For the Green Bay Packers, as with every NFL team, the quarterback is often considered to be the most important player on the field. One just has to look at the seasons in which Aaron Rodgers missed significant time to see that it’s true. When he went down in 2013, the Packers went 2-4-1 without him. In 2017, Green Bay was 3-6 without Rodgers under center.
Obviously, Jordan Love will be a huge factor in the Packers’ success in 2023. However, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic does not believe he is the most important player on the team right now. Instead, he declares that title goes to Rashan Gary.
Why Is Rashan Gary More Valuable to the Green Bay Packers than Jordan Love?
In his article, Schneidman argues that we simply do not know what the drop-off would be from Love to presumed backup Sean Clifford. However, we do know what kind of drop-off there was without Gary on the field:
“What we also know for certain is what the removal of Gary from the lineup does to the Packers’ pass rush. There is that free fall when he’s out, just like there was when Rodgers was out. From Weeks 1-8 last season, only one player had a higher pressure percentage (percentage of pass-rush snaps resulting in a quarterback pressure) among players with at least 100 pass-rush snaps than Gary, according to TruMedia.
“That accounts for all the regular pass rushers, not defensive backs who had, say, four pressures in seven pass-rush attempts. That player was the 49ers’ Nick Bosa, the eventual NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Yes, Gary was on track to be in the DPOY conversation before tearing his ACL in Week 9 in Detroit.
“From Weeks 1-9, the Packers ranked second in pressure percentage. From Weeks 10-18, with Gary out of the lineup, they ranked 28th. Gary ranked second on the Packers with six sacks. Preston Smith had 8.5 and Gary played eight fewer games. Gary is Green Bay’s pass rush.”
This is a very compelling argument, and every Packers fan can attest to how poor the pass rush looked without Gary last season. The depth at edge rusher was so big a concern that the Packers used their first round pick to take Lukas Van Ness in the 2023 NFL Draft.
While Van Ness may see a bigger number of snaps early on while Gary continues to heal, there is no doubt that the defense will be missing Gary’s presence until he comes back.
Other Candidates for the Most Important Player on the Green Bay Packers
Both Jordan Love and Rashan Gary are excellent candidates for the most important player on the Packers’ roster. However, there are a few others that should be in that conversation as well:
- De’Vondre Campbell- Green Bay was 1-3 without him on the field last season and allowed nearly seven points more per game than their overall season average.
- David Bakhtiari- Had Bakhtiari not torn his ACL in 2020, the Packers would have another Super Bowl trophy; protecting Love’s blindside in his first year may be the most vital job he has had in his career considering everything the organization has risked for their new quarterback.
- Christian Watson- Take the speed and vertical threat away from this young, inexperienced receiving core, and what are they left with?
- Jaire Alexander- One of the best cornerbacks in the entire league, Alexander is often tasked with covering opposing team’s top wide receivers; if he is out, as he was for much of 2021, the entire defense suffers.
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