3. Other leaders in the locker room are expected to emerge in Smith’s absence.

Gutekunst didn’t mention anyone specific, but veteran leaders Jordan Love, Kenny Clark, Elgton Jenkins and Gary, as well as top-notch Packers Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs, also took on leadership roles after arriving in free agency.

There are others that are not as visible but may soon become so visible.

“When you lose the lead, that often creates space for other guys to step into that gap,” Gutekunst said. “I think we’ve got a lot of guys capable of doing that. We want to grow together and that’s what the group in front of us is doing right now.”

Bigger picture, the lead starts with QB1 in Love and that won’t change.

“He runs our team exactly the way we want him to run our football team,” Gutekunst said. “Obviously you’ve seen his ability to make plays and make a difference in this league. He meets all my expectations. We have high standards here and he has a lot going for him. We definitely feel very, very much about it.” I strongly believe he is the person to do it.”

4. Any concerns about Love’s game are about keeping him healthy and continuing to work through the growing pains.

Love made a league-high 10 tackles in 6½ games, missed 2½ contests due to injuries and struggled at less than full strength in other games.

Acknowledging that there are tough plays that everyone wants to respond to, Gutekunst said the explosiveness of the Packers’ offense was “largely thanks to him.” It’s also important to remember that Love has started fewer than 30 NFL games to this point and remains “cool”, a valuable trait at the position.

“When you can make plays like that, there’s a fine line where you feel it,” he said. “He is still a very young player compared to when he started.

“He’s got to get better. I think we all know that. But at the same time, I’m not too worried. The way he works, the way he handles things, I think it’s just a matter of time.”

5. Despite last week’s disappointment, GM remains optimistic about this team’s outlook for 2024.

Gutekunst touched on how Head Coach Matt LaFleur and his staff are getting more out of last year’s team as the season heads towards its peak, and he believes this year’s team can follow a similar path.

However, this cannot be assumed and must be proven in the field. Gutekunst’s confidence stems from his belief that the players assembled are “made of the right stuff.” In the long run, this will help smooth out the bumpy ride so far.

“We’ve got to continue to come together as a football team and play better football at times, but we’re 6-3, I think we’re in a good spot,” he said.

“More consistency and maybe a little bit better at situational football (that’s the goal). You have to be a team like that to go deep in the play-offs and challenge for the title. That’s what we’re working for and I think these guys have had some really good moments, but you’ve got to be consistent in that, You should be able to take advantage of it when you need it.”