NFL owners meetings promise first comments on Packers’ offseason moves
The NFL owners meetings have provided a platform for Packers officials to comment on free-agent comings and goings.
GREEN BAY – Three years ago, when the Green Bay Packers were embroiled in their Aaron Rodgers trade saga , the standoff came to a head at the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix. General manager Brian Gutekunst still was a month from trading the future Hall of Fame quarterback to the New York Jets. After weeks of failing to reach Rodgers, who later quipped at his introductory news conference in New York he answered only FaceTime calls , Gutekunst updated his hungry fan base with news that swept across the NFL.
One year earlier, the owners meetings were Gutekunst’s first opportunity to publicly chart a new path forward after trading receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders . In 2024, the Packers general manager used the owners meetings to explain his decision for swapping running back Aaron Jones for Josh Jacobs . Roster tumult has been much calmer for the Packers this spring, though not without change after trading for linebacker Zaire Franklin and signing defensive tackle Javon Hargrave .
The upcoming owners meetings, which will be held early next week in Phoenix, still stand as a tentpole event on the NFL’s offseason calendar. It will be the first time coach Matt LaFleur addresses his decision to hire Jonathan Gannon as Jeff Hafley’s replacement at defensive coordinator, not to mention the days following last year’s playoff loss in Chicago that led to his extension. Gutekunst, much more active in free agency than predecessor Ted Thompson, will provide his general thoughts on how the spring acquisition period affected his roster.
Which is why the owners meetings have been so important to the ebbs and flows of the NFL offseason. For decades, the NFL scouting combine has been a significant milestone in the offseason not only for the testing on incoming draft prospects, but because the entire league gathers within a couple city blocks at the same time. Whether in Phoenix or south Florida, an alternating host spot, the owners meetings provide the same setup.