Colin Cowherd isn’t buying the Green Bay Packers as a true Super Bowl contender, at least not yet.
On a recent episode of The Herd, the FOX Sports host questioned whether the Packers have enough elite talent to justify their No. 5 spot in The Athletic’s preseason power rankings. While he acknowledged the team’s stability and coaching, Cowherd pointed to a lack of star power as a concern.
“Most Super Bowl winning teams, even teams that get there, have like six or seven elite players,” Cowherd said. “I can’t really name seven or eight great Packer players.”
To make his case, Cowherd compared Green Bay to a team he sees as underrated: the Denver Broncos. He listed what he called the top 12 players between the two rosters and gave Denver the edge with eight names.
“The best player would be Patrick Surtain of Denver,” he said. “He did not miss a tackle last year. I’m not joking. He’s the best corner in the NFL.”
Cowherd placed Packers right tackle Zach Tom at No. 2, followed by Josh Jacobs at No. 3. But the rest of the list leaned heavily Denver; Nik Bonitto, Quinn Meinerz, Zach Allen, and Garett Bolles were all ranked ahead of most Packers. Jordan Love landed at No. 8, just ahead of Broncos rookie Bo Nix. Safety Xavier McKinney rounded out the Packers’ representation.
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His comments come as optimism in Green Bay builds. Love is entering his third season as the starter, and the Packers are fresh off back-to-back playoff runs. They also have one of the youngest rosters in the league, which seems to be a potential strength. But Cowherd argued that youth alone doesn’t win championships.
Even Love, whose 2024 season featured 32 touchdowns and flashes of high-end play, wasn’t spared. Being ranked behind a rookie reflects lingering questions about his ceiling. In 2025, he’ll lead a receiving group that includes Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and rookie Matthew Golden trying to prove that he belongs among the league’s best.
“What’s their best unit?” Cowherd asked. “You’d say wide receiver, then why did they draft one in the first round? Christian Watson can’t stay healthy.” He's not the first to have his doubts either, with rumors of Watson's departure floating frequently throughout this past offseason.
The Packers have thrived on depth and development more than star power. But with contenders like the Eagles, Ravens, Bills, and Chiefs loaded with All-Pros, Cowherd isn’t sure Green Bay can match up.
General manager Brian Gutekunst disagrees.
“We’ve had a lot of regular-season success over the past six, seven years,” he said on Wednesday, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. “But it’s really about trying to get into the playoffs and move forward and accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish.”
That next step: breaking through to true title contention, is what Cowherd and others are still waiting to see.