Green Bay Packers salary cap breakdown by position groups
By Paul Bretl
On paper, the Green Bay Packers have $21.32 million in available cap space, according to Over the Cap (OTC), which is top 10 in the NFL. However, this is a team that hasn’t been operating as if they have that much spending power this offseason.
First off, in order to even get to this point, it took Green Bay restructuring just about every contract that they could, pushing more cap charges into future seasons. They’ve also been spending very frugally in free agency, with a number of inexpensive one-year deals, as they likely prepare for their available cap space to be cut almost in half following a pending trade—more on that shortly.
Below I take a look at how much cap space the Packers have allocated to each position group and provide some thoughts as well.
It’s important to note that not every player currently on the team is listed, as I stuck to just the top-51 players on the roster (from a cap hit standpoint) since those are the players who count towards the salary cap in the offseason.
In addition to that, players who have “dead money” next to their name are no longer on the team, but due to either being cut or, in most instances, having void years added to their contract in previous offseasons, they still count towards the Packers 2023 salary cap. The figures that you’ll see are the projected cap hits from OTC.
Quarterback: $35.56M
Aaron Rodgers: $31.62M
Jordan Love: $3.94M
Depending on when Rodgers is traded will have a major impact on the Packers’ 2023 salary cap. If he’s traded to New York prior to June 1st, Green Bay will take on an additional $8.7M in dead cap, increasing Rodgers’ cap hit to $40.3 million. On the flip side, if he’s traded after June 1st, only $15.83 million in dead cap will be left behind for this season, meaning that the Packers’ cap space will increase by roughly $16 million.
However, instead of Rodgers being completely off the books in 2024, which is the case if he’s traded before June 1st, in this scenario, there is also a dead cap hit of over $24 million that the Packers have to contend with next season. With Green Bay in the midst of a transition, getting this deal done before June 1st, so Rodgers’ contract is completely off the books in 2024, is the way to go.
From a roster standpoint, Green Bay will have to add at least two quarterbacks this offseason, with only Love and Danny Etling on the roster once this trade takes place. With 10 draft picks, I won’t be surprised at all to see one of them spent on the quarterback position.
Running back: $10.81M
Aaron Jones: $8.19M
AJ Dillon: $1.68M
Patrick Taylor: $940,000
Jones entered the offseason with a cap hit of $20.01 million–a massive amount for a running back. So his deal was always going to have to be reworked. Jones would end up taking a pay cut, and the Packers restructured his deal as well, freeing up $11.8 million in needed cap space.
The Packers could be looking to add to the running back position in this year’s draft. With Jones’ cap number ballooning to $17.17 million next offseason, he again could be at risk of being cut. Dillon, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
Wide Receiver: $5.88M
Christian Watson: $2.1M
Romeo Doubs: $1.04M
Samori Toure: $889,253
Randall Cobb: $1.39M (Dead Money)
Amari Rodgers: $461,782 (Dead Money)
An absolute must in this draft for the Packers is spending multiple early to middle-round draft picks on either the receiver or tight end positions. The cupboards are pretty bare within each position group, and the team needs to put additional playmakers around Jordan Love. At receiver specifically, there are only five players on the roster, with three having NFL experience. In fact, Doubs is the most experienced receiver with 529 career snaps. I’m not sure if it’s in the cards or not, but adding a veteran presence to this room for some stability wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.
Tight End: $3.68M
Josiah Deguara: $1.095M
Tyler Davis: $1.04M
Robert Tonyan: $500,000 (Dead Money)
Marcedes Lewis: $1.05M (Dead Money)
As I just mentioned, there are major holes to fill at tight end for the Packers, with only four on the entire roster and Deguara being the only one with experience on offense. Specific roles that the Packers should be trying to fill at the position include finding a dynamic presence in the passing game, something that was lacking in 2022. A well-rounded player who can impact both the running and passing games, adding some unpredictability to the offense–again, something that was missing. Not to mention that a traditional Y-tight end for that blocking presence wouldn’t be a bad idea, either. The good news is that this draft class is loaded at the position, and the Packers need to leave with at least two tight end selections.
Interior Offensive Line: $14.42M
Elgton Jenkins: $6.96M
Jon Runyan: $2.78M
Josh Myers: $1.52M
Sean Rhyan: $1.16M
Royce Newman: $1.06M
Jake Hanson: $940,000
The Packers don’t really need to address their interior offensive line, but with Brian Gutekunst selecting nine offensive linemen in the last three drafts, odds are they will. And in true Packers fashion, it will likely be a Day 3 offensive tackle who is moved inside.
Offensive Tackle: $28.51M
David Bakhtiari: $21.33M
Yosh Nijman: $4.43M
Zach Tom: $996,084
Rasheed Walker: $890,219
Caleb Jones: $870,000
Again, this doesn’t look like a position that has to be added to, but given the potential outlook of this unit in 2024, I won’t be surprised if the Packers do early on in the draft. Due to the cap savings that come with moving on from Bakhtiari next offseason, this is likely his final year with the team. Nijman will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason and could be gone as well. While Walker and Jones have exciting upside, we don’t know if either can be a starting caliber player. All of a sudden, and very quickly, there could be a lot of uncertainty at one of the game’s most important positions.
Interior Defensive Line: $22.24M
Kenny Clark: $12.91M
Devonte Wyatt: $2.92M
TJ Slaton: $1.01M
Jonathan Ford: $895,272
Dean Lowry: $3.01M (Dead Money)
Jarran Reed: $1.49M (Dead Money)
Like the receiver and tight end positions, the Packers are low on both players and experience along the interior defensive line. Currently, there are just five players on the roster and only three with playing time experience. As I wrote about recently, this is one of those positions not garnering a lot of attention but one I could easily see the Packers spending a top 100 pick on. When the defense was playing its best late last season, so was the interior defensive line. Every player on the defense benefits when there is a quick push from the interior.
Edge Rusher: $21.43M
Rashan Gary: $10.89M
Preston Smith: $6.37M
Justin Hollins: $1.28M
Jonathan Garvin: $1.02M
La’Darius Hamilton: $940,000
Kingsley Enagbare: $930,639
One of the few remaining cap-saving moves that the Packers have is an extension for Rashan Gary. Since he is playing on a fifth-year option, his entire $10.89M salary counts against the 2023 cap. If extended, however, that will free up between $3 million and $4 million in cap space. Without Gary on the field last season, this unit was unable to create consistent pressure, and in general, they struggled against the run. For this reason, along with it being a very deep draft class at the position, an early-round edge rusher selection is very much in play.
Linebacker: $10.72M
De’Vondre Campbell: $5.52M
Quay Walker: $3.14M
Eric Wilson: $1.092M
Isaiah McDuffie: $972,976
These are the only four players on the roster, so at least in terms of getting through training camp and the preseason, at least two more players will have to be added. Now, with Walker and Campbell playing all the defensive snaps, along with McDuffie and Wilson being core special teams players, there may not even be a roster spot available for whoever is brought in. Perhaps the Packers spend one of their seventh-round picks on a linebacker since positional need at that stage of the draft loses its importance, but a few UDFA signings might be more likely.
Cornerback: $24.07M
Jaire Alexander: $10.75M
Rasul Douglas: $4.43M
Eric Stokes: $3.25M
Keisean Nixon: $2.77M
Shemar Jean-Charles: $1.00M
Corey Ballentine: $1.00M
Kiondre Thomas: $870,000
Do the Packers need a cornerback? No, they don’t need one. In what is a very deep draft class with a number of high-end athletes, do I think Gutekunst will be tempted at some point? Absolutely. Adding another cornerback to the mix would also give the Packers added flexibility to move Douglas to safety.
Safety: $21.56M
Darnell Savage: $7.9M
Rudy Ford: $1.5M
Dallin Leavitt: $1.4M
Tarvarius Moore: $990,000
Tariq Carpenter: $896,312
Innis Gaines: $870,000
Adrian Amos: $7.95M (Dead Money)
Despite there still being a lot of uncertainty at this position, the Packers still have over $21 million in cap space devoted to the safety position. Dead money left behind by Amos, who will likely be playing elsewhere, and a not-so-great fifth-year option for Savage totals nearly $16 million of that. Not to say that there can’t be upgrades made, but at the very least, the Packers do have options at the position. I believe that they’ve positioned themselves so that drafting a safety early on in this draft isn’t a must–which is a good thing, considering that this is not a strong draft class.
Specialists: $4.56M
Pat O’Donnell: $2.37M
Matt Orzech: $1.18M
Mason Crosby: $1.01M (Dead Money)
Not that Orzech’s contract would be difficult to get out of for the Packers, but he signed a three-year deal this offseason, which tells us that he is the clear front-runner for the long-snapper role this season as he competes with Jack Coco. As far as kicker goes, only Parker White – who has no experience – is on the roster. In addition to figuring out this season whether or not Love can be their starting quarterback moving forward, the Packers should be searching heavily for their next long-term kicker–a task that’s easier said than done. I wouldn’t be shocked to see them spend a draft pick on the position.