The Green Bay Packers are getting close to kicking off their 2025 offseason workout programs, but you can bet your bottom dollar the front office already has its eyes on next year’s financial chessboard.
Maybe the Packers’ quiet free agency this offseason wasn’t about hesitation—it might’ve been strategy. Because a cap avalanche is coming in 2026, and Green Bay knows it.
Several key players are set to hit unrestricted free agency, including Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, Sean Rhyan, Kingsley Enagbare, and Malik Willis.
Keeping the whole gang together isn’t realistic. The money just isn’t there. According to OverTheCap, the Packers are projected to have only $6.1 million in cap space heading into 2026.
To carve out some financial breathing room, some tough cuts may be coming. Here are five way-too-early cap casualties to keep on your radar for 2026.
Isaiah McDuffie
The ink is barely dry on Isaiah McDuffie’s new two-year, $8 million contract—and yet, his future in Green Bay might already be on the chopping block.
He’s set to carry a $4.975 million cap hit in 2026. That’s not a bank-breaker, but it’s also not nothing—especially for a player who might be fourth or fifth on the depth chart. The Packers could save $3.7 million by letting him go, and that’s the kind of math teams start to crunch when the cap gets tight.
McDuffie’s value comes from being a solid special-teams guy and a serviceable depth option on defense. But he’s also the kind of player teams feel they can swap out without much drop-off.
Looking ahead, Green Bay already has Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper under contract for 2026. They also just added Isaiah Simmons, who brings similar versatility—and a bit more juice. And even though they declined Quay Walker’s fifth-year option, there’s still a good chance he re-signs on a more team-friendly deal.
In short, McDuffie could be caught in a cap crunch. He’s not a bad player—just a potential casualty of the numbers game.