Is A Trade For A WR the Best Way For Gutekunst To Back Up His Word?

Rare are the Earth-shattering moves in free agency for the Green Bay Packers. Even rarer is the Packers getting involved in a big trade where they are the ones making the acquisition.

General manager Brian Gutekunst has a chance to back up his word this go-around with a trade for D.K. Metcalf — or the addition of any star wide receiver.

Those were the words uttered by Gutekunst

It was noteworthy if for no other reason than Gutekunst rarely speaks about a sense of urgency. He has always had a calming presence in his pressers. Typically at the end-of-year press conferences, Gutekunst will talk about the season that was, how they can get better, and how optimistic they are about the future.

Speaking about a sense of urgency would indicate that Gutekunst is ready to pounce on an out-of-character deal that could put Green Bay over the top.

Wide receiver is a problem need this team has to solve. Nobody has emerged as the top threat, and Christian Watson is going to miss a significant part of the 2025 season.

Look at Philadelphia last year.

The move to snag Saquon Barkley took the Eagles’ offense to a completely different level. Barkley was the best player on Philadelphia's offense, even in the MVP conversation (hard to do as a running back). They leaned on him all the way to the finish line in New Orleans.

Bringing in Kellen Moore as the offensive coordinator helped a ton. Getting Vic Fangio to take over the defense helped immensely. Still, the move to get Barkley was what separated the Eagles.

Green Bay has a lot of boxes checked off. Wide receiver is not one of them.

Metcalf's name popped up at the NFL Combine when it was reported (and later rebutted) that the Packers had conversations with Seattle about a trade, and by one account, had pieced together an offer.

Even if that report wasn't accurate, that is the type of move Green Bay can make this offseason for Gutekunst to back his word. Getting a Metcalf or a Davante Adams is the splash Green Bay needs to make.

Quarterback Jordan Love had his fair share of struggles in 2024 and among them was one out of his control. He never had a go-to receiver, a guy he could rely on to get separation consistently in the must-have downs and in the critical moments.

Having a WR committee is fun and can be unpredictable enough that a defense is guessing more than they would like to. The glaring disadvantage is what the Packers saw, where nobody in the bunch separated themselves from the rest of the group.

Green Bay can change that this offseason if Gutekunst shows the urgency he speaks of.

In January, Gutekunst pivoted from the norm and instead adopted the voice of a general manager who believes the roster he has helped put in place should compete for championships starting in 2025. The urgency Gutekunst spoke of shines a light on a front office that is tired of early exits in the playoffs and not thrilled with going 15 years without a Super Bowl appearance.

The Packers have come close and believe they have a roster that is right there. The urgency ramping up is good and quite frankly, something Packers fans have pushed for in recent seasons. Green Bay has come so close — four NFC Championship appearances since their last Super Bowl showing, but always coming up just short.

It was shocking, in a sense, to see the Packers make not one tidal-wave move in free agency last year but two when they signed safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs.

Green Bay has lived on the margins for years, a philosophy within the franchise to draft and develop its own talent and add here and there in free agency. Those two moves in 2024 weren't "living on the margins" moves and both paid off handsomely in 2025. Gutekunst needs to go back to the well.

What's out there is the chance to add a receiver who immediately becomes the best pass-catcher the team has. What's out there is the opportunity to take the offense from really good to downright dangerous.

For the first time in a long time, the Packers are going about business more aggressively. They showed it last year by backing up the Brinks truck for McKinney and Jacobs. This offseason presents another challenge, but one that can be met by getting a big upgrade at wide receiver.