After months of speculation, the Green Bay Packers finally put an end to Rashan Gary’s tenure with the team on Monday. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Packers have traded Gary to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick, sending Gary to the Lone Star state and opening a spot on Green Bay's starting lineup.
The Packers have several players who could benefit from this move, but the most obvious is Lukas Van Ness. The 13th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Van Ness’s first three seasons have been slowed down by his development and a series of injuries. But Gary’s departure brings another chance to show his potential and earn the new contract that he’s been looking for.
Lukas Van Ness Heading Into Pivotal Year with Packers After Rashan Gary Trade
Van Ness’s development has been a slow burn for Packers fans. Van Ness was a terror at Iowa, racking up 71 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks in 27 games, but he hasn’t been able to make the same impact in Green Bay. In 43 career games, Van Ness has logged just 8.5 sacks and was limited to nine games due to a lingering foot injury this past season.
But even when Van Ness was off the field, he made the same impact as Gary did playing in the second half. While Gary finished the 2025 campaign with the same number of sacks (7.5) he had during a Pro Bowl season in 2024, he disappeared from Jeff Hafley’s defense, failing to log a sack or a tackle for loss over his final 10 games, including the Wild Card loss to the Chicago Bears.
This is enough to make the Packers believe that Van Ness could be an upgrade and perhaps follow in Gary’s footsteps. Gary had a minimal impact in his first two years out of Michigan, logging seven sacks in 31 games. But he became a full-time starter and logged a career-high 9.5 sacks in 2021.
While Van Ness just completed his third season and posted 1.5 sacks due to his injury, he excelled in other areas. According to Pro Football Focus, Van Ness posted a career-high with 27 pressures despite career-lows in pass-rushing snaps (178) and total snaps. His 16.2% pass-rush win rate was also a career high and ranked 19th among 124 qualifying edge rushers last season.
Those numbers are promising but may not guarantee a long-term future in Green Bay. Van Ness is in the last year of his rookie contract, and the Packers must decide whether to pick up his fifth-year option this spring. Although the Packers could trust young edge rushers Collin Oliver and Barryn Sorrell to pick up some of the slack with Gary gone, they could also overtake Van Ness on the depth chart if he stumbles or gets hurt.
It makes Gary’s departure a massive opportunity for Van Ness and also a chance to force his way into the Packers’ long-term plans.