Acme Packing Company
I spend so much of the offseason looking backwards at the previous season, but this time of year, my thoughts start drifting to the next season. What lessons did we learn from last season that could give us clues for this season, both from the Green Bay Packers and a leaguewide perspective?
I’ve had all these thoughts jumbled in my head about the future of the Packers offense, so I thought I’d write about them. Shout into the void, etc. I don’t know how much of these “clues” are real or which ones I’ve simply been drawn to in my own head, but it’s a fun thought experiment for me, so maybe it’ll be tolerable for you.
We’ll start with the big trend.
Listen to any podcast or read any article from smart Xs & Os people about the big takeaway from NFL offenses in 2025 and this is something you no doubt have heard all about. We’re talking about 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) and 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TE, 1 WR).
Per data from SumerSports, usage of 12 personnel has increased each of the past 4 years. Only by a couple of percentage points each year, but we have gone from a leaguewide 17.3% usage in 2022 to a leaguewide usage of 22.3% in 2025 (a 5% jump). For 13 personnel, we saw a slight dip in 2024, but overall, we have gone from a 4% rate in 2022 to a 5.4% rate in 2025. If we look at both of them together, that’s a 6.3% bump over the course of 4 years.
One of the main questions is whether or not we’ll see that continue. Is this a flash in the pan or a shift in the way offensive football is currently being viewed? The draft could give us a potential tell in terms of how some teams feel about this. Between the 22nd pick in the 2nd round and the 31st pick in the 3rd round, 8 tight ends were taken. While a couple of the tight ends fit the mold of a big WR (Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers and Ohio State’s Max Klare), most of them profile more as blockers who could give you a little something in the pass game. Some of those blocking TEs went to teams who already have multiple tight ends that see the field, with Head Coaches who are seen on the forefront of offensive thinking (the Rams, Bears and Jaguars, most notably).
If you look at the Packers’ draft, you will not find a single TE. In fact, you’ll only find a single offensive player. And, as much as I like Jager Burton (we University of Kentucky alum need to stick together), I don’t think we’re going to see him getting any run as a TE.
The next question is this: do the Packers currently have a TE room that is capable of leaning into 12 & 13 personnel more in 2026?
They...
