During a summer when some NFL players are taking contract holdouts to new levels, Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan Gary has assumed a different approach.
Gary was on track to be one of the best pass rushers in the NFL before tearing his ACL during the middle of last season. He also appeared headed toward a massive payday before the injury derailed that as well.
Packers insiders, such as ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, have reported that the organization is merely waiting to see what Gary looks like following months of rehabilitation before moving ahead with what is likely to end up a nine-figure extension. Demovsky said over the summer that the contract could be signed before the start of the regular season. However, Gary’s agent Ian Clarke made it clear on Tuesday, September 5, that his client is willing to make a deal beyond that date.
Rashan Gary is entering the fifth season of his rookie deal and hasn’t been extended yet. Asked his agent, Ian Clarke, if Gary is willing to negotiate in season:
“Our plan is to operate professionally and remain open to reasonable contract offers in every phase of his career.”
“Our plan is to operate professionally and remain open to reasonable contract offers in every phase of his career,” Clarke said in response to a question from The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman about Gary’s willingness to participate in in-season negotiations.
Packers Expected to Sign Rashan Gary to $100 Million-Plus Extension
GettyGreen Bay Packers star pass rusher Rashan Gary.
Gary’s precise monetary value is hard to know, though most estimates have him exceeding $100 million in total contract value.
The Athletic’s David DeChant made the case for Gary signing a deal that includes $20 million-plus annually on April 5.
Since the start of 2021, [Gary has] been a terrifying pass rusher, posting 15 1/2 sacks, 40 QB hits and an 18.9 percent pressure rate — second-best among edge rushers (Micah Parsons, 20.8) in that span — in 25 games.
That trajectory puts him in position for a contract worth well north of $20 million annually. We’ll see if the Packers have any hesitation paying Gary, who doesn’t turn 26 until December, after his injury. If they let him play out the final year of his contract, he would be a likely franchise-tag candidate.
Spotrac projects Gary’s market value at $26 million annually over the course of a four-year deal, equalling out to more than $104.2 million total.
Gary is playing this season on the fifth-year option Green Bay exercised on his initial four-year, $15.9 million rookie deal. He will earn just shy of $10.9 million in 2023.
Rashan Gary Was on Track for Monster Season Before Tearing ACL
GettyGreen Bay Packers pass rusher Rashan Gary is in line for a big payday at some point over the next year.
Gary amassed 17 pressures, 12 QB hits and six sacks through eight-plus games in 2022, all of which were top-10 in the NFL at the time, before hurting his knee against the Detroit Lions in Week 9.
His play through the first half of last year was an encore to the 47 pressures, 28 QB hits and 9.5 sacks he tallied in 2021. Gary also forced two fumbles that season while appearing in 16 of a possible 17 regular season games, starting each one of them.
Gary is expected to lead the Packers’ pass rush again in 2023, alongside fellow starting outside linebacker Preston Smith and first-round rookie Lukas Van Ness.
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Agent of Packers’ Rashan Gary Offers Major Contract Update