The Green Bay Packers’ playoff hopes suffered a big blow in Week 14. They went on the road and lost to the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, dropping their record to 6-7 on the season. While the loss hurt, as they saw their playoff odds drop drastically, the Packers are still in the thick of the playoff race.
In Week 15, their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is essentially an elimination game. If the Packers lose, they can pretty much kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. But, if they pull off a win, their odds will shoot back up.
While the team is focused on that playoff push, there are already some analysts taking a look ahead to the 2024 offseason. The Packers are a team many people will be keeping an eye on as they look to be on the cusp of rising the ranks in the NFC.
NFL News & Rumors: Joey Bosa, Preston Smith, Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers Updates
No one gave them much of a chance to contend for a playoff spot in 2023, but they are exceeding all expectations. Green Bay looks to be on the right track with their young offense led by Jordan Love at quarterback and finding a few veterans to fill gaps on the roster will take this team to the next level.
Who could the Packers look to target this offseason? Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report suggested they take a swing for the fences and check in on the availability of Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher, Joey Bosa.
“If the Packers are going to take a big swing in the trade market, it would be worth it to call the Chargers about Bosa. The Chargers are 5-8 this season and big changes could be coming,” Ballentine wrote.
After an embarrassing loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football, 63-21, it is fair to assume the Chargers are going to be moving on from Brandon Staley as head coach in the near future. Given the current salary cap situation the team faces as well, a bit of a reset could be on the horizon.
That is something the Packers could look to take advantage of. Ballentine suggested they offer the Chargers a first-round pick in exchange for Bosa, who would help the team solidify their pass rush in the present and future; he is three years younger than Preston Smith, who is a candidate to be moved by the team this offseason, in Ballentine’s opinion.
NFL News & Rumors: Joey Bosa, Preston Smith, Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers Updates
While that is certainly an intriguing route to go down, the Packers do have to assess the risk in such a move. Bosa is one of the best edge rushers in the NFL when on the field, but he has struggled to stay healthy.
He has missed four games and counting this season after missing 12 last year. In his career, he has missed at least four games in five out of eight seasons.
It would be a high-risk, high-reward move for the Packers, as they could have one of the best pass-rushing trios with Rashan Gary, Bosa and Lukas Van Ness in the NFL. Or, they could be acquiring a high-priced veteran who constantly misses games, while moving on from a veteran in Smith who has been durable.
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