Rashan Gary
I recently wrote about how Rashan Gary needs to be the Packers' most valuable defensive player in 2025. But let’s call it like it is: so far, Green Bay isn’t getting enough bang for their buck.
Gary led the team last season in sacks (7.5), hurries (10), quarterback knockdowns (8), and total pressures (26). On paper, that looks solid—until you realize it says more about the Packers' anemic pass rush than Gary lighting the world on fire.
Across the NFL, Gary was just another guy. He ranked 37th in sacks, 27th in hurries, 47th in QB knockdowns, and 32nd in total pressures. That’s not the résumé of a game-wrecker.
And then there’s the money. Gary is set to be Green Bay’s second-highest cap hit in 2025 at a jaw-dropping $25.77 million. That number jumps to $28.02 million in 2026 and remains the second-highest on the team behind Jordan Love. You don’t pay middle-of-the-pack production top-of-the-market money—at least not for long.
If Gary doesn’t take a big leap this season, he could be in danger of getting cut. The Packers do have an out in his contract: they’d save $10.99 million by moving on in 2026. The catch is they'd still be stuck eating $17.04 million in dead money—something no team signs up for willingly.
In a perfect world, Gary plays up to his paycheck and becomes the defensive anchor this team needs. But this isn't Madden, and the clock is ticking. Gary needs to prove immediately he's worth the massive paycheck he's collecting every week.