The Green Bay Packers have yet to add a pass rusher this offseason, even though there are a lot of question marks surrounding this unit. Micah Parsons is expected to miss at least the first three or four games this upcoming season, which will put immediate pressure on the unproven trio of Lukas Van Ness, Collin Oliver, and Barryn Sorrell.
The Packers could use another veteran pass rusher in that room to offset the snaps missed by Parsons. Luckily for Green Bay, free agent defensive end AJ Epenesa is suddenly back on the open market after things fell through with the Cleveland Browns.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi reported that the Browns won’t be signing Epenesa as they weren’t “comfortable finalizing the deal after his physical.” This is an interesting development, as the Browns were reportedly going to sign Epenesa to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million.
However, with Cleveland not being comfortable with the results of his physical, the 27-year-old defensive end re-enters free agency, potentially at a cheaper rate, which could bode well for the Packers.
Browns Backing Out of Epenesa Signing Allows Packers to Now Swoop in
In addition to not having Parsons possibly for the first month of the season, Green Bay will not have Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare at its disposal, who departed the organization this month.
That means the Packers will have to find a way to fill 1,121 defensive snaps. Sorrell and Oliver will factor into that mix, but Epenesa could easily take on the lion's share. The free-agent pass rusher has a tie to Green Bay, as Bobby Babich, who coached in Buffalo for the last nine years, is with the Packers as their secondary/defensive pass game coordinator.
Babich has known Epenesa for his entire career and had a chance to work with him a ton over the last two seasons as Buffalo’s DC. If there’s anyone who could vouch for him and quell any fears Green Bay might have, it's Babich.
Epenesa didn’t have his best year as a pass rusher with the Bills in 2025, as he started only two games after starting 13 in 2024. However, he still managed to have nine quarterback hits, four pass deflections, 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and two interceptions.
According to Pro Football Focus, Epenesa also had 28 pressures, which is impressive, as he played 152 fewer pass-rushing snaps. For comparison's sake, during the 2024 season, when he was a full-time starter, Epenesa had 22 pressures.
Before last season, Epenesa had three-straight seasons with six or more sacks, which shows he can be effective in the right situation. Green Bay could be that fit, as he has the perfect size (6'6", 260 lbs.) to work in a Jonathan Gannon scheme, especially if he runs a 3-4 defense.
Van Ness, who also went to Iowa like Epenesa, is comparable in size and weight class (6'5", 272 lbs.) to the free agent defender. However, Van Ness doesn’t have the production to back up the measurables.
Nonetheless, without Gary (6'5", 277 lbs.) and Enagbare (6'4", 258 lbs.), the Packers could use a bigger defensive end on a one-year deal. If the move doesn’t pan out, Green Bay can easily cut ties with Epenesa. But if it does work out without Parsons for the time being, the Packers’ defense could be in good shape when he does return.