The Green Bay Packers' 2025 season is over after ending in truly embarrassing fashion. Still, there is reason to believe in the Packers' future with a myriad of talented young players and established veterans; however, it's obvious that something has to change this offseason.
Although Green Bay's defense was elite for most of the season, one consistent exception to this was defensive back Nate Hobbs. After a great season with the Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay signed Hobbs to a four-year deal worth $48 million. A deal that was a clear overpay, with the corner unable to provide anything close to consistent coverage before suffering a season-ending injury at the end of December.
Hobbs had zero interceptions in the 2025 season despite playing 358 snaps. Adding to the case of the defender being a complete source of frustration was a pass rating of 125.3 when targeted in coverage, giving up a career-worst 11.5 yards per completion.
This lackluster performance proves that Green Bay made a huge mistake signing a player coming off an outlier of a year, making it clear that Hobbs robbed the Packers blind this season.
Nate Hobbs' 1st Packers Season Was a Financial Letdown
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, it is going to be very probable that Hobbs' incredibly frustrating performance will lead to his release. Cutting him after June 1 would save the Packers $9 million in cap space, per Spotrac, only costing the franchise a $4 million dead cap hit in 2026 and $8 million in 2027.
With plenty of money committed to quarterback Jordan Love and star pass rusher Micah Parsons, the cap relief that Hobbs' potential release could bring can't be ignored. As it stands, Green Bay is projected to be more than $4.7 million over next year's cap, so any savings could go a long way.
With Trevon Diggs added before the playoff run, the Packers have another CB who makes moving on from Hobbs that much easier. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are still under contract for the 2026 campaign, too, while Javon Bullard will continue being Green Bay's go-to man in the slot.
It's also worth noting that Hobbs' recovery timeline isn't completely clear. The corner is dealing with a sprained MCL that resulted in a trip to IR, ending his season prematurely. If he failed to live up to the expectations his contracts brought this season, he could miss the mark even more this fall — especially if he suffers a setback.
Hobbs doesn't meet the standards of defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley's squad, which was one of the league's best units before injuries ravaged the roster at the end of the season. With an offseason to seek out improvements and Hobbs showing zero reason to believe his performance is going to improve, giving the Packers' front office every reason to move on from an underperforming CB who's robbed the team blind.