Albert Breer isn’t changing his tune on the Green Bay Packers. For the second straight summer, the Sports Illustrated writer is slotting Green Bay into that tier of teams that could realistically win the Super Bowl. His reasoning this year looks a lot like it did last year, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Breer grouped the Packers alongside the Seattle Seahawks as franchises with the raw talent to make a deep January run. The catch? A handful of young players have to go from promising to productive. He made the same call a year ago, and with most of the roster returning, he’s not backing off now.
“It’s a talented roster,” Breer wrote. “So the question is whether guys such as Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jordan Morgan, Lukas Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt, and Edgerrin Cooper can take their games to another level.”
That’s really the whole thing in a nutshell. Green Bay isn’t short on talent. It’s short on proof that the talent can peak at the right time. Watson has the explosive plays that made him a high pick. Golden turned heads last season as one of the NFC’s more interesting young receivers. Morgan and Van Ness are the kind of ascending linemen who can anchor a unit for years. If even three or four of those guys hit simultaneously, the Packers become a real problem for everyone else.
Two Health Questions That Could Change Everything
Breer also pointed to Micah Parsons and Tucker Kraft as major variables. Both are coming back from knee injuries. Their availability and effectiveness could be the difference between a playoff run and a quick exit. Parsons especially brings a disruptive element that no scheme can fully replicate. If he’s not himself, the defense changes.
Jordan Love is still growing at quarterback. The coaching staff has the locker room’s trust. The pieces are there on paper. The only question left is whether they all fire at once.
Breer’s confidence hasn’t wavered. But the Packers have to prove it on the field this time.
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