The Green Bay Packers youth movement has been an interesting roller coaster ride. While the rookies and second-year players have shown great promise, they have also made some extremely frustrating plays that have led to losses. In his press conference on Wednesday, GM Brian Gutekunst expressed the importance of “scars” for young players in the NFL.
Brian Gutekunst says youth isn't excuse at this point in season, but young players need "scars" in NFL: "We haven't had the results that we've wanted. We'd like the results to come fast — don't get me wrong — but at the same time the things they're going through are important."
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) November 1, 2023
Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst: Young Players Need “Scars”
There is sure no shortage of scars happening right now for this young team. Outside of a couple of games, the team has had a shot to win the game at the end and couldn’t come through. Gutekunst shared the sentiment of wishing the results would happen faster but acknowledged that we cannot rush anything.
“We haven’t had the results that we’ve wanted. We’d like the results to come fast — don’t get me wrong — but at the same time the things they’re going through are important.”
The hope is that the struggles now lead to success later. This team does have a unique opportunity to gel and possibly be a force in a couple of years. However, it is just as likely that players do not pan out and all of a sudden the team is stuck in the hamster wheel of mediocrity that plagues so many teams.
Careful With Scars
There are scars and then there are devastating stretches that kill the confidence of younger players. It is a delicate balance to keep. The Packers need to show improvement in the back half of 2023. That starts with coaching. Matt LaFleur and his staff have to get the players to be a functional offense. Mistakes can happen but they have to be corrected. It cannot be week 17 and players are still running incorrect routes and committing dumb penalties. Scars are good but confidence building is more important.
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
The season isn’t over for the Green Bay Packers. While the playoffs are unlikely, if the team shows measurable improvement the season can still be a success.
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