The winning culture, the defensive coordinator and even the town of Green Bay helped lure free-agent linebacker Christian Kirksey to the Packers.
Kirksey explained to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic all the reasons why he picked the Packers over the Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills, the two other teams he visited prior to signing a two-year deal in Green Bay.
Kirksey said it was “just different” with the Packers.
“I just felt like a winning presence,” Kirksey told Schneidman. “I went to the University of Iowa and it kind of reminded me of that, like the atmosphere. The town had similarities, and also Mike Pettine. I had a great relationship with him. Just seeing how he coached then, he drafted me. It just felt at home. It felt like it was the right decision. Sometimes you can’t stray away from your gut feeling. That’s what I went with was my gut feeling and also just a winning organization. The culture there, I wanted to be a part of.”
Kirkey, a third-round pick in 2014, must be desperate to win. Over his first six seasons in Cleveland, the Browns won only 24 games, the fewest in the NFL, and lost 71. No other team won fewer than 32 games or lost more than 70. The Browns never won more than seven games in a season or finished higher than third in the AFC North.
The Packers made the postseason eight straight years (2009-16) and nine times in 10 years between 2007 and 2016 before undergoing big changes in leadership over the last two seasons. After missing the playoffs in 2017 and 2018, second year general manager Brian Gutekunst and first year coach Matt LaFleur helped guide the Packers to a 13-3 season and a trip to the NFC title game in 2019.
A captain at Iowa and with the Browns, Kirksey will become an instant starter in the middle of Pettine’s defense in Green Bay. He played for Pettine for two years in Cleveland, providing another selling point for the Packers.
Kirksey called Pettine a “smart coach” who knows the strengths of his players and how to put players “in the best position to succeed.”
Pettine didn’t last in Cleveland. Neither did Kirksey, who missed 23 games the last two seasons due to injury. Now, the pair must work together to help the Packers build on an unexpectedly prolific season of winning in 2019.
Playing in a place called Titletown comes with expectations. The standards are different. After years of losing in Cleveland, Kirksey is ready to embrace it.
“…just making that transition to Green Bay, as soon as I walk in the door, I just felt a winning atmosphere,” Kirksey said. “I’m not saying that Cleveland didn’t have it, but I just felt like I fit right in. It’s crazy when you walk into the stadium, you just see this big trophy (the Lombardi Trophy replica at Lambeau). It’s like, ‘Man, that’s the standard.’ And I really was impressed with that. I’m just looking forward to my time here.”
A message from new #Packers LB @Kirko58! #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/oDKr2eEgC3
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) March 17, 2020
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