5 Packers Leaving Green Bay in the New Year
The 2023 season for the Green Bay Packers was all about the transition at quarterback. Luckily, Jordan Love looks more than capable of carrying the torch from the great QBs who came before him, which makes Green Bay’s future promising.
Heading into 2024, it’ll now be about maximizing this roster to return to contention. As a result, there’ll be several goodbyes in the new year, some painful and some welcomed for various reasons.
With that in mind, here are the five most likely Packers who will be gone in the new year.
Packers Most Likely Gone in 2024
1. Joe Barry
Green Bay’s regular season will officially wrap up one week into 2024, assuming they don’t make the playoffs. That means the team will instantly switch into offseason mode, which brings with it consideration of both personnel and coaching staff changes -- and the past year has made it abundantly clear it’s time to show defensive coordinator Joe Barry the door.
Barry’s unit, despite boasting several talented playmakers, continues to be a major liability. And when players across the board aren’t performing up to standards, that speaks to an issue at the top.
After a disappointing 2022 campaign, the Packers’ defense has gotten even worse, as they currently rank No. 10 in yards allowed. They’re also headed for their second straight season placing in the bottom 10 for defensive DVOA, with this year’s group being third-worst in the entire league.
Just look at the way Barry’s defense has performed in the biggest stretch of the year. They let the New York Giants run all over them during a 24-22 loss in Week 13, then Baker Mayfield picked apart the secondary to the tune of 381 yards and four passing touchdowns the following game. That's not even to mention Week 16, where the hapless Carolina Panthers' offense suddenly looked electric versus Barry's scheme.
Love’s immediate production under center gave this team a chance to make the playoffs. In fact, they’d probably be postseason-bound if it wasn’t for Barry’s utilization of his group. The lack of execution here in the most important part of the season simply can’t be allowed to stand.
If LaFleur doesn’t make a change at DC, he’s putting his own job on the line in 2024.