If you were watching the 2016 NFC Championship game, you probably remember a specific image. It’s a 6-foot-2 cornerback wearing number 36, trailing desperately behind Julio Jones as the Falcons star galloped 73 yards for a touchdown. That cornerback was Ladarius Gunter.
For many casual fans, that single, painful highlight defines his entire career. It shouldn't.
Honestly, the story of Ladarius Gunter with the Green Bay Packers is one of the most bizarre "next man up" sagas in modern NFL history. It’s a tale of an undrafted kid from Miami who was never supposed to be a CB1, yet found himself tasked with guarding the best wide receivers on the planet because an entire secondary collapsed around him.
The UDFA Who Forced His Way Onto the Roster
Gunter didn't have the "typical" NFL pedigree. He didn't get drafted in 2015. Why? Because he ran a 4.69-second 40-yard dash. In the world of NFL scouts, that’s basically running in quicksand for a cornerback.
But Gunter had something else: size and "Miami grit." Standing over 6-foot-1 with long arms, he was a physical nightmare at the line of scrimmage. During his first training camp in Green Bay, he wasn't just a body; he was a problem for veteran receivers like Jordy Nelson. He didn't care about his 40-time. He just jammed people.
He played mostly special teams as a rookie in 2015, but by 2016, the Packers' cornerback room looked like a hospital ward. Sam Shields suffered a career-ending concussion in Week 1. Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins were battling nagging injuries. Suddenly, the undrafted kid with the slow 40-time was the only healthy body left.
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The 2016 Season: A Trial by Fire
The 2016 season was a wild ride for the Green Bay Packers. They started 4-6, then Aaron Rodgers "ran the table" to finish 10-6. Through that entire stretch, Ladarius Gunter was essentially the team's top cornerback.
Think about that for a second.
A guy who was the 6th stringer in August was suddenly shadow-matching Odell Beckham Jr. in the Wild Card round. And here’s the thing people forget: Gunter actually won that matchup. He held OBJ to just 28 yards on four catches. He was physical, he was annoying, and he helped the Packers advance.
Then came the Divisional round against the Cowboys. Gunter was tasked with Dez Bryant. While Dez got his yards, Gunter competed. He didn't back down. He was a primary reason the "Run the Table" era even happened. He led the team in defensive snaps (over 1,000 including playoffs) and passes defensed (12).
The Julio Jones Disaster
Then came Atlanta.
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The NFC Championship was a mismatch from the first snap. The Packers' defense was gassed, injured, and frankly, outclassed. Ladarius Gunter, a guy who wins by being physical at the line, was left on an island against Julio Jones—arguably the most physically dominant receiver of that decade.
When you leave a 4.69 corner alone with a 4.39 receiver who has a 10-yard head start, you know how it ends. Julio finished with 180 yards and two touchdowns. The national media used Gunter as a scapegoat, but the reality was simpler: he was a limited player asked to do an impossible job.
Life After Green Bay
NFL careers move fast. By 2017, the Packers’ secondary was getting healthy, and they drafted Kevin King. Gunter, despite his heavy usage the year prior, was suddenly the odd man out.
The Packers waived him on September 12, 2017.
He was claimed by the Carolina Panthers, where he spent most of the season on special teams. He appeared in four games but recorded no stats. By 2018, he was out of the league. He tried to make a comeback in the spring leagues—joining the Orlando Apollos of the AAF in 2019 and the DC Defenders of the XFL in 2020—but those leagues either folded or he was released before the season really took off.
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Why Gunter Still Matters to Packers History
It’s easy to joke about the "Gunter vs. Julio" matchup. It’s much harder to acknowledge that without Gunter, the 2016 Packers likely don't make the playoffs at all.
He was a classic "overachiever." He was a player who maximized every ounce of his physical ability until he hit a wall that no amount of grit could overcome. He finished his NFL career with:
- 29 regular-season games played
- 15 starts
- 56 total tackles
- 12 passes defensed
- 2 forced fumbles
He never caught an interception in a regular-season game, which is a weird stat for a guy who started 15 games in one year. But he was always there.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
When looking back at players like Ladarius Gunter, there are a few things to keep in mind about how NFL rosters are built and evaluated.
- Don't overvalue the 40-yard dash: Gunter proved you can be a starting-caliber NFL corner with sub-par speed, provided you have the length and technique to win at the line. His success against Odell Beckham Jr. is proof of that.
- The "Usage Trap": Sometimes, a player’s "failure" is actually a coaching failure. Putting a physical, press-heavy corner in a deep-zone or man-to-man island against a burner is a recipe for disaster.
- UDFA Value: The Packers have a long history of finding UDFAs like Gunter and Sam Shields. Even if they don't become Hall of Famers, these players provide the "middle-class" depth that allows teams to survive injury crises.
Gunter’s career was short, but for one snowy winter in Wisconsin, he was the only thing standing between the Packers' defense and total collapse. He might have lost the battle against Julio Jones, but he won the respect of a locker room that desperately needed someone to just show up and play.
If you're ever looking through old Packers highlights and see #36 getting beat deep, just remember: he was only in that position because he was the only one brave enough—or healthy enough—to take the assignment.
Next Step: You can look up the 2016 Packers vs. Giants Wild Card highlights to see Gunter's best professional performance, where he essentially erased Odell Beckham Jr. from the game plan.