Rob DemovskyMar 6, 2026, 11:00 AM
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GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The trade for Micah Parsons, the blockbuster deal that cost first-round picks in the next two drafts, defined the Green Bay Packers 2025 season.
They don't plan to let that limit them in the 2026 offseason even without a first-round pick for the first time since Brian Gutekunst became general manager in 2018.
Despite having to wait out 51 selections before he gets to make his first pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Gutekunst doesn't consider himself handcuffed when it comes to improving a roster that produced nine wins last season but flamed out with five straight losses to end the season, including the wild-card playoff loss to the Bears.
"No, you're talking about one player," Gutekunst said at the late-February NFL combine. "That's really the difference and certainly the one we acquired. I'm happy we did that. So, not really. Our free agency process was the same. Just because we don't have a first-round pick doesn't make me feel we have to change anything within that."
However, that doesn't mean Gutekunst feels like he has to go wild in free agency when the negotiating period begins on Monday at noon ET.
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Last offseason, Gutekunst signed two significant free agents: guard Aaron Banks (four years, $77 million) and cornerback Nate Hobbs (four years, $48 million). Banks battled early injury issues but settled in as a solid starter in the second half of the season. Hobbs also had trouble staying healthy and underperformed to the point where he could be released next week.
The previous offseason, he hit home runs when he signed running back Josh Jacobs (four years, $48 million) and safety Xavier McKinney (four years, $67 million), whose contract was restructured Thursday to open up salary cap space, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Gutekunst has significant needs at several positions, cornerback and defensive line tops among them.
"I think we have guys in-house that can do that but, as you know, we want competition for those guys," Gutekunst said. "I certainly would like to bring in those kind of caliber of players that are going to push those guys."
The Packers also have salary cap issues, but those can be rectified by moving on from Hobbs and a few other high-priced, underperforming veterans. Elgton Jenkins, the former Pro Bowl guard turned center, is a candidate to be released or traded, and league sources believe Jenkins will be available one way or another. The same could be true of defensive end Rashan Gary, although a restructured contract also is possible.
Either way, Gutekunst said he expects to have "all the flexibility to do what we need to do" this offseason.
"Every free agent class is different, and I think you have to be careful of chasing things that aren't there," Gutekunst said. "This class is different than last year's class. ... Pretty soon here, we're probably going to have an influx of players that are going to get released, cap-casualty situations, and that'll change it as well. We're looking at that pretty extensively and we'll kind of see where it goes."
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That could include trying to re-sign some of their own pending free agents, including linebacker Quay Walker or defensive end Kingsley Enagbare. It's unlikely that they will be able to retain receiver Romeo Doubs, left tackle Rasheed Walker and quarterback Malik Willis -- all of whom are at or near the top of their positions among free agents.
Some of those free agent losses could net the Packers additional draft picks, but not until the 2027 offseason. However, Gutekunst said compensatory draft picks for losing free agents is not the chief objective when it comes to those players.
"It's about winning now," Gutekunst said. That's the most important thing and if there's players who we can sign that give us the opportunity to win now more so than holding out for a compensatory pick in 2027, that's the decision we're going to make.
"It's a factor but the most important thing is our ability to win in 2026."
This is the first time Gutekunst has gone into a draft without a first-round pick, and given the fact that his first pick this year comes at No. 52 overall -- and only the Jaguars will make their first selection later, at No. 56 -- it's unlikely Gutekunst could trade into the first round.
"It would take a significant amount of resources to get back into the first round, but if that player was available and that made sense to us, we'd never shy away from that," Gutekunst said. "I wouldn't expect that to happen. The areas of the first round we could get into would be more toward the back half and so I wouldn't expect it, but if the right player fell, then we'll be aggressive about it."
Then there's Gutekunst's track record in the first round to consider. Of the 10 first-round picks since he became GM in 2018, only CB Jaire Alexander and Gary have made the Pro Bowl. Meanwhile, he has found success beyond the first round with the likes of Jenkins (second round), WR Christian Watson (second), WR Jayden Reed (second), LB Edgerrin Cooper (second), S Javon Bullard (second), TE Tucker Kraft (thirds), S Evan Williams (fourth) and Doubs (fourth).
"I think we have really good core players coming back," Gutekunst said. "I feel really good about our core. The guys we're going to bring in, whether it's the draft or free agency, we're going to expect them to play and contribute. But I don't think it's one of those overhaul-type situations where we feel we've got to overhaul the roster, but there's some significant issues that we've got to make sure that we fix before we get into next season."