The Green Bay Packers didn’t do anything at the trade deadline. General manager Brian Gutekunst was apparently in on some talks and the Packers desperately need an established wide receiver, but the deadline came and went and the transaction report up in Green Bay remained quiet.

And now, Packers fans want Gutekunst fired.

Of course, much of the vitriol toward Gutekunst could be a byproduct of the fan base being in a position it hasn’t experienced in quite some time. Green Bay is 3-5 and riding a four-game losing streak. For a franchise that’s usually on top of the NFC North and has been a consistent Super Bowl contender from the days of Brett Favre straight into the Aaron Rodgers era, being a “bad” team (despite having a healthy Rodgers) probably feels downright foreign.

Packers fans are frustrated, and rightfully so.

Still, fans who want to see Gutekunst gone do have a point. Yes, he’s presided over a team that has been a constant contender in the NFC for the past few seasons, but he’s also made some questionable decisions. 

First and foremost, he traded up in the 2020 NFL Draft to draft Jordan Love, spending a first-round pick on a player who has spent most of his time watching the games on the sideline. In the process, he overlooked wide receiver after wide receiver and inarguably created a wedge between his team’s best player, Rodgers, and the front office.

So what if the move “lit a fire” under Rodgers, leading to two-straight MVP seasons for the legendary quarterback. How many Super Bowls did drafting Love bring to the Packers in a quickly dwindling Super Bowl window? Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas knows the answer to that question. 

Gutekunst has hit on some draft picks, but he’s also failed on many many more. Only one player, Jaire Alexander, remains on the team from his 2018 draft. Players like Jace Sternberger (third round, 2019) and Amari Rodgers (third round, 2021) also send their regards. And sure, that’s part of drafting. Heck, that’s part of being a general manager. It’s an inexact process. Still, Gutekunst’s inability to find a wide receiver of note while watching Davante Adams — the best receiver in the NFL — walk out the door this offseason was foolish at best and malpractice at worse.

Going into this season with Allen Lazard as the No. 1 wideout on the team was a stretch. Trusting two rookies, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, to quickly grow alongside Lazard while trotting out the near corpses of Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins? That’s potentially a fireable offense, especially with a frustrated Rodgers at the helm of the offense.

So yes, it made sense that Packers fans on Reddit and Twitter were calling for Gutekunst’s head on a proverbial platter when the trade deadline came and went with no wideouts heading up to Green Bay.