The 2017 NFL season was supposed to be the "run the table" sequel. Instead, it became a cold bucket of water for a franchise that had grown used to the playoffs being a birthright. If you look closely at the Green Bay Packers roster 2017, you see a team built on a house of cards. It was a roster top-heavy with elite talent but dangerously thin in the places that actually matter when things go sideways. And boy, did things go sideways.
Aaron Rodgers was playing at a supernova level before Anthony Barr drove him into the turf at U.S. Bank Stadium. That hit broke a collarbone and, honestly, it broke the illusion that the Packers were a well-rounded football team. Without #12, the roster's flaws were exposed like a raw nerve.
The Quarterback Room: Life After Aaron
When Rodgers went down in Week 6, the keys to the kingdom were handed to Brett Hundley. Now, Hundley had been in the system for three years. The coaching staff talked him up. Fans wanted to believe. But the reality was stark. Hundley struggled with pocket presence and downfield accuracy, finishing the year with 9 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. It was a brutal wake-up call. Behind him sat Joe Callahan, an undrafted guy from Wesley College who was a preseason fan favorite but never a viable NFL starter.
This specific gap in the Green Bay Packers roster 2017 highlighted a massive failure in player development. For years, the Packers thrived by grooming backups. Think Matt Hasselbeck or Mark Brunell. By 2017, that pipeline had dried up. The drop-off from MVP-level play to "just trying to survive the first quarter" was too steep for Mike McCarthy to coach around.
A Backfield in Transition
The running game was actually one of the few bright spots, though it was chaotic. Ty Montgomery started the year as the "converted wide receiver" experiment. It worked... until it didn't. He had some flashes, but his body just wasn't built for the 20-carry-a-game grind.
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Then came the rookies.
Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones. Looking back, it’s wild to think that Aaron Jones—a future superstar—was a fifth-round pick who couldn't stay on the field because of pass protection concerns early on. Williams was the hammer, the guy who would get you three yards when you needed two. He finished the season with 558 rushing yards. Jones showed the lightning, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. If the Green Bay Packers roster 2017 had utilized these two more effectively while Rodgers was healthy, maybe the offense wouldn't have been so predictable.
The Wide Receiver Decline
Jordy Nelson was the soul of that offense. But 2017 was the year the wheels started to wobble. He was 32. He had lost that half-step of separation that made his back-shoulder fades with Rodgers unstoppable. Once Rodgers went down, Jordy’s production plummeted. He didn’t catch a single touchdown pass from Hundley. Not one.
Davante Adams, however, officially ascended. He was the only guy consistently winning his matchups. He hauled in 10 touchdowns and proved he was a true WR1. Then you had Randall Cobb, who was still reliable in the slot but was starting to deal with the nagging injuries that would define the later part of his career. The depth behind them? Geronimo Allison and Trevor Davis. It wasn't exactly the "Deep Threat" corps of 2011.
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Defense: The Dom Capers Breaking Point
We have to talk about the defense. It’s unavoidable. The 2017 defensive unit was ranked 22nd in yards and 26th in points allowed. Dom Capers' system had become legendary for its complexity, but by 2017, it mostly felt confused.
The secondary was a revolving door. Kevin King was the prized rookie, a tall corner intended to stop the Julio Joneses of the world. But he was playing with shoulders that were basically held together by tape and prayers. He eventually landed on IR. Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins—two former high picks—were struggling. Randall actually got sent to the locker room during a game against the Bears after a sideline argument. That’s how much tension was in the air.
On the edge, Clay Matthews and Nick Perry were the high-priced anchors. Matthews was still productive, leading the team with 7.5 sacks, but he wasn't the game-wrecker he was in 2010. Perry was dealing with his usual assortment of hand and foot injuries. The Green Bay Packers roster 2017 lacked a consistent interior pass rush, putting way too much pressure on a secondary that was already outclassed.
Blake Martinez and the Iron Man Season
One guy who doesn't get enough credit for that year is Blake Martinez. He was a tackling machine. He finished the season tied for the NFL lead in tackles with 144. Critics said he made a lot of those tackles five yards downfield, which is fair, but he was the glue holding a very mediocre middle together. Alongside him, Jake Ryan was a stout run-stuffer but a liability in coverage.
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Special Teams and the "Old Reliable"
Mason Crosby remained the one constant. In a season where everything felt like it was burning down, Crosby was 15-of-19 on field goals. It wasn't his flashiest year, but he wasn't the problem. The punting situation with Justin Vogel was actually decent; he set a franchise record for net punting average at the time. Small wins.
Why It Matters Now
The Green Bay Packers roster 2017 serves as a case study in why "Draft and Develop" only works if you actually hit on the picks. Ted Thompson’s final years as GM were marked by misses in the early rounds—specifically on defense. When you miss on defensive backs in three consecutive drafts, you end up with the 2017 season.
It led to a massive house cleaning. Thompson moved to an advisory role. Brian Gutekunst took over. Dom Capers was fired. It was the end of an era of stability and the start of a desperate scramble to maximize the rest of Rodgers' prime.
Key Lessons from the 2017 Roster
- Quarterback depth is insurance you hope you never use, but you have to pay the premium. Relying on a project like Hundley without a veteran presence was a gamble that failed.
- The transition from a legendary WR1 (Jordy) to the next (Davante) is rarely seamless. There was a painful gap where the offense looked stagnant.
- Schematic complexity can't mask a lack of speed. The 2017 defense was consistently slower than the offenses they faced in the NFC North.
If you’re looking back at this season, don't just see the 7-9 record. See the blueprint of what happens when a franchise relies too heavily on one man to cover up systemic cracks in the roster. It’s a reminder that even a Hall of Fame quarterback can’t win when the foundation is made of sand.
To truly understand how the current Packers' philosophy changed, compare this 2017 group to the 2019 or 2023 rosters. You’ll see a much higher priority on defensive athleticism and veteran depth in the secondary—lessons learned the hard way in a season Packers fans would mostly like to forget. Check the official NFL archives or Pro Football Reference to see the game-by-game breakdown of just how much the defensive EPA (Expected Points Added) tanked in the final four weeks of that year. It’s a sobering look at a team that simply ran out of gas.