The Green Bay Packers have it relatively easy this offseason when it comes to their own free agents. Or at least, as easy as it ever gets in the NFL.
There are no headline names set to hit the market, no franchise-altering decisions looming. That’s a luxury most teams don’t have.
It also gives Green Bay something just as valuable as cap space—flexibility. Instead of scrambling to retain stars, the front office can focus its limited resources on upgrading key areas and taking this roster from a frisky playoff team to a real Super Bowl threat.
But just because there are no big names doesn’t mean there are no important names. Letting the wrong role players walk can be just as costly as losing a star, and Green Bay still has some critical decisions to make.
Here are three players the Packers can’t afford to let hit free agency in 2025.
Daniel Whelan
At this point, Daniel Whelan might be a little overrated. He ranked 27th in punting average (46.1 yards per punt), 28th in net yards per punt (39.6), and 25th in punts inside the 20 (39.3 percent).
But he’s still a quality punter with room to grow.
Whelan has only been in the NFL for two years and has already shown progress. The booming leg was never in question—he’s always had the power. The improvement in accuracy and touch was the bigger storyline in 2024. He was much better at pinning opponents deep and limiting return opportunities, a critical skill in tight games.
He’s also not going anywhere anytime soon. As an exclusive rights free agent, Green Bay holds all the leverage. But instead of rolling year to year, the Packers should at least consider locking him into a multi-year deal at a discount.
Punter might not be a premium position, but a steady, improving one is worth keeping around.