I could sit here and say that the Green Bay Packers’ blockbuster trade for former Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons should erase any narratives surrounding Brian Gutekunst and the notion that he has been a passive general manager during his eight years with the franchise. However, when you look back at recent history, that narrative never should’ve existed in the first place.
Let’s go back to April 2018, Gutekunst’s first draft as Green Bay’s GM. The Packers originally held the No. 14 pick but traded down to No. 27, then moved back up to No. 18 to select Jaire Alexander, who became a cornerstone of the defense and one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL.
“As soon as we got off the phone and were off the clock, it was ‘Okay, let’s get back into this range,’” Gutekunst said after the draft. The Packers eventually traded up with the Seattle Seahawks, whose GM, John Schneider, has a strong relationship with Gutekunst.
“I felt confident we could (move back up),” he added. “I knew when we got back to 27 that was going to be one of the first calls.”
Gutekunst once again traded up in 2019, this time to select Darnell Savage. His aggressiveness that offseason extended beyond the draft. He signed the “Smith Bros” in free agency, along with Adrian Amos, to a defense that would end up as a top-10 unit in turnover rate.
The following year, he moved up for Jordan Love. Interestingly, The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reported that Green Bay tried to move up for a wide receiver in the first round – perhaps Brandon Aiyuk or Justin Jefferson was on their radar.
"In 2020 before the Packers drafted Jordan Love they tried to trade up for a Wide Receiver..
Brandon Aiyuk and Justin Jefferson were both picked a couple picks before Jordan Love" @mattschneidman #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/jTpYk9jU8D
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 27, 2025
Two years later, the Packers sent two second-round picks to the Minnesota Vikings to move up to No. 34 overall and selected Christian Watson, who, when healthy, is arguably the most dynamic weapon in Green Bay’s offense and their best man-coverage beater.
Christian Watson absolutely torched him. He always plays well vs man coverage and the Lions run a ton of it. pic.twitter.com/ZQUMDlUofh
— The GOAT House (@GoatHouseNFL) December 6, 2024
In the last 18 months, Gutekunst signed Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs in free agency, both of whom went on to become Pro Bowlers with Green Bay. McKinney was also named First-Team All-Pro. He gave Jordan Love a $220 million contract extension in 2024 and Zach Tom a big-time deal in 2025, while paying Aaron Banks $77 million and Nate Hobbs $48 million in free agency.
To cap it off, Gutekunst’s most recent move is Green Bay’s blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons, which I mentioned at the beginning. Let’s be clear: It was a historic move for the Packers. Trades involving generational talents like Parsons just don’t happen, and the fact that Green Bay only gave up two first-round picks (and Kenny Clark) makes it an outstanding accomplishment by the front office.
For context, the San Francisco 49ers once traded three first-round picks for Trey Lance, while the Seattle Seahawks gave up two first-round picks for Jamal Adams. Neither player has ever come close to being in the same stratosphere as Micah Parsons in terms of level of play. It was a move designed to elevate the defense – and, hopefully, the Packers as a whole.
What happened the last time the Packers stole an all-pro pass rusher from an NFC East team? pic.twitter.com/aX7pSE1hUN
— Johnny barks (@Johnny_Barks) August 29, 2025
“I’m not trying to be dramatic. You guys know I am usually pretty levelheaded about anything and everything when it comes to the Green Bay Packers,” CheeseheadTV’s Aaron Nagler said during a Packers Daily episode, “but man, this is a monster move and certainly one of the biggest moves I’ve ever seen a Packers general manager make.”
Gutekunst’s track record in both free agency and the draft is that of a GM willing to take risks when the value and surplus justify it. Sometimes he hits the mark (hello, Jordan Love, Xavier McKinney, Josh Jacobs), and sometimes he misses (hello, Darnell Savage). However, he has never compromised Green Bay’s long-term stability despite making many aggressive moves, and that speaks to his competence as a GM.