Packers improved special teams unit has several key free agents

Prior to the 2022 season beginning, GM Brian Gutekunst discussed how not only was bringing in Rich Bisaccia part of the Green Bay Packers’ plans to turn the special teams unit around but that he also prioritized signing several special teams-specific free agents. While this sounds simple, this wasn’t common practice for the Packers in previous seasons — and it showed — as Gutey prioritized potential offensive or defensive contributions when making additions.

This new approach ended up having a massive impact on the Packers’ special teams play. By year-end, Green Bay’s special teams unit was ranked 17th in the NFL by DVOA. So over the course of the season, they certainly weren’t the best, but they were a far cry from the 2021 unit that we saw.

However, as we look ahead to the 2023 offseason, several of the Packers’ key special teams contributors are now set to become free agents.

Dallin Leavitt finished second on the Packers in special teams snaps, according to PFF, and filled a variety of roles. Aaron Rodgers would also mention Leavitt a few times throughout the season for the leadership role he had taken on in the locker room.

Eric Wilson didn’t join the Packers until early October after being signed off the New Orleans practice squad, but he still managed to lead Green Bay in special teams tackles. Rudy Ford, meanwhile, was a key member of the punt coverage unit as a flier before taking on a larger role on defense.

Lastly, Keisean Nixon ended up being an All-Pro kick returner, as the only return man with over 1,000 return yards, while having the fifth-best average, along with a touchdown. Nixon was literally a game-changer for this Packers team, giving an up-and-down offense much some much better-starting field position on a regular basis during that second half of the season. Along with his contributions as a return man, Nixon played nearly 300 defensive snaps and was a flier before becoming a regular contributor on defense and the kick return team.

"“I really like what we did as a teams unit this year,” said Brian Gutekunst via Packers.com when asked about his new approach. “I got a lot of respect for Rich (Bisaccia) and how he goes about things. I think the thing I liked the most was the play style of those guys. Not only the effort and intensity but the pride they took in it. Our cover teams were as good as they’ve been here in a long time. The way we approached it was a little different from a roster-building perspective, and I think that will continue.”"

Not surprisingly, given the results, Gutekunst plans to build the 2023 special teams unit in a similar fashion, which should mean several, if not all, of the players previously mentioned will be back.

The potential issue that the Packers face is that there once again won’t be a ton of salary cap space available, in part due to there being several big contracts on the books and few ways to create significant cap space. Ensuring that Green Bay has quality special teams plays will be important, but so will rounding out this roster on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

I can’t imagine that Nixon won’t be back after the impact that he had, and Ford’s return is up there as well because, in addition to his contributions on special teams, the Packers are very thin at the safety position on defense. As for Wilson and Leavitt, neither should break the bank, with both earning around $1 million in 2022.

Along with Bisaccia’s tutelage and the impact of these free agents, the development of some of the younger players throughout the year were factors in Green Bay’s special teams turnaround as well. Tyler Davis, Tariq Carpenter, and Isaiah McDuffie were some of the Packers’ most impactful special teams players.