Amid all the free agency frenzy that took place last month, which saw several players exit Green Bay and sign elsewhere for the 2026 season, the Packers made an unsurprising decision to part ways with veteran cornerback Nate Hobbs.
The Packers signed Hobbs last offseason to a massive four-year, $48 million deal and placed him on the boundary opposite Keisean Nixon, which was shocking, especially since Hobbs is widely considered to be better suited in the slot.
But with Green Bay already having Javon Bullard holding down that role, they wanted to test out Hobbs on the outside, and to the surprise of no one, it did not work out. Between the poor play and injury, Green Bay eventually stuck with Carrington Valentine, which wasn’t the perfect swap, but good enough to get them through the season.
With Hobbs off the books as a post-June 1 designation, it should give Green Bay some financial flexibility over the next few years. However, on the field, it allows the Packers freedom to go in a multitude of ways at CB2 for the upcoming season.
Nate Hobbs’ Sudden Departure Will Help Packers in More Ways than One
Before the Packers released Hobbs, they signed Benjamin St-Juste to a two-year, $10.5 million contract, which could be one possible solution to their CB2 woes. St-Juste spent last season with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he played a considerably large number of snaps on special teams (296) when compared to his snaps on defense (356).
However, before he landed with the Chargers, St-Juste started in 45 games across four years with the Washington Commanders. He has the perfect size to compete on the outside and has held his own statistically in coverage (career 91.8 passer rating allowed and 58.9 percent completion percentage against).
If the Packers had St-Juste and Valentine competing for the CB2 job, it wouldn’t be the worst idea. That being said, Green Bay could still look to add more competition to the room later this month in the NFL draft.
This year’s CB class is deep with talent, and we’ve heard that the Packers love one particular prospect, who could compete for a starting spot and has the skills/intangibles you want for an outside cornerback.
Then there’s always the possibility of the Packers bringing back veteran Trevon Diggs, who they released shortly after their playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. GM Brian Gutekunst was asked about the veteran CB at the league’s annual owners meeting and didn’t completely dismiss the idea.
If the Packers were to go that route, it likely wouldn’t happen until the draft. Needless to say, Green Bay should have a much clearer picture of what they want to do at the CB2 spot under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon after this month's draft has come and gone.
The Hobbs signing was a risk, and putting him at a different position only compounded things, ultimately leading to his release. However, one hopes that Green Bay learned a lesson and will make a better choice this go around on CB2.