yards in the loss. And, lest we forget, the Niners forked over $30 million annually to Brandon Aiyuk this summer.

The Packers are getting real bang for their buck, and it's absolutely essential to the sustainability of this group. Love's contract eats up a lot of cap space. So many teams pay their star quarterbacks and then suffer in terms of depth. Green Bay has managed to find depth on the margins, loading up on affordable, team-controlled assets.

It's not a one-for-one comparison for San Francisco — Brock Purdy is still the best value contract in the NFL on his rookie deal — but sooner than later, the Niners will need to drop a bag on Purdy's doorstep. That won't negate the major money just handed out to Aiyuk, nor the depth lost if Samuel proves too expensive to keep in the future.

The Packers are a lesson in team-building. The NFC North is a cutthroat division and Green Bay will need to cough up dough for some of their young wideouts eventually, but this Packers team is built to last. Gutekunst and the front office deserve major props.