ESPN Analyst Makes Eye-Raising Prediction About the Packers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Felipe Reis Aceti | Last updated May 29, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Green Bay Packers have been a remarkably consistent football team under head coach Matt LaFleur, particularly in the regular season. LaFleur guided the team to three consecutive 13-win campaigns, securing back-to-back No. 1 seeds in the NFC. During that span, the Packers fell just one game short of the Super Bowl twice.

Even after the 2023 trade that sent future first-ballot Hall of Famer QB Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, Matt LaFleur kept his offense productive under first-year starter Jordan Love. That season, the Packers became the youngest team to reach the postseason since the 1970s. Notably, they entered the following year as the league’s youngest team once again—and still secured another playoff berth.

Green Bay brought in reinforcements this offseason across the receiving corps, offensive line, and defensive front. They won 11 games last year and have the talent to transition from a good team into a great one. Still, ESPN's Ben Solak has a bold prediction about how the 2025 season will unfold for the Packers.

"The Packers will miss the playoffs," Solak wrote.

"I think two of the biggest nonnegotiables for playoff teams are having a pass rush and a dominant receiver," he added. "The Packers definitely don't have the first and still might not have the second, even after drafting Matthew Golden in Round 1. They were plus-12 in turnover differential last season, which ranked third in the NFL, but that tends not to be a sticky number. (I am also looking at the plus-24 Bills with supreme suspicion.)"

The Packers have the fifth-hardest schedule in 2025, making it a challenge to return to the playoffs. Solak cites the lack of a true No. 1 receiver and a pass rush as reasons Green Bay may miss the playoffs. Yet, the Packers made the postseason last year without a true No. 1 receiver—and with a pass rush that ranked just 27th in win rate. So, while those things are not ideal, Green Bay’s coaching staff has proven they can stay competitive despite those issues.

Green Bay has made the postseason in five of Matt LaFleur’s six seasons as head coach. The only time they fell short, they were just one win away from clinching a spot. Still, the NFL is unpredictable, and injuries—especially a long-term one to Jordan Love—could drastically affect the Packers' playoff hopes. Even so, fans have more reason to be optimistic that Green Bay can find its way back to the postseason rather than fall short for just the second time in seven years.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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