Not so long ago, the Green Bay Packers thought Rashan Gary would be a top-ten pass rusher. They took him with the No. 12 pick out of Michigan after glimpses of greatness in Ann Arbor, and even though injuries have taken their toll on his playing time during his rookie contract, the team still believed in his potential and doubled down on him.
The Packers gave Gary a four-year, $96 million contract extension back in 2023. It came with some risk, given that he was coming off a knee injury, but he was playing at the highest level of his career, so it made sense at the time. Now, the team is stuck between a rock and a hard place with him.
Cutting Rashan Gary Could Be Packers' Best Option This Offseason
According to Over The Cap, the Packers are $1.4 million over the salary cap. Gary has the second-highest cap hit on the team behind only Jordan Love ($28.02 million), and his base salary of $18 million is the second-highest on the roster.
That wouldn't be much of an issue if Gary played the whole season the way he performed in the first handful of games when Micah Parsons arrived. He logged 13 QB hits, 7.5 sacks, and seven tackles for loss in the first seven games of the season, making the most of all the lanes Parsons' presence opened up for him. Then, the production and effort virtually disappeared, and he didn't register a single tackle for loss or sack for the remainder of the season.
He's got two years left on his contract and is owed a combined $42 million. Then again, there's no more guaranteed money tied to his deal, and given the Packers' salary-cap situation, moving on from him is a no-brainer right now. A restructure would clear $8.7 million, but they can do even better.
Gary isn't likely to agree to a pay cut, so that leaves the Packers with two actual choices: A trade or cutting him. Finding a trade suitor willing to take his huge contract, his lack of production, and questionable effort is a tall order, but it would free up $10.97 million before June 1 or a whopping $19.5 million if done after that day.
As things stand now, cutting Gary looks like the easiest path. Much like any trade scenario, cutting Gary before June 1 would save the team $10.97 million, while a post-June 1 designation would save $19.5 million.
The Packers already have a solid option to pair with Micah Parsons in Lukas Van Ness, who closed out the season on a high note and will make a more reasonable $1.40 million with a cap hit of just $5.5 million.
Jonathan Gannon will have a top-three pass rusher to anchor the defensive line next season. The presence of Micah Parsons gives this team plenty of versatility, and there's just no reason to spend that much money on a former first-round pick who never truly lived up to the expectations.