The offseason begins for everyone
With Super Bowl LX now in the rearview mirror, the entire NFL has turned its attention to the offseason.
Good morning!
On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks took home the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in franchise history, defeating the New England Patriots 29-13. With Super Bowl LX now in the books, the offseason has officially begun for everyone in the NFL.
Today’s edition of The Leap turns the page on the 2025 season by looking at some developments that could impact the Green Bay Packers in the coming weeks and months.
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Rumblings from Super Bowl week
Jason B. Hirschhorn: Several Packers made the rounds during Super Bowl week, particularly those with expiring contracts. Romeo Doubs joined Peter Bukowski for a Locked On Packers interview and shared that he would like to remain in Green Bay. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the “door isn’t closed” on Doubs returning, though his leverage has only increased with the news that the Dallas Cowboys plan to use the franchise tag on George Pickens.
A more interesting situation has developed around another Packers free agent, however. Malik Willis, who rejuvenated his NFL career with quality spot starts over the past two seasons, will have multiple suitors this offseason when his rookie deal officially expires. Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst all but admitted that Willis will depart next month when free agency opens.
“We’d love to have Malik back,” Gutekunst said this past week. “But at the same time, to be realistic, I think he’s going to have a lot of opportunities to maybe play more than he would here.”
For some time, it appeared that Willis would garner interest from a few teams with new head coaches and, reportedly, departing former starters under center. The Miami Dolphins found their new GM and head coach in Green Bay, and the organization appears ready to turn the page on the Tua Tagovailoa era. Similarly, the Arizona Cardinals could move on from Kyler Murray in the coming months, and new head coach Mike LaFleur has a pretty direct line to the Packers.
Another possible landing spot could emerge much closer to Wisconsin: the Minnesota Vikings.
In the wake of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s firing, those in the Vikings organization have done just about everything in their power to frame Adofo-Mensah as the primary architect of the J.J. McCarthy disaster. Wide Left detailed the inconsistencies in the reporting around McCarthy, ultimately concluding that head coach Kevin O’Connell “played a significant role in how the Vikings mishandled the process, and that Adofo-Mensah is being set up as the scapegoat.”
Over the past week and change, the perception of the Vikings’ commitment to McCarthy has noticeably shifted. While it previously appeared that McCarthy would at least have the chance to compete with a veteran addition for the starting job, that no longer seems certain. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote Sunday that “all bets are off“ regarding Minnesota’s plan for McCarthy in 2026, raising the possibility that the team could fully push aside the former No. 10 overall pick. This matches what The Leap heard in recent days as well.
That alone wouldn’t necessarily make Willis the Vikings’ top target, but they don’t have any clearly superior alternatives. The aforementioned Tagovailoa and Murray come with contractual complications, and each has an extended injury history. Daniel Jones will reach unrestricted free agency barring an extension or tag from the Indianapolis Colts, but he suffered a torn Achilles in December, which could sideline him into the 2026 regular season. And while a return for Kirk Cousins would make headlines, it hardly represents the significant upgrade Minnesota desires.
Willis checks more boxes than the other potentially available veteran quarterbacks can. He doesn’t turn 27 until May, offers rare athleticism for the position, and produced at a high level during his time in Green Bay, albeit in a limited sample.
O’Connell has found success with a variety of signal-callers in the past, most notably helping to revive Sam Darnold’s career. Willis enters 2026 with more heat than Darnold did two years ago, and he could access more parts of the Vikings’ playbook than any of their recent starting quarterbacks.
Willis likely won’t command the type of contract that Darnold did this past offseason, a three-year, $100.5 million agreement with the Seahawks that includes $55 million in guarantees. However, Willis should generate enough interest to exceed the one-year, $10 million deal that Darnold landed as a free agent in 2024.
Even if the Vikings don’t ultimately acquire Willis, they could drive up his cost. That would also have a material effect on the Packers, who could potentially recoup a larger compensatory pick for Willis the following offseason.
Are any other major changes expected for the Packers’ coaching staff?
JBH: Already this offseason, the Packers have hired Jonathan Gannon to replace the departing defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and Gutekunst effectively confirmed that embattled special-teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia will return for the 2026 season. While some openings underneath the coordinators remain unfilled, it doesn’t appear that head coach Matt LaFleur intends to make any other major changes to his staff ahead of 2026.
Of course, outside forces could alter that plan. Following Super Bowl LX, Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak confirmed that he has accepted the Las Vegas Raiders head-coaching position, leaving a vacuum on the staff of the newly minted league champions. Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald has known about this impending move for some time, but he’ll still have to go through the formal interview process for replacing an OC.
That process could involve current Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich. Though Stenavich hasn’t worked with Macdonald before, the two have plenty of connective tissue. Stenavich’s first coaching gig in the NFL came under San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. The aforementioned Kubiak also spent time under Shanahan, running an offense similar to the one Stenavich has coordinated in Green Bay.
Stenavich has garnered interest from other teams over multiple hiring cycles. Earlier this season, he interviewed with the Tennessee Titans, though they ultimately hired former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll for that role. In the previous cycle, Stenavich interviewed for the head-coaching position with the Chicago Bears, and a few years earlier, the Denver Broncos requested an OC interview with him.
While a certain segment of the Packers’ fan base has hoped for a team to hire away Stenavich, the Seahawks won’t lack for options to fill Kubiak’s post. With Macdonald calling the defense and the team fresh off a Super Bowl win, the next offensive coordinator can expect to have plenty of autonomy and a chance to compete for a championship right away. That in turn would raise the profile of that OC as a head-coaching candidate as soon as the 2027 hiring cycle.
Accordingly, the Seahawks can realistically pull from just about anywhere, and not just among current position coaches. A non-play-calling OC could plausibly sit for an interview under the right circumstances. Perhaps the Los Angeles Rams would block Nate Scheelhaase from meeting with a division rival for an officially lateral move, but perhaps Klayton Adams or Klay Kubiak, Klint’s younger brother, could get that opportunity.
All of which means that Stenavich will have a difficult time standing out even if he does receive an overture from the Seahawks. While the most decorated candidate doesn’t always land the job, Stenavich’s pedigree doesn’t suggest an inside track for the job.
I wouldn't mind a story, or mention, about James Campen. Given our (significant) troubles on the OL this year, was he an option to return to the Packers? He is held in very high regard by many of our past linemen. We've had quite a brain-drain this off-season, a familiar and successful face would have been most welcome.