Inbox: It’s an incredible opportunity

How healthy will the Packers be for the Bears game after the bye week?

Hopefully healthier than they are today and the day after tomorrow.

Well, that was unexpected. But business is business. Nothing but respect and thanks to Preston Smith for what he did while he was here. Nothing but love and I hope he is doing well in Pittsburgh. Except if/when he plays the Packers, of course.

I couldn’t agree more. The 2019 free agent class was obviously instrumental in the Packers’ quick turnaround. Za’Darius Smith, Adrian Amos and Billy Turner all deserve credit for what they brought to Green Bay, but an argument can be made. Preston was the MVP of this group. He was a playmaker, a leader and surprisingly durable. Preston never wore a captain’s patch, but everyone knew what he meant to that dressing room. I also had a good time covering P. I wish him nothing but the best with the Steelers.

Ryan from Chippewa Falls, WI

I will miss Preston. What a class footballer on and off the pitch that I will remember after this season. The immediate thought is that I would like to see Lukas Van Ness step in and fill these shoes with some authority.

It’s an incredible opportunity. The Packers traded a pass rusher who has played more than 4,200 snaps in 91 games here (46.6 snap average). Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare will most likely see their workload increase along with Brenton Cox Jr. and Arron Mosby.

We should all understand that the Preston Smith trade was both a philosophy and a financial move. So who will be the starter in the base 4-3: Lukas Van Ness or Kingsley Enagbare?

Semantics. Van Ness and Enagbare have played roughly the same number of snaps (243 Enagbare, 233 Van Ness), and both will play even more now.

Domenick from Hilton Head Island, SC

Basically, Brian Gutekunst traded Smith for Malik Willis and saved big salary against the cap in 2025 and 2026. Do you agree?

More or less. Preston told reporters in Pittsburgh on Wednesday that he requested a trade a few weeks ago as he felt he was a better fit in a 3-4 front. He gets his wish with the Steelers, while the Packers can mix it up on defense.

My wife and I from NC and our son in Tampa all attended the game on Sunday. We left soaked and disappointed. But after we dried off and talked about the current record, my son asked me if you were asked before the season that GB would be 6-3 heading into the bye and then consider that Jordan Love missed two whole matches, would you have taken it? Absolutely. 6-3 this season vs. 3-6 last year at this time. Would you have taken 6-3 in cancellation?

Absolutely. Winnings are the currency you use to buy your spot in the postseason. The Packers have six with eight more chances to add to that total starting next week. In that regard, Green Bay is twice as far ahead as it was last year.

Wes, I just read your article on Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney and you captured what we have all witnessed. Now if we could just get the rest of the team to play with the same intensity and focus, everything else will work itself out. GPG!

I would say the intensity is there. This team plays hard. Focus and discipline are what must be emphasized in the second half. If the Packers move forward and not backward down the field, I like their chances against anyone.

I was amazed by Spoff’s comment that six drops were by five different players and nine penalties were by eight different players. To me, this is clearly a coaching/preparation issue, not one or two guys being a serious problem. My expectation is that in two weeks we will see a completely different, healthy, focused team take the field. Can’t wait for the trip!

As frustrating as penalties can be, I’d still rather have an abundance of correctable mistakes than a lack of talent. The Packers have the playmakers. I’m confident they can win a Super Bowl with this roster, but they need to get the mental errors under control.

Sean from Union Grove, WI

Should we expect the same second half dominance from Jordan Love that we got last year? He’s thrown a bunch of bad interceptions so far this year, are we sure they’ll be fixed?

Echoing what Spoff has stated repeatedly, Love just needs to get back to a place where his time is spent more on the practice field than the practice room. We haven’t seen the best version of Love because Love hasn’t been his best physically yet.