At NFL Trade Deadline, Packers’ Brian Gutekunst Was Winner
The Green Bay Packers appeared to need a cornerback at the trade deadline but chose not to make a move, which proved to be the right call based on Sunday’s NFC results.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Two days before the NFL trade deadline, the Packers were defeated 24-14 by the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.
The Packers, with a 6-3 record, had dominated the AFC South at 4-0 but struggled against the top NFC teams at 0-3. They looked like a team in need of a boost.
With Jaire Alexander sidelined due to a knee injury and Eric Stokes’ career stalling, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst seemed poised to pursue a cornerback. As the New Orleans Saints struggled, four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore became available.
In the end, the only move Gutekunst made was trading Preston Smith to the Steelers for a seventh-round pick.
“It’s not a store where you can just pick and choose,” Gutekunst explained. “These players have to be available, and this year, there weren’t many options. We explored a lot of possibilities, talked to many people, but not much materialized.”
Although several trades occurred at the deadline, only two were truly notable.
The Detroit Lions traded fifth- and sixth-round picks to Cleveland to acquire former Packers pass rusher Za’Darius Smith.
Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders traded third-, fourth-, and sixth-round picks to the Saints for Lattimore and a fifth-round pick.
The Lions, desperate to upgrade their pass rush after Aidan Hutchinson’s injury, received four sacks in eight games from Smith. In his half-season with Detroit, Smith recorded 36 pressures, second only to Rashan Gary on Green Bay’s defensive line.
However, in the 45-31 playoff loss to the Commanders, Smith failed to register a tackle in 40 snaps.
The Commanders’ trade for Lattimore, involving a hefty price in mid-round draft picks, ended up being a major disappointment for general manager Adam Peters.
Lattimore had to recover from a hamstring injury before playing, but when he did return, he was far from the shutdown corner they needed.
Lattimore played in just two regular-season games and three playoff games, breaking up three passes in Week 16 against the Eagles. However, he was exposed in the rematch during the NFC Championship Game, allowing 4-of-6 passing for 88 yards, including big completions to A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert.
He was also penalized for pass interference in the end zone, leading to a touchdown, and later flagged for unnecessary roughness.
Despite cornerback being a clear need for the Packers since last year’s free agency and draft, it turned out to be one of Green Bay’s lesser issues. Even without Alexander, who missed 10 games, and in critical losses to the Lions and Vikings, cornerback wasn’t the Packers’ primary concern.
Green Bay finished the regular season ranked ninth in opponent passer rating and shut down Jalen Hurts, Brown, and Smith in the playoffs.
Had Gutekunst pursued the same trade for Lattimore as the Commanders, the Packers would likely have been one-and-done in the playoffs and entered this year’s draft without key picks.
Lattimore would have remained under contract through 2026, with base salaries of $16 million and $16.5 million in the next two years.
“We want him to be a Commander for a long time,” said Peters to The Washington Post in December.
Lattimore’s injury history, similar to Alexander’s, likely influenced Gutekunst’s decision. After four Pro Bowls in his first five seasons, Lattimore played only seven games in 2022, 10 in 2023, and nine in 2024.
For Green Bay, Alexander and Stokes were the starting cornerbacks in Week 1 against the Eagles. By the playoff rematch, with Alexander on injured reserve and Stokes losing his role, they played a combined one snap.
With Alexander’s future uncertain and Stokes heading to free agency, cornerback remains a key need.
“I thought when we moved Keisean to the outside, he played really well consistently—not just in coverage but also as a tackler and in the run game. When CV (Carrington Valentine) played outside, it brought stability, and I think that helped us down the stretch,” said Gutekunst at the season’s end. “We have free agents coming up, so we’ll need depth and will have to see where the position goes. Ja’s return will impact things, too. CV fought through injuries and contributed late in the season, and Keisean showed he can perform at a high level outside.”
The trade deadline occurred on November 5, with nine players traded on November 4 and 5. Outside of Lattimore, only one player won a playoff game: the Ravens, who acquired backup cornerback Tre’Davious White in a trade for a seventh-round pick. Four players did not reach the playoffs.
