Earlier this offseason, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst claimed the primary motivator behind the moves the team would make ahead of the 2026 season would be to help them win right now.
If that is true, could another pass rusher still be on the cards?
It would seem to make some sense, as Micah Parsons is reportedly a candidate to begin the season on the PUP list, meaning he would miss at least the first four games.
If that is the case, Lukas Van Ness and one of Barryn Sorrell, Dani Dennis-Sutton or Brenton Cox Jr could currently be slated to start early in the season.
While the free agency pool has long dried up at most positions, there are still some veteran pass rushers who could help, such as Joey Bosa, Leonard Floyd, Von Miller, Cameron Jordan, A.J. Epenesa, Jadeveon Clowney, or Haason Reddick.
Reddick broke out under Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon when the pair were together in Philly, and there have been rumblings of Green Bay having interest in acquiring Josh Sweat via trade, who also had success under Gannon for the Eagles and his current team, the Cardinals.
If the Packers are concerned about their EDGE group, there are no shortage of options. However, adding a veteran to the current group is somewhat at odds with their traditional ‘draft and develop’ strategy.
Once Parsons is back, the team likely wants Van Ness to be the true bookend, and still give some opportunities to young players like Sorrell, Dennis-Sutton, Cox and Collin Oliver in a rotational capacity.
Throwing an experienced pass rusher into the mix complicates that. It could knock all those younger players, including potentially Van Ness, down the pecking order. They are not usually in the business of signing veterans in the knowledge that it will block opportunities for younger guys.
Much of the decision will probably depend on how confident they are in the players within the building. This is something which is difficult to know from the outside. Fans may have doubts about a position group, but they are working with a fraction of the information the team is.
The coaches and personnel staff see the players in practice every day, how they are in the classroom, the locker room, etc. They also know much more about Parsons’ specific recovery timetable.
They may be content to get by with what they have early in the year, when they have a reasonably soft schedule, expecting Parsons back quickly to anchor the group from there.
Looking at the group right now though, especially without Parsons, and after seeing how the defense wilted late last year, it is fair to question whether they have enough to mount a title charge. The reigning champion Seahawks are a testament to the benefits of having waves of pass rushers.
Gutekunst will need to strike a balance between developing players for the future, while also giving the 2026 Packers the best possible chance to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2010 season.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Should Packers add a veteran pass rusher to boost Super Bowl push?
Reporting by Mark Oldacres, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
