With star pass rusher Micah Parsons suffering a torn ACL earlier this month vs. Denver, Green Bay Packers fans were hoping that Rashan Gary would step up and play like the guy we saw in Weeks 1-8, where he produced 13 quarterback hits, 7.5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.
However, that wasn’t the case, as Gary has unsurprisingly been a non-factor in the Packers’ last two games (five pressures, three QB hits, and a tackle), and was essentially benched in Green Bay’s Week 17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
According to Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Company, Gary served as the Packers’ DE3, playing only 33 defensive snaps (second-fewest this season). The fewest defensive snaps he had in a game this season were 32 against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12.
Meanwhile, Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare both outsnapped Gary by a wide margin, playing 46 and 58 snaps, respectively. If you’re a Packers fan, you are not surprised to see the Packers make such a drastic move with Gary, as he’s been a huge disappointment.
With his play not improving and snap count decreasing, it's setting the stage for the Packers to move on from the 28-year-old defender in the offseason, which is something that did not cross the Packers’ mind before Week 1.
Packers Already Packing Rashan Gary’s Bags for Offseason Departure
After the Packers made the splash trade for Parsons, the fanbase was ecstatic to see what he could do lined up opposite of Gary.
Gary was coming off his first Pro Bowl season in 2024, having recorded 15 quarterback hits, 9 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks in 17 games. If he had those numbers without Parsons, imagine what he could do with Parsons commanding double teams and most of the attention.
We saw Gary flourish early this season, matching his 2024 numbers and looking to be on pace to shatter his career high of 9.5 sacks in 2021. However, after Week 8, Gary has been stuck in a slump and hasn’t found a way out of it.
He’s been getting pressure on the opposing QB, but that hasn’t led to sacks. In fact, his play has opened up the door for Enagbare, who is a free agent, to prove himself, and he’s showing that he might be worth re-signing for a few years.
Sadly, the same thing cannot be said for Gary, who Green Bay inked to a four-year, $96 million extension in Oct. 2023. When the Packers signed him to a multi-year pact, the hope was that he would help anchor their defensive line and develop into an All-Pro.
Now, that dream will not come true, and the Packers must start to think about life after the veteran defensive end.
If the Packers were to trade Gary after June 1, they would take on dead money of $8.5 million in 2026 and $8.5 million in 2027, per OverTheCap.com. However, Green Bay would get $19.5 million in cap savings for 2026 and $22.49 million for 2027.
Green Bay could also take the cut route with Gary, which has certain financial ramifications. If you’re the Packers, you should try to find a trade for Gary to at least see if you could get a pick in return. But if not, then cutting Gary would be the next best option, which would be rock bottom for the once-promising first-round pick.