| Green Bay Packers | |
|---|---|
| Title | General manager |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 19, 1973 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College | Wisconsin–La Crosse (1993–1994) |
| Position | Defensive back |
| Career history | |
Coaching | |
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Operations | |
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| Awards and highlights | |
| Executive profile at Pro Football Reference | |
Brian Willis Gutekunst (born July 19, 1973) is an American professional football executive who is the general manager for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He joined the team in 1998 and served as a scout and assistant executive before being promoted to general manager in 2018.
Gutekunst was born on July 19, 1973, in Raleigh, North Carolina. [1] His father, John Gutekunst, was the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team. Gutekunst attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. During his time there, he played defensive back on the football team before suffering a career-ending shoulder injury. Afterwards, he served as an assistant coach with the team, including during their 1995 Division III National Championship season.
Gutekunst spent most of the 1998 NFL season with the Kansas City Chiefs as a scouting assistant. He then joined the Packers as a college scout for the East Coast of the United States. Gutekunst assumed his position as director of college scouting in 2012. He was promoted to director of player personnel in March 2016.
In January 2018, Packers general manager Ted Thompson, who had been recently diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disorder, assumed a reduced role and named Gutekunst to the position after interviewing other internal candidates. [2]
The Packers were over the salary cap for the upcoming 2018 season, as Jordy Nelson and Morgan Burnett would end it up intro their new teams in free agents[ clarification needed ] and traded away former first-round draft pick Damarious Randall to the Cleveland Browns for DeShone Kizer. In the 2018 NFL draft the Packers selected Jaire Alexander out the University of Louisville with the 18th pick of the first round. Later the Packers selected DB Joshua Jackson from Iowa, LB Oren Burks from Vanderbilt, WRs J'Mon Moore in fourth round, Marquez Valdes-Scantling in fifth round and Equanimeous St. Brown from Notre Dame who ended up in sixth round. They also drafted J. K. Scott and Hunter Bradley and undrafted free agent players like Tim Boyle, James Crawford, Raven Greene, Tyler Lancaster and Alex Light. In August the Packers traded Brett Hundley to the Seattle Seahawks. In midseason the Packers traded away Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Ty Montgomery. On December 2, 2018, after a 4–7–1 start, the team fired Mike McCarthy.
On January 7, 2019, the Packers hired Matt LaFleur as their new head coach. In the offseason, the Packers lost Randall Cobb and Clay Matthews to free agency, but they signed former Chicago Bears safety Adrian Amos as well as Linebackers Preston Smith and Za'Darius Smith. In the 2019 NFL draft, the team selected Michigan linebacker Rashan Gary with the 12th pick and Maryland safety Darnell Savage with the 21st pick, They also drafted Elgton Jenkins from Mississippi State in the second round. In August the Packers traded Reggie Gilbert to the Tennessee Titans and Justin McCray to the Cleveland Browns then they Acquire B. J. Goodson from the New York Giants.
In free agency the Packers signed former Cleveland Browns linebacker Christian Kirksey and tackle Rick Wagner from the Detroit Lions following departure of Bryan Bulaga and Blake Martinez. In the 2020 NFL draft, the Packers selected quarterback Jordan Love out of Utah State, and later they selected Boston College running back A. J. Dillon, as well as Cincinnati tight end Josiah Deguara in the third round and Jon Runyan Jr. in the sixth round.
On April 26, 2023, the Packers traded Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets which caused that Jordan Love to begin as their next starting quarterback. In the 2023 NFL draft, the Packers selected Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness with the 13th pick. Additionally, they drafted wide receivers Jayden Reed in second round and Dontayvion Wicks in the fifth round, tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford as their next backup, Auburn Kicker Anders Carlson, defensive players like Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, Carrington Valentine and Anthony Johnson Jr. and undrafted free agent additions of Malik Heath and Emanuel Wilson. As well they added Daniel Whelan, Matthew Orzech and Jonathan Owens then they claimed second year Zayne Anderson and rookie tight end Ben Sims. In midseason the Packers traded Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills.
Over the off-season, the Packers released David Bakhtiari, De'Vondre Campbell and Aaron Jones as free agents and had additions of Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney and notable 2024 NFL draft picks such as Jordan Morgan in first round, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safeties Javon Bullard and Evan Williams. Bullard become the fourth Georgia player ever drafted by Packers. In August the Packers Acquire Malik Willis from the Tennessee Titans and they released second year players like Anders Carlson, Sean Clifford, Anthony Johnson Jr. and Benny Sapp III. In October the Packers signed former Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus then in November the Packers traded Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In offseason the Packers notable Departures of A. J. Dillon, Eric Stokes, Josh Myers and Tedarrell Slaton into free agents. In Additions of former 49ers Offensive guard Aaron Banks and former Raiders Cornerback Nate Hobbs. In 2025 NFL draft the Packers drafted two new wide receivers additions of Matthew Golden in first round and Savion Williams in third round. In August of that same year, the Packers acquired Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Kenny Clark, and two 1st round draft picks.