When the Green Bay Packers traded Aaron Rodgers last offseason, there were not many people who gave them much of a chance of competing in 2023 or anytime in the near future. Jordan Love was an unproven risk at the quarterback position and the Packers’ offense looked worse in 2022 than it had in any season of the Matt LaFleur era. For a while, the only people who believed in the Packers were the players themselves.
For the first half of the season, though, it seemed like the doubters may have been right. The Packers started 2-5 while Love and the offense looked rough. However, the more they played together, the better they got. Green Bay ended the year 7-3 and clinched the seventh and final spot in the NFC Playoffs, a feat that the 2022 Packers led by Aaron Rodgers failed to achieve. Furthermore, Love and the Packers went on to upset the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round before falling to the eventual NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
As heartbreaking as the loss to San Francisco was (the Packers had the lead going into the fourth quarter), very few losses had players, fans, and media personalities alike feeling as positive about Green Bay as they did. Sure, they may have lost, but they had the 49ers on the ropes. A more experienced team (the Packers were the youngest team in the NFL) probably would win that game.
Indeed, the future sure is bright for Love and the Packers, and one of their best players, two-time Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins, put the NFL on notice in his most recent interview.
Elgton Jenkins Says the Green Bay Packers “Want to Win It All”
In a recent interview with Mike Spofford of packers.com, Jenkins, who predicted that the Packers would win the NFC North this past season, did not back down from his usual confidence. His bold prediction for next season? Super Bowl:
“We’re coming,” Jenkins said. “We’re coming with a purpose. We want to win it all. Feel like we could have done it this year but next year I’m very optimistic.
“We’ve got the guys in the building. We’ve got everything that we need to get it done. We’ve just got to go do it. We set a good foundation this year. We’ve just got to go win.”
It is easy to see that what Jenkins is saying about his team being ready to win is true. The young Packers, as mentioned, went 7-3 in the second half of the season and upset the Cowboys in the Wild Card Round. With a year of experience under their belt, they perhaps find a way to win the Divisional Round game against San Francisco.
In any case, the team will be one to watch next year as their young core just gets better and better.
Elgton Jenkins Has More Praise for Green Bay Packers Quarterback Jordan Love
In addition to his comments about the team overall, Jenkins had the following to say about Jordan Love:
“You always see the poise,” Jenkins said of his quarterback. “I feel like everybody in the huddle can say that we’re confident in the ability that he’s got. So, moving forward, we’ve got to make sure we keep weapons around him, make sure everybody’s doing their job, and we’ll get it done.
“I feel like it’s very special with us moving forward.”
As some fans may remember, these were the exact same sentiments numerous Packers players shared with the media before the 2023 season even started. They knew Love would be good even if the media and some fans had already written him off.
It is interesting to note, too, that Jenkins also extended a bit of a challenge to the front office. “We’ve got to make sure we keep weapons around him” is a direct message to general manager Brian Gutekunst. Love, of course, has plenty of great offensive weapons right now as it is; however, Jenkins is also speaking of the long-term. Keep this team stacked with talented skill players and they will do the rest.
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