INDIANAPOLIS (WLUK) — The Green Bay Packers have a lot to address this offseason, and it all begins at the NFL Scouting Combine, which kicked off Tuesday.

FOX 11 Sports’ Ellie French traveled to Indianapolis, where she and other Wisconsin media outlets spoke with General Manager Brian Gutekunst in a private interview session before he took the podium.

Here are some of the highlights:

Checking out potential Packers

Approximately 300 players participate in the four-day, invitation-only Combine. It’s a chance for NFL scouts and executives to analyze potential draft picks physically, mentally and medically.

“Getting to meet these players. The testing is awesome because we have them all here and it’s nice to kind of compare apples to apples, so to speak,” Gutekunst said. “This is an information gathering time for us and there are times that, whether it’s a face-to-face interview, or whether it’s something they did physically, maybe it’s a medical thing we had to clear up, that it does change the course of where we might see that player.”

The Packers do not have a first-round pick in the 2026 Draft, as it was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in the blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons. Green Bay is currently scheduled to make their first selection in the second round at pick #52.

Still, Gutekunst is optimistic about this year’s draft class.

“The numbers across the board look pretty good. I think it’s a good draft. Certainly, there’s going to be a number of opportunities to help us,” he said.

Plans for free agency

Assessing draft prospects is a key piece of the Combine, but even more pressing for teams is the league’s upcoming free agency period, which officially starts at 3 p.m. March 11. That means it’s crunch time for the Packers to decide which of their players to retain or release.

“We’re very honest with ourselves in the evaluation process of our own football team. We spend a lot of time on that, as to where guys are in their career arc. We understand in that decision-making process, you can’t be too sentimental,” said Gutekunst.

Filling roster holes, however, isn’t always cheap. Gutekunst said the challenge is focusing on the year ahead, while also looking to the future — and not breaking the bank.

“The most important thing, I think, is the 2026 season and how we’re going to chase a championship. That’s the most important thing. That will never change. You do have to balance it to make sure that you can be competitive year in and year out. You don’t want to pile up that credit card a little too much so that you can’t be competitive down the road,” he said.

Future of special teams

Hiring a new special teams coordinator is also high on the Packers’ to-do list. Rich Bisaccia stepped down last week after four seasons in Titletown. A reason for his departure was not provided by the team.

FOX 11 Sports’ Ellie French asked Gutekunst why Bisaccia left.

“Losing him is tough, just because of what he brought to our football team. I think there were just other opportunities that he wanted to pursue. He’s coached a long time in the National Football League and as you know, it can be a grind. I think he had some other opportunities that he was looking at. Really good coach. Wherever he ends up, that place is going to be better for it,” Gutekunst said.

The biggest thing he wants to see from the Packers’ new special teams coordinator is consistency.

“Making sure that we’re ready for whatever situation that comes up in a football game and ready to play winning football in that situation,” Gutekunst said. “[Special teams] is incredibly important… All these games are coming down to a kick or a couple points, so everything matters. The details matter, and that’s a big part of winning a football game.”

Green Bay will also have a new defensive coordinator in the 2026-27 season. Jeff Hafley left to become the head coach for the Miami Dolphins. The Packers replaced him with former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Areas of improvement

Gutekunst said the Packers will be looking to add competition in all areas, but particularly offensively, in the secondary and at inside linebacker.

“To me, it’s not about positionally. It’s more about our entire football team because how we’re going to play — we have a new defensive coordinator — there’s so many things that are undetermined right now, but to me, if you get enough well-rounded football players that can compete at any level, the better you’re going to be,” he said.

Working together

The relationship between Gutekunst, head coach Matt LaFleur, executive vice president and director of football operations Russ Ball and new president/CEO Ed Policy is very strong, according to Gutekunst.

“We’re not hiding from anything. We’re very, very realistic about where we are and what our team looks like and what we need to do,” Gutekunst said. “This is a big week for us. The next few weeks are very important for us, and I think we’re excited about what we can do to help the football team next year.”

Playing overseas

As the NFL continues to expand its presence internationally, it’s anticipated that each team will play more games overseas in the coming years. So far, the Packers have lost both of their international regular-season contests — London in 2022 and São Paulo in 2024.

“As an organization, we have to be really, really good at traveling abroad and playing those games,” Gutekunst said. “I don’t think we’ve had a ton of success over there. We have to get to a point where we’re really, really comfortable going over there and winning football games.”

Not so young anymore

The 2025 season marked the third straight year the Packers had the youngest team in the NFL. Gutekunst said he’s looking forward to seeing what many of his players can do, now that they aren’t newbies in the league.

“Our 2026 will be defined mostly by that — the guys that are already here and what they do to get better and better our football team,” he said. “I’m excited about that, because I really do like the group of guys we have in that locker room. There’s some guys that are really coming into the best years of their career. They’ve got a lot of experience under their belt now. We’re a seasoned team and I think right now, what we have to do is we have to be able to get in those moments that we’ve struggled with the last two years and finish them off.”