One player proved to be a consistent weapon and a beacon of hope for the struggling Green Bay Packers' special teams.
The Green Bay Packers had a disastrous season on special teams in 2025.
A case can be made that special teams cost them in each and every single one of their losses. From blocked field goals to botched onside kick recoveries, special teams was absolutely one of the biggest weaknesses for Matt LaFleur's team.
As such, it's a bit of a mystery why special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia is still a part of the Packers.
A report from Rob Demovsky of ESPN, announcing the hire of Jonathan Gannon as the new defensive coordinator, suggested that LaFleur is still mulling staffing changes.
Getting rid of Bisaccia or encouraging him to retire (he's 65) should be at the very top of that list of changes.
Speaking of changes, the Packers may want to at least challenge kicker Brandon McManus this offseason, or perhaps even look for his replacement. McManus missed six field goals this past season, and he also missed an extra point.
In the playoff collapse against the Chicago Bears, McManus missed two field goals and an extra point -- meaning he accounted for seven missed points in four point loss.
So yes, special teams was a disaster, but at least the Packers have an elite punter in Daniel Whelan. If they have anything going for them in that department...it's him.
Wes Hodkiewicz of the team website did a nice feature on Whelan, and the numbers were stunning.
This past season, Whelan notched the Packers' single-season records for gross (51.7 yards) and net (43.9 yards) punting average. The gross average is the total distance of the punts divided by the number of punts. The net average factors in return yards and touchbacks.
His gross average ranked No. 1 in the NFL, and historically, he became the third-best punter in NFL history (with a minimum of 40 punts) in that category.
Whelan notched a long punt of 72, and he boomed 32 punts 50-plus yards (ranked fourth in the NFL).
He received three first-team votes in AP All-Pro voting, and frankly, he should have been an All-Pro.
"He's a great dude, great in the locker room, but he's a real weapon out on the field in terms of being able to flip the field," LaFleur recently. "I feel like anytime we've gotten in some of those critical moments where we really need a great kick, he's come through for us."
Whelan has come through, indeed, because imagine how much of a disaster the Packers' special teams would have been without him this season.
Mercifully, Whelan is under contract through the 2027 season.
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Category: General Sports
