It is no secret that that the Green Bay Packers have a long history of not signing or trading for big-name players. Of course, there are exceptions to that rule, but those exceptions are pretty extreme. And of course, the Brett Favre trade occurred before anyone knew he would be a Hall of Famer.
Now in 2023, the Packers did not spend very much in free agency. Jonathan Owens, Tarvarius Moore, and Matt Orzech were the three biggest names that they signed. Additionally, the Packers did not make any trades to bring new players in (the Aaron Rodgers trade netted them draft capital).
As it turns out, it may be hard to convince players to accept a trade to Green Bay anyway.
Green Bay Packers Named 2nd-Worst Trade Destination in the NFL
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According to Maurice Morton of Bleacher Report, Green Bay is the second-least desirable trade destination for players for two reasons. The first is the uncertainty of the direction of the team under new quarterback Jordan Love. Not only are there questions about whether or not he will produce, many wonder if head coach Matt LaFleur’s success in his first three seasons were because of Rodgers.
The second reason is the weather, which many players in the past have given as a reason for not signing with the Packers. A recent example is Emmanuel Sanders, a wide receiver, who spurned Green Bay in free agency due to the cold winters.
In his article, Morton wrote:
“The Green Bay Packers’ allure left with Aaron Rodgers when the team traded him to the New York Jets in April.
“For three decades, the Packers have had a star quarterback under center. Hall of Famer Brett Favre and Rodgers generated buzz around the organization, kept the team in playoff contention and helped deliver two Lombardi Trophies to Titletown.
“Now, Green Bay moves on with Jordan Love, who’s a relatively unknown commodity with a first-round pedigree. In three seasons, he’s thrown for 606 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions with a 60.2 percent completion rate—more action than Rodgers saw in his first three NFL campaigns.
“Yet players with enough leverage to control their options in trade negotiations would likely hesitate to attach their short-term future to a team that’s coming off its first sub-.500 campaign since 2018 and an offense with an unproven starting signal-caller.
“Also, let’s address the obvious factor with the Packers. Green Bay isn’t a desirable destination with its late-season inclement cold-weather conditions.
“The Packers rank one spot higher than the Patriots because Belichick has gone to the playoffs after losing his star quarterback. Head coach Matt LaFleur must earn the benefit of the doubt in the post-Rodgers era.”
It’s interesting that the Packers were included on this list, for a couple of reasons. One has to assume that they were included to, once again, highlight the questions the national media has regarding the team. It stands to reason that some players may have similar questions, but the idea that Green Bay is not ideal leaves a lot of considerations out.
The Green Bay Packers Rarely Trade for Players or Are Big Players on the Free Agent Market
If one were to ask what the best free agent signings in Packers history are, the easy top three are Reggie White, Charles Woodson, and Julius Peppers. Of course there are dozens of smaller deals that were made, but the fact of the matter is that the Packers do not pursue free agents as much as other teams.
Instead, the Packers have always focused on re-signing their own players. This has worked out well over the course of their history. While they have lost Rodgers and Adams in recent seasons, they also saw star running back Aaron Jones take a pay cut in order to stay.
Over the course of the past few decades, numerous players have been drafted by the Packers and made Wisconsin their permanent home. LeRoy Butler, for example, moved to Wisconsin and stayed after spending his entire life in Florida before being drafted.
One current Packers player, AJ Dillon, has made Door County his home and has said numerous times it will always be home, no matter where football takes him.
The point here is that weather is a personal preference. Some people like it, some people hate it. It should not be something that is generally considered as a negative.
The question of the future, though, has some validity to it. Even some fans have questions and low expectations going into the season.
But the players have not changed their expectations. They expect to win. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?
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