GREEN BAY, Wis. – Welcome to March Madness, Green Bay Packers style.
Who will cut down the nets and enjoy one (more) magic moment as the best player in Packers history? That’s for you to decide. First, we took 16 titans of the franchise – a Sweet 16 that includes 13 Pro Football Hall of Famers – and placed them into four position-based regions. The eight winners who emerged will battle for spots in the Final Four.
(Here is a look at the Sweet 16 matchups.)
Here are those matchups. Voting will be done at the links below.
No. 1 Bart Starr vs. No. 2 Aaron Rodgers
The legendary Bart Starr, in the most lopsided battle in the Sweet 16 round, received 97.6 percent of the vote to crush Lynn Dickey. In a surprisingly one-sided matchup, No. 2 seed Aaron Rodgers received 77.0 percent of the vote to trounce his predecessor, No. 3 seed Brett Favre. That sets up a clash of the quarterbacking titans.
Starr, despite piloting the Packers to five NFL championships and the last three-peat, is the quarterback that time forgot. Penalized for the sin of playing with several Hall of Famers, Starr was the 1966 NFL MVP, the Hall of Fame’s all-1960s quarterback and a two-time Super Bowl MVP. Talk about dominance: During that MVP season, his passer rating was 105.0; no other quarterback hit 90.0 and the league average was 67.4. In an era that was not friendly to quarterbacks, his playoff stats have withstood the test of time.
Rodgers, the Hall of Fame’s all-decade quarterback for the 2010s, somehow raised the bar from Favre. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in passer rating. While Favre is No. 1 all-time in interceptions thrown, Rodgers is No. 1 for lowest interception percentage. After a couple down years to end the Mike McCarthy era, Rodgers experienced a career rebirth with Matt LaFleur in winning MVP in 2020 and 2021, when he threw a combined 85 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
After last week’s Sweet 16 round, the positional/regional finals are set in our selection of the best player in #Packers history.
The Quarterbacks Regional
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) April 2, 2025
No. 1. Don Hutson vs. No. 2 Sterling Sharpe
Don Hutson received 69.6 percent of the vote to beat No. 4 Davante Adams. Hutson retired with 105 total touchdowns (99 receiving) while Adams has 103 career touchdown receptions. Meanwhile, in an unexpected blowout between Hall of Famers, No. 2 Sterling Sharpe received 89.6 percent of the vote to beat No. 3 James Lofton. Sharpe played only seven seasons; Lofton played 16. With Hutson vs. Sharpe, it will be a battle of pass-catching, touchdown-scoring Hall of Famers.
Hutson played 11 seasons and helped revolutionize the position and sport. He was second-team All-Pro the first three seasons and first-team All-Pro the last eight. He led the NFL in receptions eight times, receiving yards seven times and receiving touchdowns nine times. In 1942, he caught 74 passes for 1,211 yards and 17 touchdowns. In the 10-team NFL, Hutson had more receiving yards than four teams and more receiving touchdowns than eight. His 99 career receiving touchdowns stood as the NFL record for almost a half-century. Forgotten in time: Hutson also had 30 interceptions, including an NFL-high six in 1940 and a career-high eight in 1943.
Sharpe, whose brilliant career was cut too short by a spinal injury, led the NFL with 90 receptions in 1989, set the NFL record with 108 receptions in 1992 and broke it with 112 receptions in 1993. In 1994, his final season in the league, he caught 18 touchdown passes, tied with Davante Adams and Mark Clayton for third-most in NFL history. Called a “perfect player” by former general manager Ron Wolf, Sharpe was selected for induction into the Hall of Fame in February.
After last week’s Sweet 16 round, the positional/regional finals are set in our selection of the best player in #Packers history.
The Receivers Regional
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) April 2, 2025
This bracket incorporates running backs, cornerbacks and linebackers.
No. 1. Charles Woodson vs. No. 3 Ray Nitschke
In a battle between the two best cornerbacks in Packers history, Charles Woodson picked up 82.1 percent of the vote to beat No. 4 Herb Adderley. In a mild upset, linebacker Ray Nitschke as the No. 3 seed beat running back Jim Taylor, the 1962 NFL MVP who was the No. 2 seed, with 67.1 percent of the vote.
Woodson, an all-around sensational player, resurrected his career in Green Bay. During his final four seasons in his first stint with the Raiders, he intercepted six passes. In seven seasons with the Packers, he had at least seven interceptions in four, including an NFL-leading nine in 2009, when he was first-team All-Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and a league-best seven in 2011, when he was first-team All-Pro again. All-time, Woodson ranks fifth with 65 interceptions and second with 11 pick-sixes, and he added 33 forced fumbles and 20 sacks.
The NFL mostly didn’t keep defensive stats for most of its history. Thus, there’s no record of how many tackles Nitschke made or fumbles that he forced. In 1969, Pro Football Hall of Fame voters voted for the NFL’s all-time team through the first 50 years. Nitschke, even though he was only a one-time Pro Bowler, was the only linebacker selected. In 1994, the NFL selected a 75th-anniversary team. Nitschke was one of four linebackers on that squad.
After last week’s Sweet 16 round, the positional/regional finals are set in our selection of the best player in #Packers history.
The Backs Regional (DB, RB, LB)
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) April 2, 2025
No. 1. Reggie White vs. No. 2 Forrest Gregg
It will be legendary defensive end Reggie White against legendary offensive tackle Forrest Gregg after a couple big-time blowouts. In a clash of pass-rushing titans, the top-seeded White received 94.3 percent of the vote against fourth-seeded Willie Davis. The second-seeded Gregg received 92.7 percent of the vote against two-way star (and Baseball Hall of Famer) Cal Hubbard.
White ranks second in NFL history with 198 sacks, two behind Bruce Smith’s all-time record of 200. White – the perfectly nicknamed “Minister of Defense” – already was a legendary player when he signed with the Packers in 1993. In eight seasons with the Eagles, he recorded 124 sacks, including NFL-best totals of 21 sacks in just 12 games in 1987 and 18 sacks in 1988. With the Packers from 1993 through 1998, he was first- or second-team All-Pro all six seasons. He briefly retired after the 1998 season, when he was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year with 16 sacks.
Gregg played 15 seasons for the Packers. He was a first-team All-Pro seven times. From 1956 through 1971, he played in what was a league-record 188 consecutive games. While there’s no record that legendary coach Vince Lombardi called Gregg the “best player I ever coached,” he’s undoubtedly one of the best blockers in NFL history. Three tackles were selected to the NFL’s 75-year team. Gregg was one. Seven offensive tackles were selected to the 100-year team. Gregg made that squad, as well.
After last week’s Sweet 16 round, the positional/regional finals are set in our selection of the best player in #Packers history.
The Lines Regional
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) April 2, 2025