The Green Bay Packers have a wealth of wide receivers at their disposal after selecting Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the 2025 draft. Those rookies joined the returning faces to the wide receiver room, such as Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks, giving starting quarterback Jordan Love all of the weapons on the outside he could possibly ask for.
This group was only going to stay intact for so long, though, as free agency and trades overhaul rosters across the league every offseason. For one Packers wideout, in particular, the end of the road in Green Bay could be on the horizon, as the recent draft pick's contract will expire at the end of the 2025 campaign.
Packers' Dontayvion Wicks Likely in His Final Season With Green Bay
Wicks is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason, meaning he can negotiate a contract with any of the league's 32 teams, but Green Bay would have the right to match any offer the wideout may agree to with another franchise before the former fifth-round pick could change teams.
From a production standpoint alone, Wicks has provided a lot for Green Bay in his 38 appearances for the Packers, as the former University of Virginia standout has recorded 91 receptions for 1,130 yards and nine touchdowns for the Green and Yellow. The biggest reason why Wicks is likely in his last hurrah in Green Bay has more to do with what it would likely cost to retain him, weighed against the team's actual need more than anything else.
The 24-year-old is making just over $1 million this season. Even with injuries forcing him to miss time, the likelihood that another team isn't going to offer him well north of that number seems slim. With Doubs also set to enter free agency and be unrestricted in his availability, it would make more sense to dedicate whatever money may be set aside for a wide receiver in his direction instead.
By letting Wicks walk in free agency, adding whatever type of draft pick compensation they can based on the qualifying offer they present him, they prevent the possibility of losing Wicks and Doubs in free agency for nothing in return.
Letting Wicks find a new home in the NFL would also open up more opportunities for Golden and Williams to become bigger pieces of the puzzle as they move forward with their respective careers. At the end of the day, the reasons to thank Wicks for his contributions and moving on with whatever draft compensation they can get in return make far too much sense to ignore.