Coming off an 11-6 season and an early exit in the playoffs, the Green Bay Packers have plenty of work to do this offseason. With upgrades needed in their run defense, secondary and receiver room, general manager Brian Gutenkunst will stay busy as he looks to get the Packers back to contending in the loaded NFC North Division.
But while there are plenty of moves to be made, some are more obvious than others. One of the biggest priorities is a contract extension for a key player along the offensive line and it became more glaring after an endorsement from one of the NFL’s premier edge rushers.
Will Anderson Jr.’s Endorsement Makes Zach Tom’s Contract Extension A Priority This Offseason
Houston Texans edge rusher was asked by This Is Football! Host Kevin Clark who was the toughest offensive lineman he faced this past season. The 2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year did not hesitate with his answer and gave a rave review about Packers offensive lineman Zach Tom.
I asked Will Anderson Jr. the best offensive lineman he's faced in the NFL.
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) February 14, 2025
The answer?
Green Bay's Zach Tom. pic.twitter.com/uQF8KaawZO
“He’s legit,” Anderson replied. “He’s like a quick setter. He punches really quick and he has a really quick step off the ball. He’s good. He’s more on the leaner side. Quick feet, explosive hands, he can get back really well. I would say he’s up there besides going against [Houston Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil] every day in practice. He’s one of the guys.”
Anderson’s comments were validated by Tom’s performance in the Packers’ Week 7 matchup with the Texans. Anderson had three pressures and a sack in the game but Tom allowed just two total pressures and posted a 71.2 pass blocking grade in the 24-22 win according to Pro Football Focus.
It was also a highlight of Tom’s season as the fourth round pick out of Wake Forest graded 12th among qualifying tackles and allowed 28 pressures on 561 pass-blocking snaps (4.9% pressure rate).
A performance like that usually leads to a player getting paid and that’s what Tom should anticipate this offseason. Tom is set to make $3.45 million in the final year of his rookie contract but Spotrac estimates he could command a deal worth $21.7 million annually in free agency next year.
The Packers have plenty of things to get done this offseason but locking up Tom should be toward the top of the list. With $42.1 million in cap space, there isn’t an excuse to lock up one of their young players and it could lead to a lucrative extension by the time they get to training camp.