When Aaron Rodgers took over as the Packers starting quarterback in 2008, it was something of a baton pass from the Brett Favre era. While certainly a new dawn in Titletown, the locker room was still full of veterans like Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, both in their 8th season, and Donald Driver, in his 9th season. On the defensive side of the ball, familiar names – Al Harris, Charles Woodson, Aaron Kampman, Nick Barnett – were abundant.
Yet when Jordan Love took the helm after the 2022 season, it felt less like a baton pass, and more like a reboot. Yes, veterans David Bakhtiari, Aaron Jones, and Jaire Alexander remained, but Bakhtiari and Jones would be gone just one season later; Jaire, the season after that. Almost overnight, Brian Gutekunst had completely reshaped the team. It was suddenly the youngest team in football – and it was a mystery.
Like many others, I was bullish on Love and optimistic about the influx of new talent, but I also wondered, given the absence of veteran leadership, if these young Packers might struggle. Would habits, traditions, and accountability slip in a locker room full of young men new to the NFL and the responsibilities that come with it?
That hasn’t happened. In fact, Packers “culture” seems to be thriving as strongly as ever. Maybe it’s the coaches, maybe it’s the type of players the Packers bring in, maybe it’s the magic of Green Bay – its history, stadium, and fans. Probably, it’s all of the above.
During an interview with Barstool Sports this week, Packers tight end Tucker Kraft addressed that culture. “This is a great atmosphere. Guys come from other teams…and you know, I’m spoiled, because this is the only organization I’ve known, but they come from other teams and they tell us that we got it different here, so we’re just trying to keep up that culture, that standard, everyday.”
Right alongside “culture” you’ll frequently hear Packers players mention that other buzz word: “standard” – another sign of maturity and shared accountability. Micah Parsons echoed that in an interview this week. “We’re coming together as a cohesive unit…now it’s kind of like the standard’s been set in the room and we just talk about the standard, the standard..”
For these Packers, words like “culture” and “standard” isn’t just talk, it’s rooted in action. Nowhere was that more evident than last Sunday night when Christian Watson, less than 300 days removed from a torn ACL, caught four passes for 85 yards, alongside several big blocks, two of which helped spring Packer touchdowns.
Talking to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Tucker Kraft showered his teammate with praise for his hard work and determination. "That's a guy right there who has been battling his tail off for the last year. Coming in, not missing a day. You can't. You have a reconstructive surgery like that, you can't miss a day. That's just a credit to him and all the work he's put in. He's a great guy, he's a good father, amazing teammate. I'm very glad to have him back on our team."
The camaraderie between these young Packers seems to flow freely. In another interview, Parsons marveled at Quay Walker, talking about his dedication throughout the week, “Even pregame, I’m sitting next to him, I’m listening to tunes and he’s looking through his play call sheet.”
In a locker room speech after the Packers 27-23 Week 7 win over the Arizona Cardinals, a game Josh Jacobs had to negotiate with team trainers to even be a part of, an emotional Jacobs told his teammates, "I don't ever want anybody in here to doubt what I give and how I care about y'all boys, bruh. Every day I come in here to work, and I can't look you in the eye, bruh, if I don't give you everything I got. I love y'all boys."
Another noteworthy element of this team’s culture is what they seemingly lack: distraction – and how refreshing! For all of their greatness, both Favre and Rodgers came with significant off field baggage. Maybe Love will face some human challenges at some point in his future, but for now, and by stark contrast to his predecessors, he is wonderfully non-controversial - and his teammates seem to be following his lead. This team just wants to ball.
They’ll get that opportunity again this weekend, facing a Carolina team that has won three of their last four. But if the culture holds this Packers team will be focused on just three things: their God, their family, and The Green Bay Packers.