GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The biggest loser in the Green Bay Packers' general manager search might have been Eliot Wolf.

The 35-year-old son of Hall of Fame GM Ron Wolf lost out to Brian Gutekunst, who was hired Sunday to succeed Ted Thompson.

"At least he had the opportunity to interview for it," Ron Wolf told ESPN on Sunday night in a phone interview from his home in Florida. "Obviously the people up there don't think he's worthy or they would've hired him. End of discussion."

It leaves the younger Wolf's future with the organization in question.

Wolf would have plenty of suitors if the Packers allow him to leave, but he would have to get permission from the team because he's still under contract. He could not leave for any job other than general manager.

Last week, the Packers let another high-ranking scout, Alonzo Highsmith, out of his contract to join the Cleveland Browns' scouting department. A source told ESPN that Browns GM John Dorsey, a former Packers personnel executive, planned to go after Wolf.

The elder Wolf ran the Packers' personnel department from 1991 to 2001 and is beloved in the NFL's smallest city for turning around a struggling franchise. Eliot grew up in Green Bay and followed his father into the business. He began writing reports on players at age 14.

He has been with the Packers since 2004, when he joined the team as a pro personnel assistant under then coach/GM Mike Sherman. Since then, Wolf has been promoted five times under Thompson and has served in his current role as director of football operations since 2016.