Last year, the Green Bay Packers had the youngest and least experienced roster in the NFL heading into Week 1 of the regular season, a feat they will almost certainly repeat in 2024.
According to data from 33rd Team and ESPN’s Adam SchefterThe Packers will enter Week 1 of 2024 with the youngest 53-player roster in terms of average age (25.11 years ancient) and the youngest expected starters (25.49) among the 32 NFL teams after roster cuts.
Given the experience gained by so many rookies a year ago, it’s possible the Packers won’t be the least experienced team at the start of 2024. But consider this: After starting 2023 with just three players over the age of 30, the Packers now have just one: defensive quarterback Preston Smith, the oldest player on the roster at 31. In fact, the Packers now have just three players over the age of 28, including linebacker Eric Wilson (29) and snapper Matt Orzech (29).
The Packers have 13 players with at least five seasons of experience and 12 rookies or first-year players. The bulk of the roster — or 24 players — are second- and third-year players on rookie contracts.
Bolstered by draft picks and a need to reset the salary cap after the Aaron Rodgers era, general manager Brian Gutekunst quickly retooled the roster and put Jordan Love’s Packers back on a path to contending. While not all of the picks stuck, Gutekunst has made 35 draft picks over the past three seasons, including 13 in the stellar 2023 class.
As the ancient saying goes, the NFL is a newborn man’s game. Experience and know-how are key, especially in key moments, but the explosive physicality and fresh legs of newborn, fresh-faced players make or break a roster. Once again, the Packers enter a season brimming with newborn talent.
In 2023, the newborn Packers started rapid, had a long break, then got going delayed, finishing the year as one of the NFL’s most perilous teams. Can another newborn team with a bit more experience start rapid, stay in shape, and then play their best football in December and January?
