When the Green Bay Packers' 2025 campaign began, Rashan Gary appeared on his way to a breakout season, totaling 7.5 sacks in the first two months. It seemed that playing alongside Micah Parsons had been the missing piece that unlocked Gary's potential. However, after Oct. 26, Gary wouldn't register another sack for the remainder of the season. In case you're wondering, this was 10 games, including the playoff loss to the Chicago Bears, where Gary failed to make a notable impact.
This is a far cry from Gary's contract, which carries a scheduled $28 million cap hit for the 2026 season. A roster cut needs to be made. The best time to do this would be after June 1, as it'd save the franchise $19.5 million. Both the 2026 and 2027 seasons will carry an $8.5 million dead cap hit if the Packers do make the expected move. It is in Green Bay's best interests to move on and attempt to find another fit to start opposite Parsons.
Gary lacks a reasonable excuse for playing double-digit games and failing to get to the quarterback once. When you're being paid as a star edge rusher, the production understandably has to match the salary. This is especially the case after Parsons was brought in ahead of the 2025 season and handed a high-dollar extension.
Packers Setting up Gary's Exit After Frustrating End to the 2025 Season
Parsons and Gary combine to make $47.2 million against the cap for the upcoming season. This shoots up even further for the 2027 season at $57.8 million for the pass-rushing duo. Gary has a higher cap hit each of the next two years than Parsons, making his contract far less valuable to the team than his counterpart's.
Green Bay needs to open up cap space to solidify the secondary and bring in a reliable backup behind Jordan Love, with Malik Willis scheduled to hit free agency. There are also concerns about an offensive line that consistently struggled to stay healthy and protect Love. This is a large number of needs for a franchise currently projected to have negative cap space, according to Spotrac, with -$4.3 million being the exact figure.
Cutting Gary goes a long way in solving this problem, giving Green Bay positive space, and is the first step towards a winning offseason. For Gary, the edge rusher will be forced to take a short-term prove-it deal after falling on his face so spectacularly at the end of the season. The fact that Gary's market will likely have such limited upside if cut speaks to the decision that must be made.