For the third season in a row, the Green Bay Packers had the youngest roster in the NFL in 2025.
The Packers opened last season with an average age of 25.23, with only four players older than 29, by far the lowest number in the league. On one hand, football is a young man's game, and the Packers have consistently done a very good job replacing aging players with young talent through the draft.
On the other hand, some have criticized the Packers for not prioritizing experience and veteran competence. As Packers Notes' Michael Rodney pointed out on X, many fans have criticized Brian Gutekunst for the team's lack of veteran players after Green Bay "choked away" close wins that cost them the season.
So far in the offseason, the Packers' front office has clearly prioritized this concern. That's especially true on the defensive side of the ball, where Green Bay added three older players: linebacker Zaire Franklin, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste.
The average age of these three additions is 30.6, increasing the roster's average age while giving head coach Matt LaFleur's squad the veteran leadership it desperately needed.
Packers Add Much-Needed Experience to Help Fix End-of-Game Issues
Whether the influx of veteran names is a good thing, however, remains to be seen.
The Packers have seen a lot of talent leave the door this spring without adequate replacements. Younger players who are in their primes, like Romeo Doubs, Quay Walker, and Malik Willis, left over the last week. Although they weren't perfect, replacing youth is never easy.
Experience is important for a team with Super Bowl aspirations; however, that doesn't mean teams should overpay for help.
The Packers gave Hargrave a two-year, $23 million contract in free agency. For a player whose best is behind him, this may be a bit too much. Due to the lack of defensive tackle options in free agency, teams saw the market dry very quickly. To avoid being left without an adequate option in an important area of need, the Packers broke the bank for the 33-year-old Hargrave.
The Packers' disastrous fourth-quarter collapse against the Bears will haunt the fans for a long time. Green Bay indeed coughed up more leads than your average team, and how much of this was due to a roster being too young is still unclear.
Let's hope that general manager Brian Gutekunst & Co.'s choice to add more leaders to the locker room will pay off. While having more experienced voices will help, it won't matter much if those additions don't positively impact the on-field product, leaving time to tell how things will play out.