The Green Bay Packers are about to field one of the youngest rosters in recent memory, which should lean defense first — at least slightly — this season.
One of the players said defense will lean on to stay upright through 18 weeks of attrition is outside linebacker Rashan Gary. Entering a contract year, Green Bay has the option to extend the former first-round pick now and make him a tentpole of the franchise for the rest of the decade. However, there are other schools of thought.
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report on Tuesday, August 16, pitched a trade that would see the Packers ship Gary out before the start of the regular season in favor of other younger pass-rushers on the roster.
[Gary] is about to enter a contract year and has proved he can be productive when healthy, which should make him a coveted asset on the trade market. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers have Preston Smith under team control until 2027 and just spent their first pick of the draft on another edge defender, Lukas Van Ness.
So, the Packers would still have plenty of pass-rushers if they dealt Gary, especially since they also selected defensive linemen Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks last April, plus Devonte Wyatt the year before.
Packers OLB Rashan Gary Too Good, Too Recently-Injured to Trade Prior to 2023 Season
GettyOutside linebacker Rashan Gary of the Green Bay Packers sacks quarterback Taylor Heinicke, formerly of the Washington Commanders, during an NFL game in October 2022.
The problem with trading Gary ahead of the preseason is that he’s coming off of an ACL tear in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions. The problem with trading Gary at any point is how good he’s already been, and how great he could potentially be.
Gary didn’t play in the Packers’ preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on August 11, but he is expected to be a go for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears at Solider Field on September 10. Minor concern in the front office over Gary’s ability to return to full strength following knee surgery is the only reason the edge defender hasn’t already inked a nine-figure contract extension, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
“Gary was looking at a massive payday before he tore the ACL,” Demovsky wrote on June 15. “That’s now on hold until the Packers are sure Gary can come back as the same player.”
Gary is set to play the 2023 campaign on a one-year team option for just shy of $10.9 million. He signed a four-year deal worth just shy of $16 million with the Packers in 2019 as the No. 12 overall pick in the NFL Draft and has now earned nearly $27 million through five seasons in the league.
Packers’ History Suggests Extension, Not Trade, for Rashan Gary
GettyGreen Bay Packers star pass-rusher Rashan Gary is expected to be ready for the start of the 2023 regular season.
Brian Gutekunst is known as a general manager who rides hard for his draft picks — the most recent example being his backing quarterback Jordan Love, who has 83 career regular season snaps under his belt, over four-time MVP and Super Bowl champion Aaron Rodgers.
Gary has given Green Bay a lot more than 83 snaps during his time in Title Town. The OLB has appeared in 56 games across four seasons, earning 29 starts. Gary has amassed 135 tackles, 88 quarterback pressures, 54 QB hits, 22.5 sacks and three forced fumbles for his career, per Pro Football Reference.
What’s more, Gary is still traveling an upward trajectory at 25 years old. He numbered among the top-10 in the NFL in pressures, hits and sacks heading into the game against Detroit in which he was hurt.
High-end pass-rushers are hard to come by. When NFL teams are lucky enough to draft one, they do their best not to let him get away, which goes something like double for Gutekunst and company considering their record in Green Bay.
Were the Packers to trade Gary, they could probably get a haul of assets. However, the team would need to wait, as questions about his knee have certainly lowered Gary’s trade value for the time being. That said, the much better bet is that Gary remains in green and gold for several years to come after inking a multiyear contract extension at some point inside the next year.
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Trade Proposal Sees Packers Part Ways With $27 Million LB