If you just looked at the final scoreboard of the 31-27 Wild Card loss to the Chicago Bears, you’d probably think the Green Bay Packers rank among the league's "almost" teams. You know the type. Good enough to get an invite to the dance, but destined to leave before the slow songs start. But looking at a 9-7-1 record and a first-round exit doesn't actually tell you the story of how weirdly talented—and deeply flawed—this 2025-2026 squad actually was.
Honestly, being a Packers fan right now feels like a constant state of whiplash. One week you’re convinced Jordan Love is the second coming of Brett Favre (the good parts), and the next you’re wondering why the defense looks like they’re playing on ice skates. It’s a roller coaster.
The Reality of the Green Bay Packers Rank Right Now
So, where do they actually sit? Depending on who you ask, the Green Bay Packers rank is either "top-tier sleeper" or "fragile contender."
Most national outlets, like Sports Illustrated and NFL.com, settled on putting them at No. 12 or 13 heading into the postseason. That feels about right. They weren't the juggernaut Seattle Seahawks (14-3) or the surprisingly disciplined Denver Broncos, but they weren't the "just happy to be here" 8-9 Carolina Panthers either. They were the No. 7 seed in the NFC for a reason. They earned it, but they didn't exactly kick the door down to get it.
The season ended on a brutal four-game skid. That’s the elephant in the room. You can’t drop four in a row in December and January and expect the pundits to give you a high grade. By the time they hit Soldier Field for that rubber match against Caleb Williams and the Bears, the vibe had shifted from "dark horse Super Bowl pick" to "can they please just stop the run?"
Jordan Love is basically that guy
Let’s talk about No. 10. Jordan Love finished the regular season with 3,381 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions. Those are "elite efficiency" numbers. His 66.3% completion rate shows he’s moved past the spray-and-pray accuracy issues of his early starts.
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In that Wild Card game, Love was dealing. He went 24-of-46 for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns. A 103.8 passer rating in a playoff loss is honestly kind of tragic. He did everything he was supposed to do, including hitting Romeo Doubs for a 1-yard TD to go up 21-3 in the first half.
The problem? The offense went into a coma in the third quarter. Four possessions, one first down. That’s where the "rank" takes a hit. Great teams finish. The Packers, at least in 2025, tended to flicker.
Why the Defense Fell Off a Cliff
If you want to know why the Green Bay Packers rank plummeted in the final month, look at the Micah Parsons trade. It was the "all-in" move Brian Gutekunst made to fix the pass rush.
For most of the season, it worked. Parsons was a First-Team All-Pro. He changed the gravity of the field. But when he went down with that knee injury in Week 15? The house of cards collapsed.
- Run Defense: They gave up 307 rushing yards to the Ravens. Then they got bullied by the Bears.
- The "No Punt" Stat: This is wild—the Packers were involved in three games this year where a team didn't punt. They lost all three.
- DVOA: While the offense ranked 6th in DVOA (mostly thanks to Love’s efficiency), the defense finished 19th.
Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 scheme was supposed to be aggressive. And it was, for a while. But without a generational talent like Parsons to mask the holes in the secondary, the "bend-but-don't-break" philosophy just turned into "break immediately."
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The late-season collapse wasn't just bad luck. It was a lack of depth. When you trade the farm for a superstar, you better hope that superstar stays healthy.
The Matt LaFleur Paradox
Is Matt LaFleur a "Malik Willis whisperer" or a coach on the hot seat? It depends on which corner of the internet you’re scrolling through.
LaFleur has a .654 winning percentage. That’s 16th-best in the history of the NFL for coaches with 50+ games. Better than several Hall of Famers. But the "what have you done for me lately" crowd is loud in Green Bay. Losing to the Bears in the playoffs—especially after leading by 18 points—is the kind of thing that makes fans want to change the locks at Lambeau.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think this team is old because of the "Packers tradition," but they’re still one of the youngest rosters in the league. Josh Jacobs brought a veteran presence, but the heart of this team is Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, and Luke Musgrave.
The Green Bay Packers rank is often held back by their inability to play a complete 60 minutes. They are the kings of the "great first half, disastrous second half."
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You saw it against Dallas (the 40-40 tie, which was just peak 2025 weirdness) and you saw it in the playoffs. They have the talent to be a top-5 team. They have the consistency of a mid-tier replacement.
Actionable Insights for the Offseason
If Green Bay wants to climb into the top 5 of the 2026 power rankings, they can't just run it back. Here is the blueprint.
First, they have to figure out the Micah Parsons situation. Is he the long-term pillar, or did they sacrifice too much depth for a guy who might struggle with health? They need a secondary pass rush that doesn't disappear when the star is off the field.
Second, the offensive line needs a legitimate mean streak. Love was sacked 29 times this year. While that's not a catastrophic number, the pressure in the second half of games was what killed their rhythm.
Third, and this is the hard part, LaFleur has to evolve his play-calling when he’s ahead. The "playing not to lose" vibe in the third quarter of the Bears game was palpable. You have Jordan Love. Trust him.
The Green Bay Packers rank is currently stuck in the "Good but not Great" tier. Breaking out of that requires more than just a healthy roster—it requires a shift in the team's late-game identity. Expect them to be aggressive in the draft for defensive depth and perhaps another veteran presence in the secondary to help Xavier McKinney.
They aren't far off. But in the NFL, the gap between the 12th best team and the 1st best team is a canyon that many never cross.