With the firing of coach, Mike McCarthy, and the loss of a few key, veteran players, the future of the Green Bay Packers is up in the air. Mike McCarthy, was the head coach of the Packers from 2006 – 2018 and ranks the 25th most-winningest head coach in NFL history with 135 wins. Under McCarthy the Packers only missed the playoffs four times in his 12 year in Green Bay, just one of four coaches including Tom Landry and Bill Belichick to lead a franchise to at least eight straight playoff appearances. Not to mention, McCarthy led the Packers to a Super Bowl win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. After two lackluster seasons in 2017 and 2018, McCarthy was fired mid-season in 2018. In 2017, the Packers finished third in the NFC North at 7-9 and in 2018, the Packers finished 4 – 7 – 1 before McCarthy was fired.
Aside from losing coach McCarthy, the Packers also lost some veteran players in the off season. For example, wide receiver, Randall Cobb, left and signed a one-year deal for five million dollars with the Dallas Cowboys. Randall was a veteran wide out for the Packers who had stand out seasons in 2014 with 1,287 yards, 91 receptions, and 12 touchdowns, respectively in 2012, his sophomore season, Cobb finished with 954 yards, 80 receptions, and eight touchdowns. Not only did the Packers lose Cobb, but they also lost veteran linebacker, Clay Matthews. Matthews is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Matthews played for the Packers for nine seasons and recently signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams. Matthews in the all-time sack leader for the Packers with 83.5 career sacks. Losing these two veteran players is a blow to both the Packers offense and defense.
There are only six players on the Packers current roster with double digit years in the league, indicating that the current team is relatively young and perhaps the franchise is in a rebuilding process for the post-Rodgers era. The only double digit veteran players on the roster are: Bryan Bulaga, tackle (10 years), Mason Crosby, kicker (13 years), Jimmy Graham, tight end (10 years), Marcedes Lewis, tight end (14 years), Aaron Rodgers, quarterback (15 years), and Tramon Williams, cornerback (13 years).
With a young team and a new head coach, Matt LaFleur, the Packers have some worrying to do. I predict Green Bay will finish the 2019 season at 8 – 8 in last place in the NFC North. I predict the Chicago Bears will with the NFC North in 2019. The Packers will take their losses to the Chicago Bears (week 1 and 15), the Denver Broncos (week 3), the Dallas Cowboys (week 5), the Kansas City Chiefs (week 8), the Los Angeles Chargers (week 9), the New York Giants (week 13), and the Minnesota Vikings (week 16). I think the Packers are in a rebuilding process and are getting ready for Rodgers to retire, so I believe it will be a few years at least until we see the Packers in the playoffs again.
BELLE OF THE (FOOT)BALL 