As the 2025 NFL season approaches, ESPN’s Ben Solak has sparked conversation with his bold forecast: The Green Bay Packers will miss the playoffs.
Featured among his “10 Bold Predictions,” this claim challenges recent consistency under Matt LaFleur and highlights two major roster concerns that could derail postseason hopes.
Why Ben Solak Believes the Packers Will Miss the 2025 Playoffs
Solak identifies “two of the biggest non-negotiables for playoff teams” as being a pass rush and a dominant receiver. He argues, “The Packers definitely don’t have the first and still might not have the second, even after drafting Matthew Golden in Round 1.”
This outlook contrasts sharply with Green Bay’s recent success, having secured a playoff berth in five of the last six seasons. However, Solak’s concerns are rooted more in current roster issues than in past achievements.
He also questions the sustainability of the Packers’ success in turnover margin, noting, “They were plus-12 in turnover differential last season, which ranked third in the NFL, but that tends not to be a sticky number.” Solak points out that variance in turnovers is difficult to replicate and should not be heavily relied upon, citing the plus-24 Buffalo Bills with “supreme suspicion.”
Though Solak couches his statements as non-aggregatable and semi-humorous, he warns the logic behind the concerns is hard to dismiss. The Packers did little in free agency or trades, leaving their depth exposed and forcing them to count heavily on internal development. If regression hits or key players underperform, the Packers may not be equipped to stay competitive.
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Offensively, Golden is unlikely to become a WR1 immediately. Jayden Reed, last season’s leading receiver, is solid but not elite, and Christian Watson is expected to miss significant time with a knee injury he suffered in Week 18 of last season. The result is a receiving group with potential, but little proven dominance or durability.
On defense, the pass rush remains uninspiring. The addition of fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell offers limited upside, and while Rashan Gary is serviceable, he is not viewed as a consistent game-changer. Edgerrin Cooper may help generate pressure from the linebacker spot, but the absence of a disruptive edge presence limits the defense’s ability to dictate games.
First look at Jordan Love throwing to rookie WR Matthew Golden
🎥: @RobDemovsky
pic.twitter.com/zRtoGosEsI— SleeperPackers (@SleeperPackers) May 28, 2025
Ultimately, as the schedule toughens in 2025, the Packers must hope that some players like Golden, Cooper, and quarterback Jordan Love take significant leaps. Without clear roster upgrades, their margin for error is thin. Solak’s prediction, while bold, is grounded in identifiable personnel shortcomings and the inherent volatility of NFL success.