Green Bay, WI — After a resurgent 2024 season, the Green Bay Packers’ defense isn’t satisfied with just being great — they want to be historic. And it all starts with one mission: force more fumbles.

Statistically, the Packers ranked as one of the NFL’s top defenses last year, vaulting from 17th to 5th in total defense and boasting their best run-stopping unit in 15 seasons. Under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, Green Bay also created 13 more takeaways than the previous season.

But Hafley isn’t resting easy.

“We took the ball away last year. We didn’t force enough fumbles,” Hafley admitted during Wednesday’s press conference. “That’s not good enough.”

While Green Bay did tie for eighth in the NFL with 16 forced fumbles — converting 14 of them (third-best league-wide) — Hafley believes there’s another level this unit can reach. That belief is fueling the team’s training camp identity: relentless, physical, and obsessed with the ball.

The rise of the “Ball King”

To turn his vision into daily practice, Hafley handed the reins to defensive quality control coach Wendel Davis, now known around the locker room as simply the “Ball King” — or BK.

Davis tracks every forced turnover during practice, grading defenders with pluses and minuses for their ball awareness. And when someone strips the ball on film? A loud siren button blares during meetings, energizing the room and reinforcing the message: The football is everything.

“He gets up there and does an unbelievable job,” Hafley said. “It’s fun, but it’s serious. And it’s working.”

The team has embraced the culture. Safety Evan Williams shared that players are now motivated daily by a single number: 43 — the record-setting turnover margin set by Washington in 1983. Ironically, that team featured Mark Murphy, who recently retired as Packers president and CEO, and led the NFL with nine interceptions that season.

“A quarterback might give you a couple gimmes,” Williams said. “But to go earn that forced fumble is different. Guys are coming into practice with the right mindset — ball awareness is everything.”

2025 vision: lead the NFL in fumbles and takeaways

Last year, Green Bay wasn’t far off. They finished just:

• 2 takeaways behind NFL leaders Pittsburgh and Minnesota (33),

• 6 forced fumbles behind the Steelers and Eagles (22), and

• 2 fumble recoveries behind Buffalo (16).

Now, with nearly every starter returning on defense, Hafley is laying a foundation for a unit that doesn’t just tackle — it hunts.

“The way we play — the style, the physicality, the aggression — that’s non-negotiable,” Hafley said.

Even Head Coach Matt LaFleur sees the shift. In his seventh year with the team, he told reporters:

“This defense is attacking the ball like I’ve never seen before.”

Final takeaway: it’s not hype, it’s obsession

Before Hafley speaks in meetings, Davis gets the floor. Because to the Packers, the ball is the most important thing.

This isn’t just another training camp slogan. It’s a culture shift. And if this intensity carries into the regular season, Green Bay could be staring down NFL history in 2025 — with the Ball King leading the charge.