, founder, player and first coach of the Packers
Curly Lambeau years (1919–1949) The Green Bay Packers were founded on August 11, 1919, Lambeau solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the
Indian Packing Company, a
meat packing company. He was given $500 ($ today) for uniforms and equipment, on the condition that the team be named after its sponsor. The Green Bay Packers have played in their original city longer than any other team in the NFL. On August 27, 1921, the Packers were granted a franchise in the American Professional Football Association, a new national pro football league that had been formed the previous year. The APFA changed its name to the National Football League a year later. Financial troubles plagued the team, and the franchise was forfeited within the year before Lambeau found new financial backers and regained the franchise the next year. These backers, known as "
The Hungry Five", formed the Green Bay Football Corporation.
NFL champions (1929, 1930, 1931) After a near-miss in
1927, Lambeau's squad claimed the Packers' first NFL title in
1929 with an undefeated 12–0–1 campaign, behind a stifling defense which registered eight shutouts. Green Bay would repeat as league champions in
1930 and
1931, bettering teams from New York, Chicago and throughout the league, with all-time greats and future Hall of Famers
Mike Michalske,
Johnny (Blood) McNally,
Cal Hubbard and Green Bay native
Arnie Herber. Among the many impressive accomplishments of these years was the Packers' streak of 29 consecutive home games without defeat, an NFL record which still stands.
NFL champions (1936, 1939, 1944) with the Packers; his jersey number was the first retired by the Packers (1951)|left The arrival of the end
Don Hutson from
Alabama in 1935 gave Lambeau and the Packers the most feared and dynamic offensive weapon in the game. Credited with inventing pass patterns, Hutson would lead the league in receptions in eight seasons and spur the Packers to NFL championships in
1936,
1939 and
1944. An
Iron Man, Hutson played both ways, leading the league in interceptions as a
safety in 1940. Hutson claimed 18 NFL records when he retired in 1945, many of which still stand. In 1951, his number 14 was the first to be retired by the Packers, and he was inducted as a charter member of the
Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. After Hutson's retirement, Lambeau could not stop the Packers' slide. He purchased a large lodge near Green Bay for team members and families to live in. Rockwood Lodge was the home of the 1946–49 Packers. The 1947 and 1948 seasons produced a record of 12–10–1, and 1949 was even worse at 3–9. The lodge burned down on January 24, 1950, and insurance money paid for many of the Packers' debts. , whose No. 3 was retired by the Packers in 1952 Curly Lambeau departed after the
1949 season.
Gene Ronzani and
Lisle Blackbourn could not coach the Packers back to their former magic, even as a new stadium was unveiled in 1957. The losing would descend to the disastrous
1958 campaign under coach
Ray "Scooter" McLean, whose lone 1–10–1 year at the helm is the worst in Packers history.
Vince Lombardi years (1959–1967) Former
New York Giants assistant
Vince Lombardi was hired as Packers head coach and general manager on February 2, 1959. Few suspected the hiring represented the beginning of a remarkable, immediate turnaround. Under Lombardi, the Packers would become
the team of the 1960s, winning five championships over seven years, including victories in the first two
Super Bowls. During the Lombardi era, the stars of the Packers' offense included
Bart Starr,
Jim Taylor,
Carroll Dale,
Paul Hornung (as halfback and placekicker),
Forrest Gregg, and
Jerry Kramer. The defense included
Willie Davis,
Henry Jordan,
Willie Wood,
Ray Nitschke,
Dave Robinson, and
Herb Adderley. – his No. 66 jersey is one of six numbers
retired by the Packers The Packers' first regular-season game under Lombardi was on September 27, 1959, a 9–6 victory over the
Chicago Bears in Green Bay. After winning their first three, the Packers lost the next five before finishing strong by sweeping their final four. The 7–5
record represented the Packers' first winning season since 1947, enough to earn rookie head coach Lombardi the
NFL Coach of the Year. The next year, the
Packers, led by Paul Hornung's 176 points, won the NFL West title and played in the
NFL Championship against the
Philadelphia Eagles at
Philadelphia. In a see-saw game, the Packers trailed by only four points when All-Pro Eagle linebacker
Chuck Bednarik tackled Jim Taylor just nine yards short of the goal line as time expired.
NFL champions (1961, 1962, 1965) , featured on a 1961 sports card The
Packers returned to the
NFL Championship game the following season and faced the
New York Giants in the first league title game to be played in Green Bay. The Packers scored 24-second-quarter points, including a championship-record 19 by Paul Hornung, on special "loan" from the
Army (one touchdown, four extra points, and three field goals), powering the Packers to a 37–0 rout of the Giants, their first NFL Championship since 1944. It was in 1961 that Green Bay became known as "Titletown". The
Packers stormed back in the
1962 season, jumping out to a 10–0 start on their way to a 13–1 season. This consistent level of success would lead to Lombardi's Packers becoming one of the most prominent teams of their era, and to be featured as the face of the NFL on the cover of
Time on December 21, 1962, as part of the magazine's cover story on "The Sport of the '60s". Shortly after
Time article, the Packers faced the
Giants in a much more brutal
championship game than the previous year, but the Packers prevailed on the kicking of
Jerry Kramer and the determined running of Jim Taylor. The Packers defeated the Giants in New York, 16–7. The 1963 team went 11–2–1 but finished second in the NFL West. The 1964 went 8–5–1 and finished second in the NFL West. The
Packers returned to the
championship game in
1965 following a two-year absence when they defeated the Colts in a playoff for the Western Conference title. That game would be remembered for
Don Chandler's controversial tying field goal in which the ball allegedly went wide right, but the officials signaled "good". The 13–10 overtime win earned the Packers a trip to the NFL Championship game, where Hornung and Taylor ran through the defending champion
Cleveland Browns, helping the Packers win, 23–12, to earn their third NFL Championship under Lombardi and ninth overall.
Goalpost uprights would be made taller the next year.
Super Bowl I champions (1966) (left) and
Henry Jordan tackling a Chiefs player in the first AFL-NFL Championship (Super Bowl I) The
1966 season saw the
Packers led to the first-ever
Super Bowl by
MVP quarterback Bart Starr. The team went 12–2, and as time wound down in the
NFL Championship against the
Dallas Cowboys, the Packers clung to a 34–27 lead. Dallas had the ball on the Packers' two-yard line, threatening to tie the game, but on fourth down, the Packers'
Tom Brown intercepted
Don Meredith's pass in the end zone to seal the win. The team crowned its season by rolling over the
AFL champion
Kansas City Chiefs 35–10 in
Super Bowl I.
Super Bowl II champions (1967) The
1967 season was the last for Lombardi as the Packers' head coach. The
NFL Championship game, a rematch of the 1966 contest against Dallas, became indelibly known as the "Ice Bowl" as a result of the brutally cold conditions at
Lambeau Field. Still the coldest NFL game ever played, it remains one of the most famous football games at any level in the history of the sport. With 16 seconds left,
Bart Starr's touchdown on a quarterback sneak brought the Packers a 21–17 victory and their still unequaled third straight NFL Championship. They then won
Super Bowl II with a 33–14 victory over the
Oakland Raiders. Lombardi stepped down as head coach after the game, and Phil Bengtson was named his successor. Lombardi remained as general manager for one season but left in 1969 to become head coach and minority owner of the
Washington Redskins. After Lombardi died of cancer on September 3, 1970, the NFL renamed the Super Bowl trophy the
Vince Lombardi Trophy in recognition of his accomplishments with the Packers. The city of
Green Bay renamed Highland Avenue in his honor in 1968, placing Lambeau Field at 1265 Lombardi Avenue ever since., only qualified for the postseason twice during the team's post-Lombardi "dark ages" (1969–91). For about a quarter-century after Lombardi's departure, the Packers had relatively little on-field success. In the 24 seasons from 1968 to 1991, they had only five seasons with a winning record, one being the shortened
1982 strike season. They appeared in the playoffs twice, with a 1–2 record. The period saw five different head coaches—
Phil Bengtson,
Dan Devine, Bart Starr,
Forrest Gregg, and
Lindy Infante—two of whom, Starr and Gregg, were Lombardi's era stars, while Bengtson was a former Packer coach. Each led the Packers to a worse record than his predecessor. Poor personnel decisions were rife, notoriously the 1974 trade by acting general manager Dan Devine which sent five 1975 or 1976 draft picks (two first-rounders, two-second-rounders and a third) to the
Los Angeles Rams for aging quarterback
John Hadl, who would spend only 1 seasons in Green Bay. Another came in the
1989 NFL draft, when offensive lineman
Tony Mandarich was taken with the second overall pick ahead of future
Hall of Fame inductees
Barry Sanders,
Derrick Thomas, and
Deion Sanders. Though rated highly by nearly every professional scout at the time, Mandarich's performance failed to meet expectations, earning him
ESPN's ranking as the third "biggest sports flop" in the last 25 years. played for 16 years in Green Bay. He had his No. 4 jersey retired by the Packers in 2015. The Packers' performance in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s led to a shakeup, with
Ron Wolf hired as general manager and given full control of the team's football operations to start the 1991 season.
Mike Holmgren years (1992–1998) In 1992, Wolf hired
San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator
Mike Holmgren as the Packers' new head coach. Soon afterward, Wolf acquired quarterback
Brett Favre from the
Atlanta Falcons for a first-round pick. Favre got the Packers their first win of the 1992 season, stepping in for injured quarterback
Don Majkowski and leading a comeback over the
Cincinnati Bengals. He started the following week, a win against the
Pittsburgh Steelers, and never missed another start for Green Bay through the end of the 2007 season. He would go on to break the
record for consecutive starts by an NFL quarterback, starting 297 consecutive games including stints with the
New York Jets and
Minnesota Vikings with the
streak finally coming to an end
late in the 2010 season. The
Packers had a 9–7 record in
1992 and began to turn heads around the league when they signed perhaps the most prized free agent in NFL history in
Reggie White on the defense in 1993. White believed that Wolf, Holmgren, and Favre had the team heading in the right direction with a "total commitment to winning". With White on board, the Packers made it to the second round of the playoffs during both the
1993 and
1994 seasons but lost their 2nd-round matches to their playoff rival, the Dallas Cowboys, playing in Dallas on both occasions. In
1995, the
Packers won the NFC Central Division championship for the first time since 1972. After a home playoff 37–20 win against Favre's former team, the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers defeated the defending Super Bowl champion
San Francisco 49ers 27–17 in San Francisco on the road to advance to the
NFC Championship Game, where they lost again to the
Dallas Cowboys 38–27.
Super Bowl XXXI champions (1996) in 1998. White is widely considered one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, and had his number retired by the Packers in 2005. In
1996, the
Packers' turnaround was complete. The team posted a league-best 13–3 record in the regular season, dominating the competition and securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They were ranked no. 1 in offense with
Brett Favre leading the way, no. 1 in defense with Reggie White as the leader of the defense, and no. 1 in special teams with former
Heisman Trophy winner
Desmond Howard returning punts and kickoffs for touchdowns. After relatively easy wins against the
San Francisco 49ers in a muddy 35–14 beatdown and
Carolina Panthers 30–13, the Packers advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in 29 years. In
Super Bowl XXXI, Green Bay defeated the
New England Patriots 35–21 to win their 12th championship. Desmond Howard was named MVP of the game for his kickoff return for a touchdown that ended the Patriots' bid for a comeback. Then-Packers president
Bob Harlan credited Wolf, Holmgren, Favre, and White for ultimately changing the fortunes of the organization and turning the Green Bay Packers into a model NFL franchise. A 2007 panel of football experts at
ESPN ranked the 1996 Packers the 6th-greatest team ever to play in the Super Bowl. The following season the
Packers recorded another 13–3 record and won their second consecutive NFC championship. After defeating the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21–7 and
San Francisco 49ers 23–10 in the playoffs, the Packers returned to the Super Bowl as an 11 point favorite. The team ended up losing in an upset to
John Elway and the
Denver Broncos in
Super Bowl XXXII, by the score of 31–24. In
1998, the
Packers went 11–5 and met the
San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the NFC playoffs. It was the fourth consecutive year these teams had met in the playoffs and the sixth overall contest since the 1995 season. The Packers had won all previous games, and the media speculated that another 49ers loss would result in the dismissal of San Francisco head coach
Steve Mariucci. Unlike the previous playoff matches, this game was hotly contested, with the teams frequently exchanging leads. With 4:19 left in the 4th quarter, Brett Favre and the Packers embarked on an 89-yard drive, which concluded with a Favre touchdown pass to receiver
Antonio Freeman. This play appeared to give Green Bay the victory. But San Francisco quarterback
Steve Young led the 49ers on an improbable touchdown drive, which culminated when
Terrell Owens caught Young's pass between several defenders to give the 49ers a lead with three seconds remaining. Afterward, the game was mired in controversy. Many argued that during the 49ers game-winning drive, Niners receiver
Jerry Rice fumbled the ball but officials stated he was down by contact. Television replays confirmed the fumble, but referees were unable to review the play; the next season the NFL reinstituted an instant replay system. In the end, this game turned out to be the end of an era in Green Bay. Days later Mike Holmgren left the Packers to become vice president, general manager, and head coach of the
Seattle Seahawks. Much of Holmgren's coaching staff went with him, and
Reggie White also retired after the season (but later played one season for the
Carolina Panthers in 2000). In 1999, the team struggled to find an identity after the departure of so many of the individuals responsible for their Super Bowl run.
Ray Rhodes was hired in 1999 as the team's new head coach. Rhodes had served around the league as a highly regarded defensive coordinator and more recently experienced moderate success as head coach of the
Philadelphia Eagles from 1995 to 1998. Ron Wolf believed that Rhodes' experience and player-friendly demeanor would fit nicely in Green Bay's veteran locker room, but Rhodes was fired after one 8–8
season. Wolf visited team practice late in the 1999 season and believed that players had become too comfortable with Rhodes' style, and said the atmosphere resembled a country club. In 2000, Wolf replaced Rhodes with
Mike Sherman. Sherman had never been a head coach at any level of football and was relatively unknown in NFL circles. He had only coached in professional football for three years starting as the Packers' tight ends coach in 1997 and 1998. In 1999, he followed Mike Holmgren to Seattle and became the Seahawks' offensive coordinator, although Sherman did not call the plays during games. Despite Sherman's apparent anonymity, Wolf was blown away in the interview process by the coach's organizational skills and attention to detail. Sherman's inaugural season started slowly, but the Packers won their final four games to achieve a 9–7 record. Brett Favre praised the atmosphere Sherman had cultivated in Green Bay's locker room and fans were optimistic about the team's future. In the offseason, however, Wolf suddenly announced his own resignation as general manager to take effect after the April 2001 draft. Packers' president Bob Harlan was surprised by Wolf's decision and felt unsure of how to replace him. Harlan preferred the structure Green Bay had employed since 1991; a general manager who ran football operations and hired a subservient head coach. But with the momentum and locker room chemistry that was built during the 2000 season, Harlan was reluctant to bring in a new individual with a potentially different philosophy. Wolf recommended that Harlan give the job to Sherman. Though Harlan was wary of the structure in principle, he agreed with Wolf that it was the best solution. In 2001, Sherman assumed the duties of both general manager and head coach. From 2001 to 2004, Sherman coached the Packers to respectable regular-season success, led by the spectacular play of Brett Favre,
Ahman Green, and a formidable offensive line. But Sherman's teams faltered in the playoffs. Before 2003, the Packers had never lost a home playoff game since the NFL instituted a post-season in 1933 (they were 13–0, with 11 of the wins at Lambeau and two more in Milwaukee.). That ended on January 4, 2003, when the
Atlanta Falcons defeated the
Packers 27–7 in an NFC Wild Card game. The Packers would also lose at home in the playoffs to the
Minnesota Vikings two years later. By the end of the 2004 season, the Packers' team depth appeared to be diminishing. Sherman also seemed overworked and reportedly had trouble communicating with players on the practice field with whom he was also negotiating contracts. Harlan felt the dual roles were too much for one man to handle and removed Sherman from the general manager position in early 2005 while retaining him as a head coach. Harlan hired the Seattle Seahawks' vice president of operations
Ted Thompson as the new executive vice president, general manager, and director of football operations. The relationship between Thompson and Sherman appeared strained, as Thompson immediately began rebuilding Green Bay's roster. Following a dismal 4–12 season, Thompson fired Sherman.
Mike McCarthy years (2006–2018) In 2006, Thompson hired
Mike McCarthy, former
offensive coordinator for the
San Francisco 49ers and
New Orleans Saints, as head coach. McCarthy had served as
quarterbacks coach for the Packers in 1999. In McCarthy's debut year coaching the Packers, the team began with a 4–8 record. Then,
Brett Favre sustained injuries, as did backup quarterback,
Aaron Rodgers. Despite the injuries, McCarthy coached the team to four consecutive wins, finishing with an 8–8 record. After missing the playoffs in 2006, Favre announced he would return for the 2007 season, it would be one of his best. The Packers finished 13–3, earning a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Packers' passing offense finished second in the NFC, behind the Dallas Cowboys, and third in the league. Running back
Ryan Grant, became the featured back in Green Bay. In the divisional playoff round, in a snowstorm, the Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks 42–20. Grant rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns, while Favre tossed an additional three touchdown passes to receiver
Donald Driver (as well as a snowball, in celebration). On January 20, 2008, Green Bay appeared in their first NFC Championship Game in 10 years facing the
New York Giants. The game was lost 23–20 on a field goal by
Lawrence Tynes. This would be Favre's final game as a Packer. McCarthy coached the
NFC team during the
2008 Pro Bowl in Hawaii. In December 2007,
Ted Thompson was signed to a 5-year contract extension with the Packers. On February 5, 2008, McCarthy signed a 5-year contract extension. On March 4, Favre announced his retirement. Within five months, however, he filed for reinstatement. On August 6, it was announced that Favre was traded to the
New York Jets for a conditional draft pick in 2009. in 2008 The Packers began their
2008 season with their 2005 first-round draft pick, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, under center, as the first QB other than Favre to start for the Packers in 16 years. Rodgers played well in his first year, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns. However, injuries plagued the Packers' defense, as they lost 7 close games by 4 points or fewer, finishing with a 6–10 record. 8 assistant coaches were dismissed, including Bob Sanders, the team's defensive coordinator, who was replaced by
Dom Capers. In March 2009, the organization assured fans that Favre's jersey number would be retired, but not during the 2009 season. In April 2009, the Packers selected nose tackle
B. J. Raji of Boston College as the team's first pick in the draft. The team then traded three draft picks for another first-round pick, selecting linebacker
Clay Matthews III. During the
2009 NFL season, two matchups between the franchise and Favre were highly anticipated after Favre's arrival with division-rival Vikings in August. The first encounter took place in Week 4, a
Monday Night Football game that broke TV audience records. This scheduling was made possible when Baseball Commissioner and Packer board of directors member
Bud Selig forced baseball's
Minnesota Twins to play 2 games within 12 hours. The Vikings won 30–23; Favre threw 3 TDs, no interceptions, and had a passer rating of 135. The teams met again in Week 8, Favre leading the Vikings to a second win, 38–26, in Green Bay. Rodgers was heavily pressured in both games, being sacked 14 times total, but still played well, throwing five touchdowns. The next week, the Packers were upset by the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Green Bay won 7 of their last 8 games, including their 16th regular-season finale from 17 seasons, and earning an NFC wild-card playoff bid with an 11–5 regular-season record. Rodgers became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons as a starter. Cornerback
Charles Woodson won
NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors, his 9 interceptions were more than the 8 collected by all Packer opponents. The season ended with an overtime loss in a
wild card round shootout at the
Arizona Cardinals, 51–45. It was the second time McCarthy led the Packers to the postseason. While they were not as successful as their 90s counterparts in the postseason, the 2000s were by no means a dark time for the Packers. The team finished the decade with the 5th highest winning percentage.
Super Bowl XLV champions (2010) winning Packers head coach
Mike McCarthy The team lost
Johnny Jolly to a season long suspension after he violated NFL drug policy. Their running corps suffered a blow when RB
Ryan Grant sustained a season-ending ankle injury in Week 1. By the end of the season, the team had 16 people on
injured reserve, including 7 starters. Key injuries did not stop McCarthy's team from finishing the regular season with a 10–6 record. In week 7, the team faced the Minnesota Vikings, then led by former Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Green Bay beat Favre's new team 28–24 when Favre's final pass to Randy Moss in the end zone flew incomplete. In week 17, the Packers clinched their playoff berth with a 10–3 victory over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field, aided in large part by
Nick Collins' interception of
Jay Cutler's throw that allowed Green Bay to run out the clock. The Packers 10–6 record allowed them to clinch the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs. They first faced
Philadelphia, winning 21–16. In the Divisional round, they defeated No. 1 seed
Atlanta 48–21. They then played the
Chicago Bears at
Soldier Field in the NFC Championship Game—only the second playoff meeting between the two storied rivals. Packers won 21–14 to move on to
Super Bowl XLV, having secured a 3–0 record in the postseason. On the evening before the Super Bowl, McCarthy had each player fitted for a championship ring. Aware of the motivational tactic, team president
Mark Murphy instructed his organization to begin designing the ring. The following day on February 6, 2011, they defeated the AFC champion
Pittsburgh Steelers 31–25, becoming the first No. 6 seed from the NFC to win a Super Bowl. It was the first time the Packers had won the Lombardi Trophy since 1996. Aaron Rodgers was named Super Bowl MVP. During Super Bowl XLV, McCarthy's team initially enjoyed a comfortable 21–3 lead over the Steelers. Then,
Charles Woodson had to leave the game with a broken collarbone and the Steelers'
Hines Ward found the endzone to make the score 21–10 by halftime. During the third quarter, Pittsburgh scored 7 more points. In the fourth quarter, Green Bay's
Clay Matthews tackled Pittsburgh's
Rashard Mendenhall, and
Desmond Bishop recovered the ball for a key turnover. In 2011, the Packers won their first 13 games, eventually finishing the season 15–1, a franchise record for wins in a season and tied for the second-most regular-season wins in NFL history, behind only the
2007 Patriots who went 16–0. Aaron Rodgers was named the NFL's MVP, his first such award. McCarthy's offensive strategies aided Rodgers in throwing for 4,643 yards and 45 touchdowns. These strategies propelled the Packers to lead the NFL in scoring that year. Despite receiving homefield advantage, Green Bay lost their first postseason game to eventual
Super Bowl XLVI champion
New York Giants, 37–20. Finishing the 2012 season with an 11–5 record and their second straight division title, the Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC wild-card round 24–10, but lost in the playoffs to the
eventual NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers by 45–31. The Packers offense finished the season fifth in points. Rodgers passed for 4,295 yards. The Packers topped the first-ever AP Pro32 rankings, a new pro football version of the
AP Top 25 college football and basketball polls. In 2013, the Packers started 5–2, leading up to a Week 9 match up against the Bears. It was in that game that the Packers lost Rodgers to a broken
collarbone; Rodgers missed the next six games, during which the club would go 2–3–1 under three different quarterbacks. Despite having a 7–7–1 record, the Packers were still in a position to win the NFC North division, if they were able to win their final game. With Rodgers returning, the Packers managed to beat the Bears in a Week 9 rematch, 33–28. Finishing at 8–7–1, the Packers won their division and were awarded a home playoff game. It was the fifth consecutive time that McCarthy led his team to a playoff appearance. However, the Packers would lose to the 49ers 20–23 in the playoffs. The Packers recorded their 700th victory, against the Bears, in Week 4 of 2014. The team went undefeated at home for the first time since the 2011 season; they led the league in scoring, with 486 points. 2014 marked the first time since 2009 that the team had a 4,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers, and a 1,000-yard rusher. McCarthy led an offense that finished sixth in the league in total offense. After winning against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16, McCarthy (99 wins) passed Hall of Famer Vince Lombardi (98) on the all-time wins list for the Packers. Overall, the team went 12–4, clinching a fourth consecutive NFC North division title, making the playoffs for the sixth straight season, tying a franchise record. The Packers beat the Cowboys in the divisional round, advancing to the NFC Championship to face the Seattle Seahawks. After leading throughout most of regulation, the Packers lost 28–22 in an overtime rally by Seattle. Rodgers was named the league's Most Valuable Player for the second time. the following 2016 season upon returning from his injury. During Week 2 of the 2015 preseason against the Pittsburgh Steelers, wide receiver Jordy Nelson caught an eight-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers but fell to the turf, Nelson had torn his ACL. He would remain inactive for the rest of 2015. Even without Nelson, the Packers managed to get off to a 6–0 start, but then lost four of their next five games, falling to 7–4. On December 3, against the
Detroit Lions, the Packers quickly fell to a 20–0 deficit going into halftime. Green Bay started to make a comeback in the second half thanks to a touchdown by
Davante Adams and a 27-yard touchdown run by Rodgers to narrow the game to 23–21. The Packers then got the ball back with 23 seconds left. While attempting a "lateral" play, Rodgers was sacked with no time remaining but then a flag was thrown for a facemask penalty on Detroit. The Packers now had one more un-timed play, which Rodgers threw a 61-yard Hail Mary touchdown to tight end
Richard Rodgers. It was the longest Hail Mary touchdown pass thrown in NFL history. Up until week 14, McCarthy delegated playcalling duties to associate head coach Tom Clements. However, the team's struggling offense made McCarthy decide to take back play-calling duties. During that first game that McCarthy resumed play calling, the Packers ran the ball for 230 yards in 44 carries. Green Bay then finished the season 10–6 and 2nd in the NFC North behind the
Minnesota Vikings. The Packers beat the
Washington Redskins in the NFC wild-card game to advance to the divisional round with the
Arizona Cardinals. A similar play to tie the game against the Cardinals happened between Aaron Rodgers and
Jeff Janis. Janis caught a 41-yard touchdown which sent the game into overtime. However, the Packers fell to Arizona 26–20, ending their season. After a 4–6 start to the 2017 season, the Packers went on a six-game winning streak to finish the regular season with a 10–6 record. The team clinched the NFC North for the fifth time in six years. They routed the New York Giants, 38–13, in the wild-card round of the playoffs and upset the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys, 34–31, in the divisional round, but their season ended when they were beaten by the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game, 44–21. The Packers began the 2017 regular season with a 4–2 record. On October 15, during a week 6 game, Rodgers was driven to the ground by Minnesota Vikings linebacker
Anthony Barr. Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone, and the Packers placed him on injured reserve, with the stipulation that he could return, especially if the injury healed quickly and the Packers were still in playoff contention. Rodgers did return for a week 15 game against the
Carolina Panthers on December 17, but the Packers were eliminated from the playoff hunt after a 31–24 loss. The team placed Rodgers back on injured reserve, which prompted several teams to complain the Packers had violated rules about reactivating injured players. During Rodgers' absence, backup quarterback
Brett Hundley stepped into the starting role for the first time in his professional career, but struggled to replicate Rodgers' success, despite a
Pro Bowl-caliber season by receiver Davante Adams. In a 23–0 loss to the
Baltimore Ravens in week 11, the Packers suffered their first shutout at Lambeau Field in 11 years. The Packers finished the season at 7–9, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Off the field, the Packers organization opened the
Titletown District adjacent to Lambeau Field. This shopping, entertainment, and restaurant district includes a public plaza, park, and commercial businesses. In 2018, the Packers again failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing third in the NFC North with a record of 6–9–1. Following a Week 13 loss to the Cardinals, McCarthy was released as head coach, replaced by Offensive Coordinator
Joe Philbin on an interim basis. McCarthy left having tallied a 125–77–2 (.618) regular season record, as well as a postseason record of 10–8 (.556). His total record with the Packers was 135–85–2. McCarthy had brought the team to nine playoff berths and a Super Bowl win. Following the season,
Matt LaFleur, the Offensive Coordinator of the Tennessee Titans the prior season, was hired as the Packers' new coach.
Matt LaFleur years (2019–present) Under first-year head coach Matt LaFleur, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers opened the season by defeating the
Chicago Bears in the season's opening game, the first time since 2003 that the league-wide kickoff game did not feature the defending Super Bowl champions, with the Packers and Bears being selected for their historic rivalry in the NFL's 100th season. The Packers returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, finishing with a record of 13–3 and securing a first-round bye as the NFC's second seed. They defeated the
Seattle Seahawks 28–23 in the NFC Divisional round to advance to the NFC Championship game, where they were defeated 37–20 by the
San Francisco 49ers. In 2020, the Green Bay Packers won the NFC North Division for the second consecutive year. They also earned a first-round bye, with the top seed in the NFC. They defeated the Los Angeles Rams 32–18 in the Divisional Round, but fell to the underdog
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC championship- their fourth straight loss in the game in five appearances under Rodgers. Rodgers won his third MVP award during the season. The next year, they clinched the top seed in the NFC again, with a 13–4 record, before losing 13–10 to the 49ers in the
Divisional round. The special teams unit was consistently the worst in the NFL during the season, though their defense was noted as an improvement from previous seasons. The special teams was especially costly in the postseason game as a field goal attempt and punt were both blocked, the latter of which the 49ers returned for a touchdown. The defense did not allow any touchdowns in that game, as the only other points the 49ers scored were off two field goals. Matt LaFleur became the first coach to have three straight 13-win seasons, however, none of them ended with a trip to the Super Bowl. For his performance in the season, Aaron Rodgers won his fourth MVP award- the second most for any quarterback, only behind
Peyton Manning who has five. In the 2022 season, the Green Bay Packers struggled and were eliminated from advancing to the NFL's wild-card playoffs when they lost their last regular-season game 20–16 to the
Detroit Lions. This was the first time the team missed the playoffs during
Matt LaFleur's coaching stint. The team finished with an 8–9 record. in 2025 The 2023 season was the first without longtime quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was traded to the
New York Jets during the offseason.
Jordan Love, who was drafted to the Green Bay Packers in 2020, took over as starting quarterback. The team finished with an 9–8 record which secured 2nd place in the NFC North division, and the 7th seed in the NFC. The Packers defeated the 2nd seed
Dallas Cowboys 48–32 in their Wild-Card matchup, becoming the first 7th seed team to win a playoff game. The Packers would go on to lose to the 1st seed
San Francisco 49ers 24–21 in the Divisional round. Following the loss, the team announced that defensive coordinator
Joe Barry would not return next season. In 2024 the Packers finished the season with a record of 11–6. This was thanks in part due to some new additions to the team, including running back
Josh Jacobs and safety
Xavier McKinney, who were both named to the Pro Bowl that year. New backup quarterback
Malik Willis, who was acquired in a trade with the
Tennessee Titans during the preseason, filled in and won multiple games for an injured Jordan Love. Some other additions to the team came in the coaching department, including new defensive coordinator
Jeff Hafley, and former New York Jets head coach
Robert Saleh, who joined the team as an offensive assistant shortly after being fired by the Jets following a 2–3 start. Despite their record however, the Packers only managed to finish in 3rd place in the
NFC North. Both the Detroit Lions and the
Minnesota Vikings finished above them at 1st and 2nd with records of 15–2 and 14–3 respectively. Their record was still good enough to earn the 7th seed in the NFC for the second year in a row. In their Wild-Card matchup, the Packers were defeated by the 2nd seeded
Philadelphia Eagles with a final score of 22–10. is the first Packer to wear the number 1 since
Curly Lambeau During the offseason, the city of Green Bay hosted the
2025 NFL Draft, marking their first time hosting the annual event. On July 13, 2025, Packers President
Mark Murphy turned 70 years old, which is the organizations mandatory retirement age, thus ending his 17+ year tenure as President of the team.
Ed Policy, who has been with the team since 2012, was selected to succeed Murphy as president, chairman, and CEO in a unanimous decision from the board of directors. The story of the offseason came just after the preseason ended, when the Packers traded for star
Dallas Cowboys pass rusher
Micah Parsons in exchange for two first round picks and defensive tackle
Kenny Clark. Despite a promising start to the season, the Packers were marred by injuries to several notable players, including tight end
Tucker Kraft and the aforementioned Parsons, both of whom were in the middle of standout seasons before going down to season ending
ACL tears. Other players that missed multiple games due to injury include QB
Jordan Love, WR
Jayden Reed, DT
Devonte Wyatt, RB
Josh Jacobs, C
Elgton Jenkins, and OT
Zach Tom. The Packers finished the season with a 4-game losing streak and a record of 9–7–1, earning the NFC's 7th seed in the playoffs for the third straight year. They would go on to lose to the 2nd seed
Chicago Bears in the Wild-Card matchup, with a final score of 27–31, despite leading by 18 points at halftime. ==Community ownership==