History of the Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team that has played since 1919 and played professionally in the National Football League since 1921 . Founding . The Green Bay Packers were founded on August 11 , 1919 by Curly Lambeau and Ted Olson . Lambeau solicited funds for uniforms from his employer , the Indian Packing Company . He was given $ 250 for uniforms and equipment , on the condition that the team be named for its sponsor . Today , " Green Bay Packers " is the oldest team name still in use in the NFL . The Packers became a professional franchise when they joined the newly formed American Professional Football Association on August 27 , 1921 . However , the franchise was revoked by the league at the end of the season when the Packers were revealed to have used college players in a game . As it turned out , the man who told the league of this was George Halas of the Chicago Staleys , who changed their name to the Bears the following year . This incident signaled the start of the infamous Packers - Bears rivalry . Lambeau appealed to the league and they allowed the frachise to be reinstated , though Lambeau had to pay the league entry fee of $ 50 to do so . Further troubles threatened to add more debt to the team , but local businessmen , known as the " Hungry Five , " got behind the team and formed the Green Bay Football Corporation in 1923 , which continues to run the franchise to this day . Public company . The Packers are now the only publicly owned company with a board of directors in American professional sports ( although other teams , such as the Atlanta Braves < nowiki > [ Liberty Media , previously Time Warner ] < / nowiki > , New York Rangers < nowiki > [ Cablevision ] < / nowiki > , the Carolina Hurricanes < nowiki > [ Compuware ] < / nowiki > , the Seattle Mariners < nowiki > [ Nintendo of America ] < / nowiki > , and the Toronto Blue Jays < nowiki > [ Rogers Communications ] < / nowiki > are directly owned by publicly traded companies ) . Typically , a team is owned by one person , partnership , or corporate entity ; thus , a " team owner . " It has been speculated that this is one of the reasons the Green Bay Packers have never been moved from the city of Green Bay , a city of only 102 , 313 people in the 2000 census . By comparison , the typical NFL football city ' s population is in the millions . The Packers , however , have long had a large following throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest ; in fact , for decades , the Packers played three ( one pre - season , two regular - season ) home games each year in Milwaukee , first at the State Fair Park fairgrounds , then at Milwaukee County Stadium . The Packers did not move their entire home schedule to Green Bay until 1995 . The reason for ending the series of Milwaukee games , according to team president Robert Harlan , was the larger capacity of Lambeau Field and the availability of luxury boxes , which were not available at Milwaukee County Stadium . County Stadium ' s replacement , Miller Park , then being planned , was always intended to be a baseball - only stadium instead of a multipurpose stadium . Based on the original " Articles of Incorporation for the ( then ) Green Bay Football Corporation " put into place in 1923 , if the Packers franchise was sold , after the payment of all expenses , any remaining monies would go to the Sullivan - Wallen Post of the American Legion in order to build " a proper soldier ' s memorial . " This stipulation was enacted to ensure the club remained in Green Bay and that there could never be any financial enhancement for the shareholders . At the November 1997 annual meeting , shareholders voted to change the beneficiary from the Sullivan - Wallen Post to the Green Bay Packers Foundation . In 1950 , the Packers held a stock sale to again raise money to support the team . In 1956 , area voters approved the construction of a new stadium , owned by the city . As with its predecessor , the new field was named City Stadium , but after the death of founder Lambeau in 1965 , on September 11 , 1965 , the stadium was renamed Lambeau Field . Another stock sale occurred late in 1997 and early in 1998 . It added 105 , 989 new shareholders and raised over $ 24 million , money used for the Lambeau Field redevelopment project . Priced at $ 200 per share , fans bought 120 , 010 shares during the 17 - week sale , which ended March 16 , 1998 . As of June 8 , 2005 , 111 , 921 people ( representing 4 , 749 , 925 shares ) can lay claim to a franchise ownership interest . Shares of stock include voting rights , but the redemption price is minimal , no dividends are ever paid , the stock cannot appreciate in value , and stock ownership brings no season ticket privileges . No shareholder may own over 200 , 000 shares , a safeguard to ensure that no individual can assume control of the club . To run the corporation , a board of directors is elected by the stockholders . The board of directors in turn elect a seven - member Executive Committee ( officers ) of the corporation , consisting of a president , vice president , treasurer , secretary and three members - at - large . The president is the only officer to draw compensation ; The balance of the committee is sitting " gratis . " The team ' s elected president represents the Packers in NFL owners meetings unless someone else is designated . During his time as coach , Vince Lombardi generally represented the team at league meetings in his role as general manager , except at owners - only meetings . Championships . The Packers have won 13 league championships , more than any other American professional football team . They have also won 4 Super Bowl s . Their arch - rivals the Chicago Bears are second , with nine NFL championships ( including one Super Bowl ) . The historical rivalry with Chicago extends to the Hall of Fame - the Packers have the second most Hall of Famers ( 21 , behind the Bears ' 26 ) . The Packers are also the only team to win three straight NFL titles , which they did twice ( 1929 – 1931 and 1965 – 67 ) . The first " Dark Ages " ( 1945 - 1958 ) . Following their 1944 championship , the Packers finished 6 - 4 in 1945 and 6 - 5 in 1946 . After the NFL established a uniform 12 - game season in 1947 , Green Bay won six games , lost five , and had one tie . The team only won three games in 1948 and began to experience financial problems , which worsened in the 2 - 10 1949 season . Afterwards , Curly Lambeau stepped down as head coach . A bond drive was issued in 1950 , which raised $ 118 , 000 for the struggling team . Gene Ronziani replaced Lambeau as coach , and the team began using the green and gold colored uniforms that have been worn ever since . But Green Bay still only won three games that season and in 1951 . They reached 6 - 6 in 1952 and nearly made the postseason , but were kept out by a loss to Detroit . During this period , the issue of a new stadium began to crop up . City Stadium was an extremely inadequate facility , seating only 25 , 000 . Players also had to use the locker rooms at the local high school . In order to improve revenue , the Packers began playing one or two home games a year at the newly - constructed Milwaukee County Stadium , a practice that continued until 1995 . The first game played at MCS was a 27 - 0 shutout at the hands of Cleveland , after which the Packers finished 1953 2 - 7 - 1 and Gene Ronziani resigned . Verne Llewellyn took over as GM in 1954 and Lisle Blackbourn of Marquette University was hired as HC , but the Packers still only won four games that season . A 6 - 6 record in 1955 again put the team in postseason contention , but a loss to the Bears sent them home . The Packers fell back to 4 - 8 in 1956 , a season most noteworthy for the drafting of University of Alabama QB Bart Starr . Meanwhile , the NFL threatened to force the Packers to move to Milwaukee if they didn ' t get a more adequate stadium . The city of Green Bay approved a bond issue to build a new facility in 1956 , and New City Stadium was completed in time for the 1957 season , with Vice President Nixon attending the dedication ceremony and opening game as the Packers defeated Chicago 21 - 17 . But the season proved another disappointing 3 - 9 campaign , and Lisle Blackbourn resigned as head coach . Ray " Scooter " MacLean replaced him , but the Packers collapsed to a league - worst 1 - 10 - 1 record in 1958 . Green Bay ' s struggles in the years after World War II were due to a number of reasons . The small town environment made it hard to attract players . Some were also lost to the CFL and to military service . In addition , the Board of Directors was engaged in constant micromanagement of the team . Following the abysmal 1958 season , Vince Lombardi was hired as HC . He had previously been an assistant coach for the Giants and had been unsuccessful in several attempts at acquiring a head coaching position . Upon assuming his new job , Lombardi famously said " As of now , I ' m in charge . " This meant that he and his assistants would take care of personnel decisions from now on , while the Board of Directors would limit their activities to the business side of the franchise . Another lesser change was Lombardi ' s introduction of the familiar Packers helmet logo that has been used to the present day . Lombardi era ( 1959 - 1967 ) . Several other factors helped the Packers return to success in the following decade . After Pete Rozelle became NFL Commissioner in 1959 , he made sure that every franchise got all its games broadcast on television , as up to that point only big - market teams like the Bears and Giants enjoyed this privilege . TV helped raise revenue for small - market teams like Green Bay , and also because of the introduction of revenue sharing , which ensured that no NFL franchise would have to worry about bankruptcy . The Lombardi era got off to a promising start when the Packers shut out Chicago on the 1959 opener , ultimately finishing 7 - 5 for their first winning record in 12 years . A 21 - 0 shutout of Washington on November 22 was the last Packers game to date that did not sell out . In 1960 , the Packers finished 8 - 4 and won their first division title since 1944 . They also contested the championship game for the first time since that year against Philadelphia . The Eagles were playing on their home turf at Franklin Field however , and they won the championship game 17 - 14 . It would be Vince Lombardi ' s only postseason loss . After an 11 - 3 record in the newly - expanded 14 - game season , the Packers again won their division and went to the 1961 championship game , this time at New City Stadium . They shut out the Giants 27 - 0 for the team ' s first title since 1944 and their 7th total . The Packers would do even better in 1962 , winning 13 of 14 games , including 11 in a row . This included a rematch with the Eagles in Franklin Field . Green Bay avenged the 1960 championship game by snuffing their opponent 41 - 0 in a game widely referred to as " Lombardi ' s Revenge " . It would be the last Packers victory in Philadelphia until 2010 . They reached the championship game again , this time in Yankee Stadium . On a frigid December day , Green Bay ground down the Giants 16 - 7 to win a second straight title . A three - peat eluded Green Bay in 1963 as RB Paul Hornung was suspended by the league for betting on games . Without him , the team still finished 11 - 2 - 1 , but was swept by the Bears , who won the division and ultimately the championship . The Packers were then forced into the embarrassing situation of having to go to Miami for the so - called " Playoff Bowl " , an exhibition game the NFL held every January during 1960 - 69 between the second - place finishers of each conference . They beat Cleveland 40 - 23 , but Vince Lombardi was not happy about it , calling the Playoff Bowl " The Shit Bowl . A loser ' s game for losers . Because that ' s all second place is . " The Packers appeared to have run out of gas in 1964 , winning only eight games , losing five , and having one tie . Once again they had to contest the meaningless Playoff Bowl in Miami , this time with the Cardinals , who won 24 - 17 . Lombardi was again infuriated , calling it " a rinky - dink game in a rinky - dink town between two rinky - dink teams . " During the 1965 off - season , Curly Lambeau died and the Packers renamed New City Stadium Lambeau Field in his honor . The Packers rebounded by winning ten games and losing three , but the season ender with San Francisco was a tie , forcing them to play the Colts in Baltimore to determine the conference champion . In a close defensive struggle , the two teams tied at 10 - 10 and went into overtime , where Green Bay won it on a 25 - yard FG . Afterwards , they returned home to host Cleveland for the championship games , winning it 23 - 12 . The Packers of the 1960s were one of the most dominant NFL teams of all time . Coach Vince Lombardi took over a last - place team in 1959 and built it into a juggernaut , winning five league championships over a seven - year span culminating with victories in the first two Super Bowl s . During the Lombardi era , The Packers had a group of legendary stars : the offense was led by quarterback Bart Starr , Jim Taylor , Carroll Dale , Paul Hornung and Jerry Kramer ; the defense was led by the likes of Willie Wood , Ray Nitschke , Dave Robinson , and Herb Adderley . The greatness of the Packers of the ' 60s really began one year earlier with the hiring of head coach Vince Lombardi . In their first game under Lombardi on September 27 , 1959 , the Packers beat the heavily favored Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field . The Packers got off to a 3 – 0 start but lost the next five and then won their last four games to achieve their first winning season since 1947 . The next year , the Packers , led by Paul Hornung ' s 176 points , won the NFL West Title and played in the NFL Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles at Philadelphia . In a see - saw game the Packers trailed the Eagles by four points late in the game . The Packers began their final drive , aiming for glory , but it was not to be as Chuck Bednarik tackled Jim Taylor just nine yards short of the goal line as time ran out . In the locker room after the game , Lombardi told his men that this would be the last time the Packers would lose the championship game with him at the helm . That prediction became fact , as the Packers would never again lose the NFL Championship game under Lombardi . The Packers returned to the NFL Championship game the following season , as they faced the New York Giants . This time the game was no contest as the Packers exploded for 24 2nd quarter points as Paul Hornung , having recently returned from the Army , scored an NFL Championship record 19 points as the Packers beat the Giants to win their first NFL Championship since 1944 . Not resting on their 1961 Championship , the Packers stormed back the following season , jumping out to a 10 – 0 start en route to an amazing 13 – 1 season . The Packers faced the Giants in a much more brutal championship game than the previous year , but the Packers prevailed on the surprising foot of Jerry Kramer and the determined running of Jim Taylor . The Packers beat the Giants 16 – 7 and Titletown U . S . A . reigned supreme . 1965 season . After a two - year absence from championship football , the Pack was back in 1965 . They won some crucial games , including a 42 – 27 win over the Baltimore Colts , a contest in which Paul Hornung ( coming back from a betting scandal and injuries ) scored five touchdowns . The Packers would again beat the Colts in a playoff for the Western Conference title . The game would be remembered for Don Chandler ' s controversial field goal in which the ball possibly went wide right , but the official raised his arms to grant the three points . That disputed win earned the Packers a trip to the NFL Championship game , where Hornung and Taylor ran through the Cleveland Browns , helping the Packers defeat the Browns to earn their 3rd NFL Championship under Lombardi . 1966 would prove one of the most important years ever for both the Packers and the NFL as a whole . In 1959 , Lamar Hunt and several others , frustrated at the league ' s lack of interest in expansion , began a rival organization , the American Football League . The AFL was initially laughed at by the NFL , but by 1965 were a serious competitor and began engaging in bidding wars for top college players . This culminated in the New York Jets offering Alabama QB Joe Namath a then unheard of $ 400 , 000 contract . During the spring of 1966 , NFL and AFL heads met and agreed to an eventual merger into one big league , but only when the latter was deemed up to parity . Until then , the champions of both leagues would meet on a neutral site in January to determine the ultimate champion . The Packers meanwhile had one of the finest seasons in franchise history , finishing 12 - 2 and with Bart Starr being named league MVP . They met the Eastern Conference winner Cowboys in Lambeau Field for the NFL championship . This celebrated game saw the Packers win 34 - 27 . 1967 marked Vince Lombardi ' s final triumph . The Packers team was visibly aging , and they finished 9 - 4 - 1 . However , they still proved all - but - invincible at home as they beat the 12 - 1 Rams in Lambeau Field to again contest the league championship with Dallas . This game became known as the " Ice Bowl " due to the frigid weather conditions . But once again , Green Bay prevailed with a score of 21 - 17 . They now had to face the AFL champions ( this time the Oakland Raiders ) in Miami ' s Orange Bowl . By this point , Lombardi and the team were much more confident of victory as they easily beat Oakland 33 - 14 . After the game was over , Vince Lombardi announced that he was stepping down as head coach , although he would retain the title of general manager . Phil Bengston took his place . Predictably , the 1968 season did not see an impressive performance from the Packers ( 6 - 7 - 1 ) as Bengston proved unable to fill Lombardi ' s shoes and key players retired . Meanwhile , an exhausted Vince Lombardi announced his retirement from football altogether , and Phil Bengston assumed the GM position . The Packers improved to 8 - 6 in 1969 , but players continued to retire . Green Bay only won six games in 1970 . Meanwhile , Vince Lombardi had been seduced out of retirement by the Redskins , who made him HC and 50 % owner of that team . He led them to an 8 - 6 record in 1969 , thus preserving his streak of having never coached a team to a losing season . However , Lombardi fell ill with cancer during the 1970 off - season and died at the age of 57 . The newly - merged NFL named the Super Bowl trophy in his honor , and the street in front of Lambeau Field was named Lombardi Avenue . Meanwhile , the Packers finished 1970 6 - 8 , which included being shut out by Detroit twice . Dejected at his inability to match the standards of his illustrious predecessor , Phil Bengston resigned as HC . Dan Devine assumed the job and began the task of replacing the ' 60s players with fresh , young talent . Bart Starr himself was the last to go after starting in only four games during 1971 in which he threw three interceptions , scored one rushing touchdown , and had 24 completions in 45 attempts . Most of the work in 1971 was done by newly drafted QB Scott Hunter , and at the close of the season , Starr retired at the age of 36 . The second " Dark Ages " ( 1972 - 1991 ) . For over a quarter century after Lombardi left the Packers , they had little success . Poor drafting of players was a key reason . To cite a few examples , in the first round of the 1972 draft , when future Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris was still available , the Packers instead chose mediocre quarterback Jerry Tagge . In 1981 , when no fewer than three future Hall of Fame defenders were still available - - Ronnie Lott , Mike Singletary , and Howie Long , the Packers chose another mediocre quarterback , Rich Campbell . Finally , in 1989 , when such future legends as Barry Sanders , Deion Sanders , and Derrick Thomas were available , the Packers chose offensive lineman Tony Mandarich . Though rated highly by nearly every professional scout at the time , Mandarich ' s performance failed to meet expectations . Although the Packers would not have winning success until 1992 , there were moments when the Packers at times resembled the old Packer days of the 1960s . In 1972 , led by workhorse running backs John Brockington and new Packer MacArthur Lane , and a sturdy defense that featured rookie Willie Buchanon , the Packers clinched the NFC Central Division Title with a 10 – 4 record . That team would lose to the Washington Redskins 16 - 3 . In 1975 under new head coach Bart Starr the Packers won only 4 games , but one of those wins came at home , as the Packers beat the eventual 1975 NFC Champion Dallas Cowboys 19 – 17 on October 19 . 1976 was another losing campaign , with the Packers only achieving a 5 - 9 record , the lowest in their division . The team dropped back to a 4 - 10 season in 1977 . The frequent changes of quarterbacks during this period was indicative of Green Bay ' s troubles . When the NFL expanded the regular season to 16 games the following year , the team won six of its first seven matches , but largely due to an easy schedule . After the Packers began facing tougher opponents , the wins dried up and the final record for 1978 was 8 - 7 - 1 . The Packers had another 1 , 000 yard rusher in Terdell Middleton : he rushed for 1 , 116 yards . In the early 1980s , the Packers had a star - studded aerial attack led by quarterback Lynn Dickey and wide receivers James Lofton and John Jefferson . While the 1978 season had raised the morale of Packers fans , it did not last , for 1979 saw the team finish with a 5 - 11 record , and a 5 - 10 - 1 showing during the injury - plagued 1980 season . In 1981 , the Packers came close to the playoffs , but lost the final game of the season , a road match against the New York Jets , and ending up with an 8 - 8 record . After the 1982 season was reduced to nine games by a players ' strike , the NFL held a special playoff tournament with the eight best teams in each conference . The 5 - 3 - 1 Packers qualified for this , routing the Cardinals 41 - 16 , but in the next round lost to the Cowboys 36 - 27 . Another 8 - 8 season the following year led to the dismissal of Bart Starr as head coach . Forrest Gregg succeeded him , but after two more 8 - 8 seasons , he decided to cut several aging players and start over with fresh rookies . The rejuvenated Packers produced a 4 - 12 record in 1986 , as was typical of a rebuilding period . Another strike affected the NFL in 1987 , resulting in a 15 - game season . During the strike , the league used substitute players . The Packers fill - ins won one game and lost two before the regulars returned , but in the end the struggling team managed only a 5 - 9 - 1 record . Afterwards , Forrest Gregg resigned and was replaced by Lindy Infante . Still did the team struggle , going 4 - 12 in 1988 . With such a weak record , the Packers gained the privilege of first - round draft picks during the 1989 off - season . They selected Michigan State offensive tackle Tony Mandarich , who was getting considerable publicity due to his huge 325 - pound frame . Mandarich ( who later admitted to using steroids in college ) proved a poor choice in the end , and after three seasons of mediocre performance was cut . The 1989 campaign was the best in 17 years , with the Packers compiling a 10 - 6 record ( including a victory over the eventual Super Bowl Champion San Francisco 49ers ) , but still missing the playoffs . There followed another two losing seasons , with 6 - 10 and 4 - 12 records . A general overhaul took place during the 1992 off - season , with Mike Holmgren replacing Lindy Infante . Most importantly however , the Packers acquired second - year quarterback Brett Favre from the Atlanta Falcons . A new golden era . Favre would get off to a slow start , losing five of his first seven games , but afterwards won six in a row . The Packers finished 1992 with a 9 - 7 record . In the 1993 off - season , the team signed free - agent defensive end Reggie White . After another slow start , the Packers swept ahead for a 9 - 7 record , reaching the playoffs for the first time in eleven years . In the NFC wild card round , they faced the Detroit Lions , who had beaten them earlier in the season . In a close game , Favre led the team to a 24 - 28 victory , but in the divisional playoff round Green Bay was overwhelmed 27 - 17 by the Dallas Cowboys , the eventual Super Bowl winner . Brett Favre would also make the Pro Bowl following that season , although he would committ 2 penalties and throw an interception on the same play . The 1994 season was a near - rerun of the previous year . Again the Packers went 9 - 7 , beat the Lions 16 - 12 in the NFC wild card round , and lost the divisional game 35 - 7 to the Cowboys . In 1995 , Favre continued to cement his reputation as one of the NFL ' s finest quarterbacks , passing for 4 , 413 yards and scoring 38 touchdown passes during the team ' s 11 - 5 regular season . The Packers reached the top of the NFC Central division for the first time since 1971 . However , they still had to go through the wildcard round , overpowering Atlanta 27 - 10 . The divisional round saw them knock out the defending Super Bowl champion 49ers 27 - 17 , but were once again frustrated by the Cowboys , who beat them 38 - 27 in the NFC Championship game and went on to win another Super Bowl title . As the 1996 season began , the Packers were more determined than ever to reach the Super Bowl . Beginning with an eight - game winning streak , they faced the hated Cowboys during Week 11 on a Monday Night game . The Packers suffered a smarting loss , the score being 21 - 6 . After this , they won the last five regular season games , finishing with a record of 13 - 3 . Reaching the top of the NFC Central division , they were able to skip the wild card round this time . In the divisional playoff , they easily defeated San Francisco at Lambeau , with a score of 35 - 14 . Meanwhile , the Cowboys had lost to the Carolina Panthers , and so the Packers would have to face this two - year old expansion team in the NFC Championship match . The Packers easily beat them 30 - 13 to advance to Super Bowl XXXI . Super Bowl XXXI . Facing Green Bay in the New Orleans Superdome were the AFC champion New England Patriots . In a see - saw game , the Packers gained a 27 - 14 lead at halftime , which they never lost despite a valiant effort by their opponent . The final score was 35 - 21 , and Green Bay had won its first championship since 1967 . The defending champions would have an easy go of the 1997 season , which saw a record of 13 - 3 . Brett Favre passed for 3 , 867 yards and was named the league ' s MVP third year in a row . In their fifth consecutive playoff appearance , the Packers rolled over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 - 7 in the divisional round , then beat the 49ers 23 - 10 in the NFC Championship to make the Super Bowl for the second year in a row . Super Bowl XXXII . Playing in San Diego , the Packers would this time engage the Denver Broncos , who had lost in all their previous Super Bowl appearances . In a game that was even more see - saw than SB XXXI , Denver had taken the lead in the fourth quarter , with a score of 24 - 17 . Denver took its final lead with under 2 minutes in the game when Head Coach Mike Holmgren intentionally allowed Terrell Davis to score the go ahead touchdown . In the final minute of the game , Brett Favre threw a desperate pass at wide receiver Bill Schroeder , but it failed and the Broncos walked home with the Lombardi Trophy . 1998 - 2005 : Near Misses . Still playing strong football , the Packers compiled an 11 - 5 record in 1998 , but suffered several key injuries . They made the playoffs for the sixth year in a row , but this time as a wild card . Once again , Green Bay faced its perennial foe the San Francisco 49ers , but luck would not be on their side this time , as they lost a close game , the score being 30 - 27 . Afterwards , Mike Holmgren stepped down as head coach and was succeeded by Ray Rhodes . The Packers only managed an 8 - 8 showing in 1999 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1992 , despite a high - scoring season - ending performance against Arizona in an attempt to win a potential points - scored tiebreaker . Rhodes was quickly dumped and replaced by Mike Sherman . In 2000 , the Packers finished 9 - 7 , but again did not make the playoffs . Green Bay rebounded nicely in 2001 , going 12 - 4 and returning to the playoffs as a wild card . Per established practice , they challenged the 49ers and beat them 25 - 15 , avenging their playoff loss three years earlier . There would be no Super Bowl appearance though , as Green Bay was crushed by the St . Louis Rams in the divisional round 45 - 17 . Favre threw a record six interceptions , three of which were returned for touchdowns . The following year began strongly , with the Packers starting 8 - 1 . Divisional realignment had placed them along with Minnesota , Chicago , and Detroit in the new NFC North . Being the only team in their division to achieve a record above . 500 in 2002 , the Packers seemed a virtual shoo - in for the first - round bye . However , the final game of the season was lost at home to the Jets , which gave Green Bay the # 3 NFC seed and forced them to go through the wild card round . The playoffs would have a humiliating end as the Packers were routed 27 - 7 by the Atlanta Falcons on a snow - covered Lambeau Field for the franchise ' s first - ever home playoff loss . 2003 began rather badly . Lambeau Field had been renovated that year , but in the season opener , the Packers lost to the Vikings 30 - 25 . Brett Favre suffered several injuries during the season as well as the death of his father on the eve of a Monday Night trip to Oakland which he won in impressive fashion , trouncing the Oakland Raiders 41 - 7 . The Packers went into the final week needing to win and for the Vikings to lose to win the NFC North and to get the last playoff spot . The Packers beat the Denver Broncos while the Arizona Cardinals rallied in the final seconds to beat the Vikings , giving the Packers the NFC North championship with an 11 - 5 record . The wild card round saw a fierce struggle with the Seattle Seahawks , which tied 27 - 27 and went into overtime . Defensive back Al Harris caught a pass from Seattle and ran for a 52 - yard touchdown , giving the Packers the win . In the divisional round however , the Packers lost to Philadelphia . The game was tied 17 - 17 at the end of the 4th quarter and went into overtime , where Favre threw a pass up into the air that was intercepted by Eagles FS Brian Dawkins . Several plays later , the Eagles kicked a field goal and won 20 - 17 . In 2004 , Green Bay compiled a 10 - 6 season and reached the playoffs as a wildcard , but lost to the Vikings 31 - 17 in the first - ever playoff meeting between the two rivals . During the 2005 off - season , the team drafted QB Aaron Rodgers from California . Rodgers was intended to be the eventual successor to Brett Favre , by now 36 and showing his age by turning in a poor performance that year . Despite a devastating 52 - 3 win over New Orleans in Week 5 , Favre threw a NFL - record 29 interceptions . Injuries caused the team further problems , and the season ended with a 4 - 12 record , the worst since 1991 . This season was notable for two bizarre incidents . The first was during the Week 8 game in Cincinnati where a fan ran out onto the field and grabbed the ball from Favre , and during Week 12 in Philadelphia where another fan ran out and scattered the ashes of his dead mother into the air . Head Coach Mike Sherman was fired at the end of the 2005 season . 2006 - present : Titletown Reborn . It was widely expected that Brett Favre would retire in the 2006 off - season , but he eventually decided to continue playing . In addition , the team hired a new coach , Mike McCarthy . The regular season started badly , with the Packers being shut out at home by the Bears . An uneven stretch followed , and again Green Bay would not reach the playoffs , going 8 - 8 . 2007 witnessed a remarkable resurgence of the Packers . Getting off to a four - game winning streak , he would see a loss to the Bears in Week 5 , six straight wins afterwards , a loss to the Dallas Cowboys , and a heavy 35 - 7 defeat in Chicago . With a 13 - 3 record , Green Bay emerged at the top of the NFC North and gained a first - round bye in the playoffs . In the divisional round , they rolled over the Seattle Seahawks 42 - 20 in a snowy home game , then advanced to the NFC Championship . Also played at Lambeau , this game pitted Green Bay against the New York Giants . With below zero temperatures , it was one of the coldest in NFL history , and undoubtedly affected the 38 - year old Favre ' s performance . The game was tied 20 - 20 at the end of the fourth quarter and went into overtime . After two failed attempts , combined with an interception by Favre , the Giants managed a field goal , bringing the final score to 23 - 20 and going on to win the Super Bowl . In March 2008 , Brett Favre announced his retirement , and as planned , Aaron Rodgers stepped up as starting quarterback . Before the team publicly declared Aaron Rodgers their quarterback of the future , however , the team asked Favre if he was certain about retirement . If not , he would be welcome to play another year as the face of the face of their franchise . At the time he said he was comfortable with his decision and that he would not be returning to football . But as the summer approached , Favre suddenly decided that he wasn ' t ready to retire after all , and petitioned NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for a comeback . Goodell granted his request , but the Packers were ready to begin anew with Aaron Rodgers and had no interest in taking Favre back . They went so far as to offer him $ 25 million to stay in retirement , but he rejected it . There followed a three - week war of words between Favre and the Packers management until he threatened to sign with the Minnesota Vikings . The thought of that caused Green Bay ' s front office to panic , and they decided that he could join the New York Jets in exchange for a conditional draft pick . Favre complied , signaling the end of his reign in Green Bay and the beginning of the Aaron Rodgers era . The new quarterback got off to a slow start , winning his first two games as starter over Minnesota and Detroit , then losing the next three . Then Green Bay won two against the Seahawks and Colts , afterwards losing to the Titans and Vikings . Aside from a 37 - 3 victory over Chicago , the rest of the season was one of losses , with a final 6 - 10 record . Green Bay closed the year on an upbeat note , winning a 31 - 21 victory over the Lions on a clear , freezing day at Lambeau and giving Detroit a 0 - 16 winless season . In August 2009 , Brett Favre , after his stint with the Jets , signed with Minnesota , provoking outrage among Packers fans . The regular season got off to a poor start , as the Packers were unable to defeat any opponents with a winning record . In Week 4 , the team travelled to the Metrodome to face their former quarterback , losing 30 - 23 . Following easy wins over Detroit and Cleveland , they hosted the Vikings in Week 8 . Packers fans burned effigies of Favre , who was greeted by a chorus of boos and obscenities as he stepped onto Lambeau Field in the uniform of Green Bay ' s hated rival . Minnesota won the game handsomely , the final score being 38 - 26 . The lowest point came a week later , when the Packers lost to the then winless Buccaneers 38 - 28 . After that however , they recovered and swept through the next five games . Following a one - point loss to Pittsburgh , they defeated the Seahawks and Cardinals to secure a wild card in the playoffs . This was the 16th time in the last 17 years that they had won their regular season finale . Having to face Arizona again in the wild card round , the Packers waged a monumental struggle and managed to tie 45 - 45 at the end of the fourth quarter , sending the game into overtime . Two minutes in , the Cardinals scored a touchdown and ended Green Bay ' s playoff run . With a final score of 51 - 45 , the game set a record for the highest - scoring playoff game in NFL history . Throughout the season , the Packers struggled with their O - line , which was rated the worst in the league . Aaron Rodgers was sacked 51 times in the regular season and hit 93 times . In the playoff match with Arizona , he took another five sacks and ten hits . Green Bay ' s 2010 off - season was mainly concentrated on improving their faulty O - line . On the season opener , the Packers faced an Eagles team that was playing without QB Donovan McNabb for the first time in a decade . However , the O - line failed to deliver again as Aaron Rodgers took three sacks in the first half and also threw an interception . Meanwhile , Philadelphia ' s new QB Kevin Kolb was pulled with a concussion and replaced by Michael Vick . After a while , the Packers ' defense adjusted to him and Green Bay pulled off a 27 - 20 win , their first in Philadelphia since 1962 . Second - year LB Clay Matthews ( who knocked Kolb down ) delivered an impressive performance in the game . After an easy win over Buffalo in Week 2 , the Packers traveled to Chicago for a Monday Night match with their oldest rival . However , Green Bay exhibited very poor discipline and was plagued by numerous penalties , which had been a persistent problem ever since Mike McCarthy became head coach in 2006 . The Packers lost the game 20 - 17 . After this loss , the team returned home to face the 0 - 3 Lions in Week 4 . They escaped with a 28 - 26 win , but it was an embarrassment to have given up that many points to a team that had not won in Green Bay since 1991 and which had won just two games over the last two seasons . The Packers ' woes continued in Washington the next week . Clay Matthews ran Donovan McNabb down repeatedly in the first half of the game , but was then pulled with a hamstring sprain . This took most of the pressure off the Redskins ' offense and the game tied at 13 - 13 . Two minutes into overtime , Aaron Rodgers threw an interception and was knocked to the ground by Redskins DE Jeremy Jarmon with a concussion . Redskins kicker Graham Gano then booted a 33 - yard FG to win the game 16 - 13 . Clay Matthews and other key defensive players were missing from the Week 6 game at home versus Miami , leading to another overtime loss ( score of 23 - 20 ) . In Week 7 , the injury - thinned team hosted Minnesota on Sunday Night . Once again , Brett Favre was booed by the crowd at Lambeau , but the outcome would be different this time as Green Bay took advantage of their opponent ' s miscues ( including three Favre interceptions , one of which was returned for a touchdown ) to win 28 - 24 . Following this emotional game , the Packers gained a surprise 9 - 0 win over the 6 - 1 New York Jets by kicking three field goals and shutting an opponent out on the road for the first time since 1991 . In Week 9 , the Packers returned home for another Sunday Night match , this time with the struggling 1 - 7 Cowboys . Green Bay quickly marched out to two touchdowns in the first quarter , en route to a 45 - 7 crushing of their opponent . Following their bye week , the Packers headed to Minnesota for a rematch with the Vikings , who virtually laid down in much the same manner as Dallas . Green Bay quickly buried them 31 - 3 , causing their coach Brad Childress to be fired . It was the second consecutive game in which the team that lost to the Packers fired their head coach afterwards , as Wade Phillips had been fired by the Cowboys after their loss to the Packers . Next came a difficult road battle with the 8 - 2 Falcons , in which the Packers lost a close one 20 - 17 . After routing San Francisco , the Packers headed to Detroit . What looked like an easy win proved anything but when Aaron Rodgers was knocked out with a concussion during a QB sneak and replaced by Matt Flynn . The latter was unable to get anything going as Green Bay lost a defensive struggle 7 - 3 , falling to the Lions for the first time since 2005 . Rodgers was then ruled out for the Week 15 game at New England . Despite dire predictions , the Packers marched out to an early lead and the game remained close throughout . Matt Flynn threw three touchdown passes , but in the end , Tom Brady ' s greater experience prevailed as the Patriots won 31 - 27 . This game was nonetheless a turning point for the Packers , having been inspired by nearly beating the best team in the NFL when no one gave them a remote chance . With an 8 - 6 record , the Packers needed to win their last 2 games to gain the # 6 seed , the last seed , in the NFL playoffs . The Packers easily beat the New York Giants at home 45 - 17 and then hosted the rival Bears for the final game of the season . The Packers won the defensive struggle 10 - 3 , sealing the Packers playoff berth . In the wild card round , the Packers had to travel to Philadelphia to play the hot Eagles , led by Michael Vick . Aaron Rodgers threw for 3 touchdowns and rookie half back James Starks had a 100 + yard running game . Tramon Williams had an interception in the closing minutes sealing a Packer victory , 21 - 16 . The next game was against the Falcons in Atlanta . Atlanta was the # 1 seed and was favored to beat Green Bay , but the Packers shocked the Atlanta fans by having a 28 - 14 lead at halftime , with Tramon Williams returning an interception for a touchdown in the final seconds of the first half . The Packers scored on the opening drive of the second half and the Falcons never recovered , as Green Bay rolled to a 48 - 21 win , sending the Packers to the NFC Championship game . The NFC Championship game would be against the Bears in Chicago , in what was considered by almost everyone the biggest game ever in the Packers - Bears 90 - year old rivalry . The Packers scored on the opening drive on a touchdown run by Aaron Rodgers , and scored again in the second quarter on a run by James Starks , giving the Packers a 14 - 0 lead at halftime . The defense was able to knock starting quarterback Jay Cutler out of the game with a knee injury and soon after also knocked out back - up Todd Collins . In the 4th quarter , the Bears rallied with 3rd - string quarterback Caleb Hanie . However , two key interceptions , one by B . J . Raji returned for a touchdown , and another by Sam Shields with less than a minute left , sealed the NFC championship for the Packers , who won 21 - 14 . Super Bowl XLV . The Packers would play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV in Arlington , Texas . The Packers struck first with two touchdowns near the end of the first quarter . One on a Jordy Nelson touchdown catch and the other on a Nick Collins interception return . Collins ' touchdown marked the 3rd consecutive playoff game in which the Packers had an interception returned for a touchdown . The first half ended with the Packers winning 21 - 10 , but had lost both Charles Woodson and Donald Driver to injury . The Steelers started to rally back , but the Packers defense was able to cause a key fumble late in the game and then stopped the Steelers on their final drive , winning their 4th Super Bowl and their record 13th NFL championship , 31 - 25 . With the win , the Packers joined the Steelers , the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys as the only NFL teams to win at least four Super Bowls . Despite a lack of practices and training due to a lockout in the off - season , the Packers won a fine victory over New Orleans 41 - 32 hosting the first game of the 2011 season . After a touch - and - go battle with Carolina in Week 2 , the Packers came out on top 30 - 23 . Week 3 saw the rematch with Chicago , in which Green Bay once again prevailed 27 - 17 to get off to a 3 - 0 start . Green Bay breezed to another easy win over the Broncos to remain undefeated at 4 - 0 . References . 4 . Packers History 5 . Green Bay Packer History