To win a Super Bowl, you need impact players. You don’t need a roster full of them, but blue-chip players, stars, if you like, are a requirement. Think about the Packers last two Super Bowl winning teams. In 1996, the Packers had Brett Favre on offense and Reggie White and LeRoy Butler on defense. Then there were many red-chip, or very good players on both sides of the ball who helped make the team dominant. In 2010, Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews were certainly elite players that season with many other very good players filling in.
The present-day Packers have made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons despite having the youngest roster in the league both years. GM Brian Gutekunst talked about needing more urgency to win a Super Bowl as the window doesn’t stay open very long. But do the 2025 Packers have the impact players needed to win a Super Bowl? The team has a roster without any glaring holes and good talent all around. They also have players with the potential to become impact players, but they will need those players to realize that potential if the Pack hopes to be playing in the Super Bowl next February.
On offense, Jordan Love remains the player most likely to step up and become an impact player. He certainly played at that level over the last eight games of the 2023 season. Injuries hampered Love in 2024 and prevented him from taking a step forward and building on his strong finish from the previous season.
If Love can improve his footwork and his downfield accuracy, he can become an elite quarterback. He also needs to find the balance between being too bold and trying to force the ball downfield on splash plays and being too conservative and throwing too many checkdowns.
Having an elite signal caller goes a long way towards making a team a realistic Super Bowl contender.
Josh Jacobs can certainly be considered an impact player on offense. He has the ability to take over a game with his strong running. If the Packers get a lead, Jacobs can help end a game with his ability to make tacklers miss in close quarters and to carry the ball without wearing down.
Other players on offense with the potential to become difference makers include Tucker Kraft and Zach Tom. The Packers have several young receivers with the potential to reach that level, but none has demonstrated the consistency needed to reach that plateau. Keep in mind, elite receivers like Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson needed three seasons before they reached their ultimate elite status
On defense, Rashan Gary has yet to reach 10 sacks in a season although his pass rush win rate has been among the league’s best when he’s been healthy.
Second-year linebacker Edgerrin Cooper is probably the leading candidate right now to become an impact player on defense. With a limited understanding of the playbook as a rookie, Cooper just kept making plays whenever he was in the lineup. He has a better grasp of the defense and what he needs to do to succeed in the NFL and has put on some weight as well. Cooper can rush the quarterback, stop the run and stay with receivers in coverage. He just needs to do it consistently to emerge as a Pro Bowl level performer.
Xavier McKinney may already qualify as a difference maker on defense. He certainly fit that description in 2024 with eight interceptions. Opposing coaches and quarterbacks avoided throwing the football to his side of the field after he picked off passes in each of the team’s first five games last season.
The Packers have a few players who are clearly capable of becoming impact players. But they will need to realize their potential and take a step forward to reach that level. If they do, the Packers chances of contending for a Super Bowl in 2025 will increase dramatically. If they don’t, it could be another good but not great season for the Green Bay Packers.