Packers GM takes jab at Lions for hanging banner for division title

Indianapolis — Outside the confines of a news conference for the general NFL media gathered at the NFL Combine, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst managed to rachet up the rivalry with the current kings of the NFC North Division, the Detroit Lions, during a side session with Packers reporters.

After years of Packers dominance, with the Vikings and Bears occasionally rising to the top of the standings, the Lions finally broke through to win their first division crown since the league realigned its conferences in 2002. That accomplishment was a stated preseason goal for the franchise, leading to the first two home playoff games in Ford Field's history.

Nonetheless, Gutekunst wasn't impressed.

Asked about having to keep pace with the Lions, Gutekunst mocked the fact the divisional rival hung a banner at their home stadium after winning the division.

"I don’t know if I’ve ever really looked at it like that,” Gutekunst told Packers reporters. "It’s really been more about trying to get us to what I think is a level that can compete for a championship. Winning the division is nice because you’re going to secure a home playoff game, but for me, around here, we’ve never hung banners for division championships, so it’s never been about that. It’s a nice starting point, but I think we’re always looking for bigger things.

"To me, it’s about who the front-runners are in the NFC and what we have to do to play against them to get to that final game. It’s never been a huge focus on looking at certain teams and trying to adapt to what they’re doing. It’s more about a certain level that we need to get to that I know will be the level we have to play at to win."

According to reporters who follow the team, the jab was out of character for Gutekunst, but the sentiment is understandable. The Packers, as a franchise, might be going through a retooling after moving on from longtime quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but they're still beyond celebrating division titles. They've won the NFC North 12 times and have their eyes permanently fixed on adding a fifth Super Bowl to their resume.

Of course, the Packers haven't won a championship since the 2010 season, when Gutekunst was still a college scout for the franchise. Since his promotion to GM in 2018, they've twice lost in the NFC Championship and haven't advanced beyond the divisional round since 2021.

The Packers earned the conference's final seed with a 9-8 record last season, going on to upset the Cowboys on the road in the Wild Card round, before getting bounced by the San Francisco 49ers, 24-21, the following week.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers