The Packers and Film

For everything Packers, and movie reviews

recent posts

about

  • What I Watched This Week: 4/11-17

    The year in movies continues to show that it has been one of the best of the decade so far. I cannot remember the last year where there has been something in the theater that I have wanted to watch every single weekend, but that has definitely been the case this year. Here is what I caught this week.

    You, Me & Tuscany

    You, Me & Tuscany is a romantic comedy that tells the story of Anna, a woman who travels to Italy and crashes at a man’s villa. When his family finds her, she pretends to be the man’s fiancé and gets entangled with them and a new man she starts to catch feelings for.

    You, Me & Tuscany is a pretty basic and by the numbers romcom. It hits all the same beats that you’ve seen a million times, and it doesn’t really do anything new, but it manages to stay charming because of the two leads. Anna should be incredibly unlikable. She works as a house sitter, where she takes over other people’s lives. She goes to Italy and starts living in the villa of a man she met once, lies and manipulates everyone around her, and does whatever she can to get what she wants. Sounds like an incredibly unlikable character right? Well, she would be, if she wasn’t played by Halle Bailey. Bailey makes the character incredibly cute and silly and charming. Because of her, you instantly want to see things work out for her. And her chemistry with Regé-Jean Page is wonderful. The two of them click, are charming and funny, and the movie works well with the two of them centered around the screen. While the film is incredibly basic, the two leads make it a deeply entertaining romcom that is worth a watch

    Rating: 6/10

    Thrash

    Thrash is a horror film about a coastal town that gets decimated by a hurricane that brings with it a bunch of hungry sharks.

    Tommy Wirkola, the director of Thrash, has directed quite a few films that I liked. The Trip, Violent Night, and What Happened to Monday are all fun and entertaining films. Because of this, I went into Thrash with a little hope that, even if the film isn’t great, that maybe it could be fun. Instead, this film wasn’t fun. It was pretty terrible from beginning to end. The acting sucks, the characters are horribly written, the CGI on the sharks is bad, and even though the film is only 84 minutes, it felt like it was a three hour film. I have seen a lot of disaster films like this, and I have seen many do it better. And with how poorly written the characters were, I did not care what happened to any of them. With all the flaws, however, there were a couple things that were okay. The birth scene was interesting and funny and well done, and there were a couple good laughs. I enjoyed watching the deadbeat foster dad get chewed up by sharks. Overall, however, I would definitely give this one a pass.

    Rating: 3/10

    Pizza Movie

    Pizza Movie is a comedy starring Gaten Matarazzo and Sean Giambrone. It tells the story of two college roommates that decide to take a drug that causes crazy hallucinations unless they eat pizza. The two struggle to find and eat a pizza to stop the crazy high.

    Pizza Movie is much funnier than I expected it to be. It is in the same vein as some of the stoner comedies of the ’90s and 2000s, like Dude Where’s My Car? and Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, and while it isn’t as funny as those films, it is still a good time. The phases of the drugs are really fun to watch, like the scene where their heads explode whenever they curse, or the body swap phase. My personal favorite is the very last phase, which I won’t spoil as it is wonderfully meta and one of my favorite parts of the whole film. The film can be cringey and overuse jokes, specifically with Gaten Matarazzo’s character and the football team, but overall it was a solid time.

    Rating: 6/10

    Outcome

    Outcome is the newest release from director Jonah Hill and starring Keanu Reeves. Reeves plays actor Reef Hawk, who is a generally loved actor that gets blackmailed with a video that could possibly get him cancelled. Reef works with his team to come up with a plan to go on an apology tour to all the people he screwed over through the years, and to avoid getting cancelled.

    So far this year, I am not sure if I have seen a more insufferable film. I love Keanu, but he is atrocious in this. He was not the right choice to play a character like this. His character seemed uninterested in what was going on throughout the film, because Reeves is bad at expressing emotion. It is the same reason he works so well in films like John Wick and Much Ado About Nothing. In films where he needs to be super serious or broody, Reeves pulls it off flawlessly. However, a role like this needed a lot more depth, and Reeves failed at that. Seeing as the film hangs on his central performance, things fell apart around him throughout the entire runtime. In addition to Keanu, Jonah Hill personally gives one of the worst performances I have seen so far this decade. He is obnoxiously unfunny, and the only thing he did was made me hate the film even more every time his character appeared on screen. The only thing I liked about this film is a scene with Martin Scorsese. It is an absolutely beautiful scene, and Scorsese gives a genuinely great and melancholy performance in the film. The scene is so good that it sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the runtime.

    Rating: 1/5

    Exit 8

    Exit 8, based off the indie game of the same name, follows a man who finds himself trapped in a loop while trying to leave a subway train station. To exit, the man must find various anomalies and solve the puzzles to escape.

    As someone who had never heard of and never played the video game, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film. I knew it was a horror movie, and I only heard decent things about the movie. I went into this mostly blind, and wasn’t sure whether I’d love it or hate it, and I’m glad I did. When going into a movie like this, I didn’t expect the shots and visuals to be so unique and interesting. Director Genki Kawamura brings a lot of interesting perspectives to the film. I loved how the first fifteen minutes of the film are done entirely from POV, and how it makes the audience feel like they are getting trapped in the loop along with the main character. The film wasn’t that scary, especially for a horror movie, but what the film did great was creating this feeling of unease and uncomfortability over the runtime. I loved watching the anomalies over the course of the film as well. The subtle ones are fantastic, such as the one where the eyes of the characters on the posters followed the main character around, or the more big and epic ones like the flood. Now, while I did deeply enjoy the movie, I felt like the end went on too long. It felt like the director could’ve left with more of an ambiguous answer, and instead it gave everything away and spelled out the ending. Still, it was a quality film that was well worth the watch.

    Rating: 4/5

    The Wrecking Crew

    The Wrecking Crew is a new Amazon Prime action movie starring Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa. It tells the story of two half-brothers that haven’t spoken to each other in years who reunite at their father’s funeral. When one of the brother’s suspects that their father was murdered, the brothers have to put their differences aside and work together to solve the murder.

    There’s not much to say about this film. There are hundreds of action films like this that come out year after year. However, I still kind of liked this one. Sure, it doesn’t do anything revolutionary, and yes, I knew exactly what was going to happen over the course of the film. I knew who the villain was going to be the first time I saw him on screen, and I knew Momoa and Bautista would start off hating each other but would eventually solve their differences and realize they were brothers and save the day. I knew all of that, but I still had fun, and fun goes a long way. Bautista and Momoa are great together. They have tons of chemistry, the jokes generally work, and the action kicks ass. Lots of good camerawork and choreography, especially with the hallway fight scene during the ending climax. So yes, while it is incredibly generic, the main leads bring enough entertainment to it to make it a fun watch.

    Rating: 6/10

    Mercy

    Mercy is a 2026 January release starring Chris Pratt as a cop who is put on a trial with an artificial intelligence judge to find out if he killed his wife. Pratt has 90 minutes to prove to the AI judge that he is innocent, and if he does not prove it, he will be killed.

    Overall, while Mercy is bad, it is not as bad as I expected it to be. Sure, there are some horrendous writing choices, such as Pratt’s character “going with his gut” instead of just trusting the facts causing the AI judge to literally glitch out, which caused me to burst out laughing, but there are definitely worse films that have come out so far. The main thing that keeps the film from being completely bottom of the barrel is the style. The film takes the style of Searching, and while it uses it far worse than Searching does, it still uses it in an effective way that kept me engaged and entertained. However, while the style is nice, the movie is completely stupid. The plot twist can be seen coming from a mile away, the acting is horrible, and the pro AI message the film holds rubbed me the wrong way on numerous occasions.

    Rating: 2/5

    War Machine

    War Machine is a Netflix sci-fi action film starring Alan Ritchson, who plays an Army Ranger that gets trapped in a ridge by a mysterious robot.

    This film has the same problems The Wrecking Crew has. It is deeply generic and incredibly predictable. However, there is one big difference. The Wrecking Crew is fun. This is not. War Machine is incredibly boring. There’s no humor like in Wrecking Crew, and it feels like the dialogue out of each character’s mouth is just for exposition. No characters ever just talk to each other. Every word feels like it is just to explain something that happened before or to hint at something in the future, like when the crew are talking about the medal Ritchson’s character received from the army. It gets pretty annoying. At the same time, the film feels like it is just a worse version of Predator. It’s the same story, and I would have much rather been watching Predator. The only thing I liked, and the only reason I stuck around was for Alan Ritchson. Even though he is given nothing to work with in the script, he still does his best to make the movie work. The movie still doesn’t work, but he at least makes it watchable. However, I wish he was given something much better to work with.

    Rating: 1.5/5

  • What I Watched This Week- 4/3-10

    The movie year has been off to a hot start. It is only April, and yet there have already been many films from notable directors, including Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Sam Raimi, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gore Verbinski, and Joe Carnahan. In addition, there have already been many movies with more up and coming directors and big stars, with How to Make a Killing starring Glen Powell, The Rip starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Shelter starring Jason Statham, The Moment starring Charli XCX, Crime 101 starring Chris Hemsworth, and many more. 2026 is shaping up to be an absolutely fantastic year for movies, and as a fantastic year for movies, I am doing my best to watch as much as I possibly can. Here is what I caught this past week.

    They Will Kill You

    They Will Kill You is an action horror film. It centers on Asia Reaves, a woman who gets out of prison and takes a job as a maid at a strange hotel like place, but pretty quickly things take a turn for the worse, and Reaves has to fight her way out. Starting off, this movie had the unfortunate release time of coming out right after Ready or Not 2. I am a little worried that this film will not do nearly as well as that film, because I must say that I found They Will Kill You to be much stronger than Ready or Not 2. Both films have a lot of similarities, with both focused on a central woman character fighting her way out of a place from satanic worshippers, and both have a central sister relationship, but I thought that They Will Kill You did each aspect much better than Ready or Not 2. The action is better. The writing is better. The performances are better. And the movie is also shot surprisingly well. There is a shot where Zazie Beetz is climbing up an elevator shaft, and it looks like something that came out of a Wes Anderson film. Now, that all being said, it is not perfect. The movie takes a minute to get going, and some of the acting in the first 20 minutes can be pretty cringey, but once the first action sequence happens, the movie picks up and becomes a lot of fun.

    Rating: 7/10

    Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere

    Inside the Manosphere has renowned documentarian Louis Theroux investigating the misogynistic world of the Manosphere, an online community of male content creators who put out videos and social media posts about the relationships between men and women. Theroux is one of my favorite documentarians. I loved his documentaries on Jimmy Saville and the Westborough Baptist Church and Scientology, and while this is a pretty good documentary, I believe it is a weaker documentary compared to his other works. Throughout the documentary, we see Theroux interviewing many various content creators, but many of the questions Theroux asks seem surprisingly surface level. He asks about their relationships and the women in the lives of these misogynists, but it seems many times that Theroux misses the biggest problem with these content creators: the fact that there are some boys as young as 10 that watch this content. That is an age where kids are easily succeptible, and seeing content like that could poison the minds of these kids, and give them a very toxic and bad impression of women,which is scary and unhealthy. Theroux brings it up at the very end, but it seems like much of it is left untouched. That being said, the documentary is still deeply entertaining. The interviews Theroux does with these creators are interesting to watch, and he is still very good at killing some of his interviewees with silence, and watching some of these toxic men squirm with just a few seconds of silence was very satisfying. All in all, a pretty mixed bag, but still successful at the end of the day.

    Rating: 6/10

    The Drama

    The Drama is a new dramedy from acclaimed indie director Kristoffer Borgli and starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. The film focuses on the buildup to a wedding between Emma and Charlie, when a secret is revealed that threatens to burn it all down. Leading up to the release of this film, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it. I didn’t like the last film I saw from Borgli, Dream Scenario, a movie with a great premise that didn’t know how to stick the landing. I thought Dream Scenario was interesting but mostly grating to watch. The Drama, however, worked for me. Borgli is definitely improving as a filmmaker, as some of the shots in this film are absoloutely fantastic. Lots of interesting and dream-like imagery, with lots of striking colors. There was a particular shot with Zendaya switched with her younger self for the wedding photos that worked especially well for me. Outside of the shots, Borgli’s writing has also improved a lot. In Dream Scenario, Borgli had a great premise: a random person suddenly becomes the most famous person on earth after he appears in everyone’s dreams. It is a great concept, but outside of that initial concept, Borgli did not do much with it, and it seemed like he had no idea where to take the story after the initial idea. Here, however, Borgli had a clear vision. Watching Charlie spiral through the film after the reveal, which I would not dare to spoil, was incredibly well written. Both Charlie and Emma feel so real, and the film balances being deeply uncomfortable and shockingly funny. The Drama is one of the best films of the year so far.

    Rating: 8/10

    Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice

    Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice is a sci-fi action comedy starring Vince Vaughn and James Marsden. The film tells the story of Mike and Nick, two mobsters that must work together to make sure that Mike isn’t killed by the mob.

    I wanted to love this movie. It is a fun premise, with Vince Vaughn giving a fun duel performance, but I found the script to be an absolute mess. There are moments, such as the Gilmore Girls sequence, where the movie is funny and entertaining, but there are other moments where the film is just sloppy. For example, there’s a scene where Vince Vaughn wants James Marsden to use chloroform on someone , but he doesn’t know what chloroform is and calls it the “wet rag thing”. That is really stupid, and it makes no sense as anyone who has watched a movie ever knows what chloroform is. There are other moments as well, especiallly the ones with Jimmy Tatro, where the film thinks it is funnier than it actually is. Still, it is an entertaining film. The action sequences are great, especially the house raid at the end, but overall I think the film needed another rewrite.

    Rating: 5/10

    Eat Pray Bark

    Eat Pray Bark is a German comedy film that tells the story of a group of dog owners that travel to the mountains of Germany to work with a professional dog trainer so that they can learn to take better care of their animals.

    Honestly, I found this film to be absolutely insufferable. The comedy was the lowest common denominator type of jokes, and in addition to that, every character was a horrible person. It is fine for characters to be written in that way, as I enjoy shows like It’s Always Sunny in Philidelphia, but in this instance, it did not feel like the characters were meant to be seen in that way. In the beginning, sure they were made insufferable on purpose, but by the end, the movie tries really hard to make you feel like these people had changed and were ready to be good dog owners, but I never got that feeling. The characters were insufferable through and through. The only thing I liked about the movie were the dogs. The dogs were very cute, but I think I would have much preferred to just watch a YouTube compilation of cute puppy videos.

    Rating: 1/10

  • The Magic of Project Hail Mary

    Leading up to the release of Project Hail Mary, I was generally pretty excited for it. Ryan Gosling has been one of the more consistent and successful movie stars of the past decade, with films like Drive, Blade Runner 2049, La La Land, and many more. In addition, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have been incredibly successful directors and producers, releasing both Spiderverse movies, the Lego Movie, 21 Jump Street, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I have enjoyed almost every single movie Lord and Miller have produced. And then the trailers began to come out for Project Hail Mary, and I was even more excited. The visuals looked great, and I saw that the film also starred Sandra Huller, who gave one of my favorite performances of the decade in the 2023 film Anatomy of a Fall. I was all in on this film, and I could not wait for it to come out. However, that started to change when the reviews began to come out.

    One of the main sites I use for movies is Letterboxd. I scroll through reviews and news daily on the site, and I consistently post my own reviews on the site. I generally trust it, and when a movie gets a high rating on the sight, I make it a personal mission of mine to seek it out. That being said, when I see a movie with an incredibly high rating, I tend to get extremely high expectations for the film, and when I saw that Project Hail Mary was one of the top 100 highest rated movies of all time on Letterboxd, I started to get a little worried. I did not think that I would dislike the film, but I was worried about my standards and expectations being so astronomically high that nothing could have lived up to it. So, I tried to keep a level head, tried not to focus too much on the reviews, and then I watched the movie. It is as good as the reviews say.

    Walking out of the theater, I was absolutely in awe. I was happy, inspired, and full of hope. The movie absolutely delivered on every aspect. Gosling was perfect. He nailed the delivery of Grace, the comedy, while bringing the humility of a man far over his head that is still doing his best and choosing to do the right thing. The visuals were stunning. I read that Lord and Miller used a lot of practical effects for the film, and it is evident that they did. The film is incredibly vibrant, and the puppetry work done with Rocky was astounding. Drew Goddard also did an incredible job with the script. I have not read the book, so I am unaware what he left out of the book or what he added, but either way it felt like he did a great job of fleshing out the characters in the film. Gosling’s Ryland Grace felt so human. He was so confused and lost, but wanted to do the right thng. I was also equally impressed with the character of Rocky. With an alien like that, it would be easy for that type of character to be incredibly annoying. It has happened in several different films, such as Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars. However, Rocky was written in such a way that he never gets annoying. He is the heart of the film, with a lot of incredibly funny, heartfelt, and some surprisingly poignant lines.

    All in all, Project Hail Mary was a joy from beginning to end, with a great central performance from Ryan Gosling and incredible visuals.

    Rating: 9/10

  • Grading Every Packers Free Agency Move

    Now that free agency has come to an end, it appears that the Packers have made most of the moves that they will make before the Draft in April. In terms of the other teams around the NFL, the Packers had a relatively quiet free agency, without signing any big names. However, the Packers did sign some solid pieces, but they also let some big contributers walk as well. Here is how I would grade every move the Packers made in free agency.

    Losing Romeo Doubs to the Patriots- C–

    The Packers receiving core was already weak last year. Players like Christian Watson and Jayden Reed dealt with many injuries throughout the season and missed multiple games. One of the only receivers on the Packers to stay healthy was Romeo Doubs, who in addition led the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Losing a good contributer in a weak area of the team was a bad choice for the Packers. The only reason it gets a C- is that Doubs was not a superstar receiver, and the Packers signed receiver depth in free agency. Also, with less targets on the team, it will give Matthew Golden a chance to break out in his sophomore season.

    Losing Quay Walker to the Raiders- F

    Quay Walker was, outside of Micah Parsons, arguably the most impactful defensive player on the Packers last season. Walker was first on the Packers in total tackles, and second on the Packers in solo tackles and tackles for loss. The Packers defense was one of the better units in football last year, and Walker was a big part of it. He is a player the Packers should’ve put more of an effort into resigning. Losing him, the Packers lose a key contributer and depth, and while they made an effort to sign some additional defensive players for depth, none of the players were as impactful for their teams as Walker was for the Packers.

    Losing Malik Willis to the Dolphins- C

    Malik Willis showed out in the games Jordan Love was out. Last season, through two games, Malik Willis put up 409 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions with a completion percentage of 83.75% and a passer rating of 138.7, along with 104 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. In addition to that great two game stretch, Malik Willis filled in when Jordan Love was injured in the 2024-2025 season, leading the Packers to two wins while passing for 338 yards, two total touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a completion percentage of 72.65% and a passer rating of 115.35, along with 96 rushing yards. Willis was a great backup for the Packers, and after Love went down at points the last two seasons, Willis stepped up and gave the Packers some competent quarterback play. If Love goes down next year, the Packers will miss Willis. However, it is a C, because Willis was a backup quarterback, and to keep him on the team, it would have cost a lot of money, and had too big of an impact on the cap for a player who may not even see the field through a full season.

    Releasing Elgton Jenkins- F

    Jenkins may have been the best offensive lineman on the Packers last season, and he has been the best for the past two to three years. The two time pro bowler, though coming off a major injury, has been very effective through his seven seasons with the Packers. With no first round picks, it is a big mistake to let the biggest asset on the offensive line go. An even bigger mistake is, instead of retaining Jenkins, the Packers resigned offensive lineman Sean Rhyan, who was one of the biggest blemishes on the line last season, struggling in several games with penalty problems and getting beat by various defensive lineman. It was a big mistake to keep him over Jenkins, and I believe the Packers offensive line will suffer greatly because of it.

    Losing Kingsley Enagbare to the Jets- B

    Enagbare was a solid contributer to the Packers defense last season. He ranked third on the defense in quarterback hits and fourth in tackles for loss. However, in many of the otherr categories, such as tackles and assisted tackles, Enagbare ranked far lower on the Packers defense. He is a limited type of defender, who does one aspect fairly well, but there are several holes in his game. While the Packers have struggled to get to the quarterback and to generate pressure in the past, the Packers now have a plethora of players who have had trremendous success getting to the quarterback, including Micah Parsons, Devonte Wyatt, and Lukas Van Ness. While Enagbare is an effective player, the Packers made the right move not bringing him back.

    Trading Rashan Gary to the Cowboys- B+

    The Packers traded edge rusher Rashan Gary away to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth round pick. While a fourth rounder doesn’t seem like much value to get from a former first round pick, I believe the Packers made a great move in moving off of Gary. Last season, when the Packers made the move to trade for Micah Parsons, one of the narratives was how Parsons was going to bring extra offensive lineman to block him, giving Rashan Gary more space and giving him more opportunites to get to the quarterback. However, Gary’s numbers did not improve. They decreased. Gary’s combined tackles, solo tackles, assisted tackles, and tackles for loss were down from what they were a season ago. In addition, Gary had a big contract, which would have cost $19.5 million. Trading Gary away means the Packers get away from a declining defensive player, without having to pay off the contract.

    Releasing Nate Hobbs- B

    Last offseason, one of the biggest signings the Packers made was bringing in Nate Hobbs. He was expected to come in and change the secondary of the Packers overnight, and instead, Hobbs was one of the biggest disappointments on the team last year. Hobbs regressed from being a top end cornerback to being deeply mediocre. His interceptions, pass deflections, combined tackles, solo tackles, total tackles, and approximate value all went down from the 2024 season to the 2025 season. In addition, Hobbs was signed to a giant contract that saw him get $48 million over two years, $19.4 million of which was guaranteed. The Packers needed to cut Hobbs, and it was a good decision to do so. The only reason it is not higher is because, due to the guaranteed money, the Packers will have millions of dollars in dead cap now.

    Trading for Zaire Franklin- A

    Last year, Zaire Franklin had a down year. His tackle and sack numbers were both down from 2024. However, that meant the Packers got him for cheap. The Packers gave up no picks, and only gave up Colby Wooden, a player who had worse stats than Franklin did last year in a down year. When Franklin is at his best, he is an all pro and pro bowl level player, which he was in 2024. And even in a down year, Franklin’s stats were still good. In fact, Franklin would have been second on the Packers in total, assisted, and solo tackles, third in tackles for loss, and fifth in sacks. Even in a down year, Franklin would have been one of the biggest contributers on the Packers defense last season. So, if Franklin comes in with similar production, he will make a big impact. However, if Franklin plays as well as he did in 2024, he could be one of the best players on the Packers defense next year.

    Signing Benjamin St. Juste- C

    Over the course of his four year career, St. Juste hasn’t given any signs that he would be a high end corner. He has been deeply mediocre throughout his career, not even cracking 50 total tackles last year, and only one interception, half of the total interceptions of his career. The one part St. Juste has done well is pass deflections, which he had 7 of last year. However, that would have been third on the Packers last season, who was already scrutinized heavily. However, the contract the Packers gave St. Juste is very low, with only $10 million over two years, with only $3 million guaranteed. If he does not play well, the Packers can cut him with little dead cap.

    Signing Skyy Moore- B+

    Through the past several seasons, the Packers have ranked close to the bottom of the league in terms of its special teams play. Moore is a return specialist that should be able to help right away. Last season, Moore ranked 8th in the NFL in kickoff return yards and 10th in punt return yards. Having a return man like Moore will be great for the Packers special teams, and also great for the offense, as Moore will help get Jordan Love better starting field position on each of his returns. In addition, Moore is a speedy receiver, and a great offensive mind like Lafleur will probably have a lot of ways to use him in the offense next season, similar to how the Seahawks used Rashid Shaheed last season.

    Losing Emmanuel Wilson to the Seahawks-D

    Wilson was one of the best reserve backs in football last year. In games when Josh Jacobs was not effective, Wilson stepped up and helped lead the Packers in rushing. One of the biggest examples of this is last November against the Vikings, where he put up 107 yards and two touchdowns. Losing a running back like Wilson made no sense, and there was no reason to let a player of his caliber walk, especially when he only signed for $1.5 million to the Seahawks. It was a cheap contract that the Packers could have easily afforded, and losing such an effective player will be a big blow for the run game next season.

    All in all, the Packers free agency has been incredibly rough. They lost far more players than they signed, and they let a lot of key players go. The depth, especially on the offensive line and defense, has thinned, and the Packers will definitely have to make up for that through the draft next month.

  • Possible Trades for the Packers

    With free agency jusy days away, that also means the trade market is in full swing. There are many free agents the Packers could go after, but there are also a lot of players the Packers could go after with a trade. After all, last year, the biggest impact on the team was not a free agency signing, but a trade for Micah Parsons. Here are five trades the Packers could make that would have an immediate impact on the team.

    Brian Thomas Jr., WR Jacksonville Jaguars

    Thomas Jr. started out his NFL career red hot, with 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns his rookie year, including people talking about him as a potential top receiver in the league. However, even though the Jaguars exceeded expectations this past year and won many more games, Thomas Jr.’s production declined drastically, with him only having 707 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns, which is why the Jaguars may look to move off of him. With the Packers struggles with their receiver core, Thomas Jr. wouldl be a great guy to trade for. Coming off a rough season, the Packers could get him without having to trade many of their assests, and he is still on his rookie contract, which would only have a cap hit of $4.9 million. My one concern with Thomas Jr. is that the Packers receiving core has struggled a lot with dropped passes, and Thomas Jr. tied for second in the NFL this past season with ten dropped passes. However, with how small his contract is, and with him coming off a down year, I believe it is a risk that makes sense for the Packers, and would help rejuvenate their offense that went through several rough moments last season.

    Maxx Crosby, Edge, Las Vegas Raiders

    Crosby has officially requested a trade from the Raiders, and he is one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Pairing Micah Parsons along with Crosby would be a dream come true for any Packers fan, but it also may not be realistic. Crosby has $30 million guaranteed left on his contract, and it is worth $29 million a year for the next four years. If the Packers brought in Crosby, so much of the cap space would be eaten up by just three players: Jordan Love, Micah Parsons, and Maxx Crosby. In addition, the Raiders would probably want multiple first round picks, which the Packers already gave up two for Micah Parsons. However, a defense with Micah Parsons and Maxx Crosby would instantly be one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Parsons and Crosby are both seen as two of the best past rushers in the NFL, and having them both rushing the quarterback would make any team nervous.

    Renardo Green, CB San Francisco 49ers

    The Packers secondary went through some tough moments last year, and are in desperate need of a spark. Grreen would be a great spark to add. A 2024 second round pick, Green has shown a lot of upside with double digit pass breakups in both seasons he has played in the NFL. He had a big impact last year, contributing to a top defense even with many defensive starters on the team injured. The Packers could use more depth at corner, and having a guy like Green would be a big help. In addition, Green’s contract is only worth $3.04 million, with none of it guaranteed, giving the Packers little risk taking him on with tremendous upside.

    Rashid Shaheed, WR Seattle Seahawks

    In addition to the offense and the defense, one of the areas of the Packers that went through some rough patches was the special teams. The special teams unit for the Packers has been one of the five worst units in the NFL the past three years. One of the main reasons for that is because the Packers like to use backup players for their special teams unit, when instead, they should bring in players that are specialized in special teams. Last year, Rashid Shaheed ranked sixth in the NFL in punt return yards, and averaged 14.7 yards per return, which is fifth best in the NFL. Shaheed would instantly improve the special teams unit, and help the offense for the Packers get a much better starting field position each drive. Shaheed is also a player that just won the Super Bowl, and it is always good to bring in players that know what it takes to win the big game.

    Emmanuel Forbes, CB Los Angeles Rams

    As I said for Green, the Packers have struggled at cornerback. Notably in the playoff game against the Chicago Bears, starting cornerback Carrington Valentine gave up multiple 20 yard passes, and the unit as a whole struggled at important moments. They gave up 250 yards to Caleb Williams, 300 yards and 4 touchdowns to Bo Nix, and 256 yards and 2 touchdowns to Jared Goff. Forbes would instantly be the cornerback one of the Green Bay Packers. He had a tremendous season for the Rams this past year. While Forbes did not have many interceptions, only tied for 23rd in the NFL in 2025, his pass breakup numbers were tremendous. He had 18 pass breakups, which was tied for 2nd most in the NFL in 2025. Having a cornerback like that for the Packers would make the pass rush even more dominant than it already is, and with Forbes starting, Nate Hobbs could be moved back to slot corner where he is far more efficient and productive.

  • Biggest Offseason Needs for the Packers

    The Packers enter the 2026 offseason after a dreadful and disappointing end to the season. With five straight losses, including a playoff loss to the division rival Chicago Bears, the Packers have a lot of needs to address. Here is the team’s biggest needs.

    Cornerback

    On a consistent basis throughout the season, the secondary for the Packers underperformed. Even after acquiring Nate Hobbs in free agency a year ago, the cornerback core did not see much improvement and struggled throughout the season. That was evident in the playoff game against the Chicago Bears, where the Packers defense gave up 361 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns. Earlier in the season, with Micah Parsons and the pash rush playing incredibly well, that hid a lot of the problems in the secondary. However, after Micah Parsons got injured, the holes became incredibly apparent. I think the best name to get is Jamel Dean, who will be entering free agency after a great 2025 season with the Bucs, where he was one of the most efficient corners in the NFL. Some other great additions include Dee Alford, Chidobe Awuzie, Avonte Maddox, and Nahshon Wright.

    Offensive Line

    Throughout the season, the Packers dealt with multiple injuries to their offensive line. Players like Zach Tom, Elgton Jenkins, and Jordan Morgan dealt with injuries throughout the year, and some of the backups, like Sean Rhyan, were inconsistent and struggled. Getting some depth to the offensive line, as well as some more competent starters, could help the offense as a whole, but specifically Jordan Love. The more time he has to throw each snap, the more effective he will be each game. The top offensive lineman available in free agency this year is center Tyler Linderbaum. Linderbaum is an All-Pro center, one of the best in the league at his position, and he’s only 25. It is incredibly rare for an offensive lineman of his caliber to be available in free agency, so I believe he is a must sign for the Packers. Outside of Linderbaum, some of the other offensive lineman I believe the Packers should go after are Jonah Williams, Connor McGovern, Joel Bitonio, and Braden Smith. Bitonio in particular would be great, as he is 34 and has played 11 seasons in the NFL. The Packers are one of the youngest offenses in the NFL, and having a guy like Bitonio would be good to act as a mentor to the rest of the offensive line.

    Wide Receiver

    Ever since Devante Adams left, the Packers have struggled at the wide receiver position. For the past two years, the unit has been in the top five in most dropped passes in the NFL. On top of that, guys like Jayden Reed and Christian Watson have struggled with injuries, and one of the Packers other top targets, tight end Tucker Kraft, went out with a torn ACL halfway through last season. Having a top receiver will help give the team more stability at the position, will help open things up for the other receivers on the team, and give Jordan Love a steady target he can look for each time he goes to pass. The top wide receiver in this free agency is easily Alec Pierce. Over the past two seasons, Pierce have averaged over 20 yards per reception, one of the best in the league, and he is only 26. He would be a great addition to the Packers, and would give Love a deep threat target he has been looking for. Some of the other wide receivers the Packers should go after are Rashid Shaheed, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jauan Jennings.

    Kicker

    One of the biggest factors for the Packers losing the wild card playoff game against the Bears was the inconsistent play of kicker Brandon McManus. McManus missed two field goals and an extra point, which equals an entire touchdown. McManus struggled throughout the season, going 24 of 30 for the season, and hitting only 42% of his kicks between 40 and 49 yards. The inconsistent play of McManus contributed to several tough losses for the Packers. Getting a new kicker would help the Packers be able to “take the points” in several situations they haven’t been able to. At the very least, the Packers need to bring in a new kicker to compete with McManus. Some of the kickers the Packers could bring in include Eddie Piniero, Nick Folk, Matt Prater, and Joey Slye.

    The Packers are in a good spot. Before the injuries to end the year, they were the second seed in the playoffs and were talked about as a Super Bowl contender. If they get the players back from injury and if they can make the additions and fix these positions, they will be in a much better place, and will be primed for a Super Bowl run.

  • Green Bay Packers vs The Caroline Panthers: Everything You Need to Know.

    On Sunday, November 2, The Packers play the Carolina Panthers. Here is everything you should know going into the matchup.

    Injuries

    For the Packers, they have a few key pieces that could miss the game. Offensive lineman Zach Tom has been dealing with a back injury for the majority of the season, and he is expected to miss the game against the Panthers. In addition, defensive lineman Lucas Van Ness is out with a foot injury and receiver Dontavion Wicks is out with a calf injury.

    The Panthers are also out with some key injuries. Two weeks ago, quarterback Bryce Young went down with an ankle injury, and there is no word on whether or not he will be able to return on Sunday. Along with Young, the Panthers lost a plethora of important players during their game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, including center Cade Mays, who was already stepping in for starting center Austin Corbett who was injured earlier this season, as well as Taylor Moton, Brady Christensen, Jimmy Horn Jr., Trevin Wallace, and Derrick Brown. Notably, Horn had to be carted off the field during the Bills game, and there is no word on whether any of these players will see time on Sunday against the Packers.

    Betting Odds

    Currently on FanDuel, the Panthers are the second biggest underdog of the week on Fanduel, with the Packers favored at -12.5 points. The home field advantage for the Packers has given them an additional three points in the odds. Here are the full stats:

    Spread

    Panthers: +12..5 (-110)

    Packers: -12.5 (-110)

    O/U

    44.5 (-102/-120)

    Moneyline

    Panthers: +590

    Packers: -850

  • Packers Tough Loss to the Browns

    On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers lost a tough game to the Browns 13-10. a team that had gone 0-2 before the game and are generally seen as one of the worst teams in the NFL. After such a loss, questions have risen on whether or not the Packers are Super Bowl contenders. In their first two games, the Packers beat two teams that both made the playoffs last year, but losing to a team like the Browns has complicated things.

  • Recap: Packers Beat Commanders 27-18

    On Thursday, September 11, the Green Bay Packers beat the Washington Commanders 27-18. Here is a recap of some of the biggest plays of the game that led to the Packers win.

    On the Green Bay 23 yard line, with 6 minutes and 47 seconds left to go in the first quarter, Jordan Love threw a 57 yard pass to Tucker Kraft, moving the Packers all the way to the Commanders 20 yard line.

    With 4 minutes and 35 seconds left in the first quarter, Jordan Love threw a five yard pass to the right to Romeo Doubs to put the Packers up 7-0.

    With 10 minutes and 58 seconds left to go in the second quarter, Jordan Love threw a 37 yard pass to Malik Heath on the lleft, taking the Packers all the way to the Commanders’ 43 yard line.

    With 10 minutes and 1 second left, Jordan Love threw a 17 yard pass down the middle to Romeo Doubs, moving down to the 23 yard line.

    With 8 minutes and 43 seconds left in the second quarter, on the Commanders’ 24 yard line, Jordan Love threw a 17 yard pass to the right to Tucker Kraft, moving the Packers to the 7 yard line.

    With 7 minutes and 38 seconds left to go in the second quarter, on the Commanders’ 2 yard line, Josh Jacobs ran two yards to the left to score a touchdown for the Packers, putting the Packers up 14-0.

    With 12 minutes and 13 seconds left to go in the third quarter, on the Packers’ 24 yard line on 3rd and three, Jayden Daniels got sacked for a ten yard loss by Micah Parsons and Edgerrin Cooper, leading to a 4th and 13 and a missed field goal from Washington.

    On 4th and goal on the Commanders 4 yard line, with 6 minutes and 40 seconds to go in the third quarter, Brandon McManus makes a 22 yard field goal, putting the Packers up 17-3.

    On 1st and goal on the Commanders’ 8 yard line, with 9 minutes and 1 second left in the fourth quarter, Jordan Love threw an 8 yard pass to the right to Tucker Kraft for a touchdown, putting the Packers up 24-10.

    With 6 minutes and 47 seconds left in the fourth quarter on 4th and 8, on the Commanders’ 38 yard line, Brandon McManus made a 56 yard field goal to put the Packers up 27-10.

    That field goal was the last score of the game for the Packers. The Commanders scored another touchdown and a two poiint conversion late in the game to make it 27-18, but ultimately it was not enough, and the Packers left the game with a win.

  • Why the Micah Parsons Contract Isn’t as Bad as People Think

    On August 28, the Green Bay Packers made a big move, trading Kenny Clark and two first round picks to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Micah Parsons. One day after the trade, the Packers secured Micah Parsons, signing him to a 4 year, $186 million contract, which made Parsons the highest paid non quarterback in the NFL. It is a big contract, but with the way the contract is structured, it will not have a big impact on the Green Bay Packer’s cap space for the first two seasons.

    For every NFL team, there is a salary cap. Each team gets the same amount of money, and every NFL is not allowed to go over the cap. For 2025, each NFL team has a $279.2 million salary cap. Each team has to use that amount of money to construct the roster. With Micah Parsons contract, it would seem his contract would eat up a large chunk of the salary cap for the Packers, but with the construction of the contract, the Packers have managed to make sure it will not be a problem for the first two years. That is because the Packers have structured the contract so that they do not pay the brunt of the contract for Micah Parsons until the last two years of the contract. For his first year as a Packer, Micah Parsons only has a base salary of $1.17 million according to Spotrac, and his cap hit for the Packers will only be 3.57%. That is not even in the top 5 cap hits for the Packers in 2025, with Jordan Love having a cap hit of 10.63%, Rashan Gary having a cap hit of 9.23%, Xavier McKinney having a cap hit of 6.39%, Elgton Jenkins having a cap hit of 6.30%, and Josh Jacobs having a cap hit of 4.06%. Here is what Micah Parsons cap hit looks like on the Green Bay Packers total cap.

    This shows that, even with the massive contract, Parsons contract still leaves the Packers with 96.4% of their cap to allocate to the other players on the roster, as well as giving the team time to make the necessary preparations to prepare for the contract to have a massive hit on the cap in the coming years, as it rises from 3.57% in 2025 to 11.38% in 2028, and a possible 18.05% in 2029. The way the Packers structured the contract gives the team time to focus on winning for now, allows them to restructure deals, and gives them the wiggle room and ability to bring in additional players now while still having money for the future.