While watching players find new homes is a big part of the NFL offseason experience, so is re-signing key roster members before they can hit the open market. The Green Bay Packers retained one of their veteran defenders on Monday when they re-signed linebacker Isaiah McDuffie to a two-year contract.
The former Boston College product was a key cog in the Packers' 2024 defense, starting in all 18 appearances between the regular season and playoffs. But while Green Bay fans are likely thrilled about McDuffie's return, his new contract spells bad news for one of the franchise's young defenders.
Packers Offseason: Isaiah McDuffie Re-Signing is Bad News for Ty'Ron Hopper
The 2024 NFL draft was a busy three-day event for the Packers, who left Detroit with 11 new prospects. Although players like linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Javon Bullard often saw the field as rookies, that wasn't the case for all of Green Bay's first-year players.
That includes LB Ty'Ron Hopper, who was drafted 91st overall. The hope was that the Shelby, NC native could develop into a key part of the Packers' defense after earning a pair of second-team All-SEC nods in his two-year stay with the Missouri Tigers.
Instead of playing big defensive snaps in Year 1, Hopper was limited to being a special teamer. The 6-foot-2, 228-pound LB played 215 snaps on special teams compared to 18 on defense in 17 games, resulting in only four solo tackles.
Unfortunately, Hopper's underlying numbers don't paint a positive picture, either. He struggled in multiple areas, resulting in poor Pro Football Focus grades regarding tackling (49.3), coverage (53.1), and overall defense (60.7). His 62.8 special teams grade also wasn't anything to write home about.
The fact that the Packers decided to re-sign McDuffie — PFF's No. 71-ranked LB out of 84 in 2024 — hints at their lack of belief in Hopper. Although having depth at any position is important, Green Bay wouldn't be paying the veteran linebacker $8 million across the next two seasons if they believed Hopper was good enough to start alongside Cooper in 2025 and beyond.
Hopefully, Hopper will have a strong offseason and come back better than ever in training camp. He's more than young enough (23) to turn his career around, and stepping up by performing more consistently would go a long way toward helping achieve Green Bay's long-term goals.
Speaking of which, the Packers are currently tied for the eighth-best Super Bowl 60 odds (+2000) on FanDuel Sportsbook a week before NFL free agency begins.
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