GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The Green Bay Packers kick off their preseason Monday with the first practice of training camp at 10:30 a.m. later followed by the annual meeting of shareholders at 3:00 p.m.
This season comes with heightened expectations after Green Bay's strong finish last year. Fueled by Jordan Love's sensational second-half, the Packers won seven of their final 10 games including a 48-32 road victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round.
Here are five storylines to keep an eye out for as the team begins its highly anticipated 2024 campaign.
Replacing a fan favorite
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst sent shock waves through the fan base in March when he signed former Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and later released fan favorite Aaron Jones within the span of a few hours.
Jones later signed with the rival Minnesota Vikings, ending a memorable seven-year tenure in Green Bay during which he gained 8,016 total yards and scored 63 total touchdowns.
5,940 of Jones' yardage came on the ground, making him the franchise's third-leading rusher behind only Ahman Green and Jim Taylor.
“I don’t really consider myself coming in and replacing what he (Jones) has done," Jacobs said when he first spoke to the Green Bay media on March 15. "I'll just try to hold that standard.”
Jacobs rushed for 5,545 yards over five years with the Raiders to begin his career. 1,653 of those yards came in 2022, when he led the NFL in rushing.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he believes Jacobs is capable of being a high-volume back. In 2022 he had 340 carries, second-most in the league to Derrick Henry's 349.
However, a Packers running back has carried the ball that often only once in the team's 105-year history: Ahman Green when he ran it 355 times for a franchise-record 1,883 yards in 2003.
During LaFleur's tenure, 236 carries is the most in a single season by one running back. That came from Jones in 2019, LaFleur's first year on the job.
“No matter who the runner is, typically, we like to platoon those guys whether it’s two guys or three guys," LaFleur said during the offseason when discussing Jacobs' potential workload. "I just think it allows the running backs to stay fresh throughout the duration of the season. It's a very violent position they play."
Look very Jacobs to be the primary back, but split time with A.J. Dillon and rookie third-round pick Marshawn Lloyd.
Just for kicks
The kicking position is not flashy, but it's vital. Packers fans learned that the hard way last season, when replacing Mason Crosby proved to be difficult.
After a strong start, Anders Carlson wound up missing 13 total kicks in his rookie year (seven field goals and six extra points), including a crucial 41-yard field goal late in the Packers' Divisional Round loss to the 49ers.
Carlson's kick would have given the Packers a 24-17 lead. After the miss the San Francisco offense stormed down the field to score a touchdown and take a 24-21 lead, eventually hanging on to win by the same score.
“After some point in time you’ve got to close that chapter and look to the present, because that’s where we are," Carlson said of the miss following an OTA practice on May 21.
Carlson made 82% of his field goals (24th in the league) and just 87% of his extra points (25th in the league) last season.
In response the Packers have brought in some competition for the incumbent. They will enter training camp with three kickers on the roster: Carlson, former Viking Greg Joseph and James Turner, a rookie out of Michigan.
Who's number 1?
Is it possible to have too many receiving options? We may find out this season.
Between Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed, the Packers have a plethora of possibilities at wide receiver.
“I personally don't think it matters," LaFleur said of his prospects of developing a No. 1 receiving option. "All those guys had their moments where they were the leading receiver in a game and I feel really good about the collective unit."
Reed led the Packers with 793 receiving yards last season. It was a balanced attack, with nine different players leading the team in single-game receiving yards over the course of the 19-game season.
Will someone step up to establish themselves as Jordan Love's top option? Or will the Packers spread the ball around like they did last year?
The power of Love
Speaking of Love, how will the 25-year-old quarterback built off of his strong finish to 2023?
In early November, many were ready to give up on Love as the franchise's quarterback of the future. However, over the final 10 games of the season, Love completed 70 percent of his passes and threw 23 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions.
No quarterback threw more touchdowns or had a higher QBR in the second half of the season than Jordan Love 👀
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 15, 2024
If Love continues this upward trend, he could find himself on the top-10 QB list next year ✍️ pic.twitter.com/yYUUTc6oPf
"Not a lot of people knew what I was about," Love said in May, reflecting back on his debut season. "Being able to go out there, put it on tape and kind of show everybody what I'm about and what this team is about was awesome."
"But there's no room to get complacent," he continued. "You've got to be able to go out there and do it again."
Right now, the biggest storyline heading into training camp is Love's contract situation.
Love has just one year remaining on his current deal and, as of Wednesday, has yet to sign an extension. At a football camp in Milwaukee earlier this week, Love refused to comment on the ongoing process other than saying "news to come."
A long-term extension would formally solidify his status as the franchise's long-term quarterback.
After that, the only question remaining would be this: Was his sensational finish to last season simply a hot streak, or a sign of things to come?
Another new coordinator
The Packers have been searching for consistency on defense seemingly since their last Super Bowl win following the 2010 season.
Last season, Green Bay ranked 17th in yards allowed, 10th in points allowed and 23rd in turnover percentage.
After another lackluster showing, Matt LaFleur opted to part ways with Joe Barry and now moves on to his third defensive coordinator in five years: Jeff Hafley.
Players will have to adjust to Hafley's new 4-3 base scheme, a departure from the 3-4 that the franchise has played since Dom Capers came to town in 2009.
“I think everybody has been dialed in," LaFleur said of the defense following an OTA practice in June. "I’m just excited to see how we adapt throughout the course of the season."
“We have a long way to go, but you can’t ask for anything else," Hafley added at the time. "(I love) the way these guys have attacked it."
Early returns on the former Boston College head coach have been positive: players have said they enjoy his more aggressive style and LaFleur has lauded his leadership and communication skills.
But make no mistake about it: there will be immediate pressure on Hafley, his players and LaFleur to yield better defensive results and help drive the Packers deeper into the playoffs.
