If Brian Gutekunst finds it within himself to get aggressive, the Green Bay Packers have the perfect opportunity at hand to be the aggressors of the NFL offseason. Once the Jaire Alexander cut is completed and depending on the timing, Green Bay could have one of the youngest rosters in the NFL, a chance to contend, and more than $60 million in cap space to operate with in free agency and on the trade market.
And if Gutekunst's latest comments at the NFL Combine are any indication, he seems ready to be active this spring, including on the trade market.
The Packers general manager was asked during his media availability about the team's current stable of seven picks in the 2025 NFL Draft and not having an arsenal that matches recent years, which he responded to by indicating Green Bay could be active in adding to their draft selections. However, that might not include the team's first-round pick.
When asked about the possibility of trading the Packers first-round pick for a star edge rusher, Gutekunst played it coy and, while not naming anyone specifically as we've seen executives routinely do when it comes to players still under contract with other teams, he made it clear that it's an option on the table for Green Bay, even if he wouldn't outright commit.
"Depends on who that edge rusher would be," Gutekunst said, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic ($).
And with that, let's officially welcome the Packers to this offseason's Myles Garrett sweepstakes.
Packers might be more in on Myles Garrett trade than we previously thought
While Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry doubled down on his previous comments that the club won't trade Myles Garrett, that may not ultimately end up being the case (not to mention it's still the world's oldest negotiation tactic). And while Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and Raiders star Maxx Crosby have also been floated as potential trade candidates at the position, Garrett makes the most sense.
Gutekunst and the Packers have the cap space and young roster to absorb the 29-year-old Garrett's contract while also offering an extension for the long term as well. Furthermore, Garrett fits an ideal need for Jeff Hafley and Green Bay's defense.
As I've mentioned before, the Packers schematic switch on defense caused the pass rush to see a bit of a decline. Rashan Gary remains an above-average player but the rest of the team's edge rushers failed to produce or perform in the same manner as they did in a 3-4 base alignment. Garrett would remedy that with a quickness while forming one of the best edge duos in the NFL with Gary.
Furthermore, this is the right time for Green Bay to get aggressive in such a manner. Not only is this a draft class that is largely short on high-end talent — there's no one who would be available for the 23rd pick who can promise the impact Garrett would have — but the NFC North is open. The Bears are still in transition, the Vikings have some quarterback uncertainty, and the Lions lost basically their entire coaching staff besides Dan Campbell. That's as clear of a window of opportunity as you'll see.
Throw in the fact that Gutekunst, at minimum, now confirms that such a trade is a consideration for the Packers, this makes all the sense in the world for them to pursue a Garrett trade. It may not happen quickly, but Green Bay should firmly be considered among the favorites to pull off such a blockbuster deal with the Browns now.