The Jacksonville Jaguars are considering releasing defensive lineman Arik Armstead this offseason, and if they do, the Green Bay Packers are a perfect fit, per Alex Kay of Bleacher Report. Kay cites the Jaguars needing to save cap space and the Packers needing to get over a playoff hunt could make this pairing work.
“The Green Bay Packers have been looking to get over the playoff hump after several fruitless trips and could benefit mightily from a grizzled veteran like Armstead joining their side. The Pack have a talented but young defensive line, one that could use a mentor and part-time rotational piece like Armstead to push them to the next level.”
Now that the June 1 deadline has passed, if the Jaguars decided to let go of Armstead, they could save $15M in cap space. Armstead has been solid with the Jaguars and recorded 5.5 sacks last season. However, he is getting older, the Jaguars’ cap space is not clean right now, and the team switched defensive coordinators between 2024, when he signed, and 2025. So, while he did find a way to fit into the Jags new defense, there are better schemes for him, and Green Bay could be one.
Meanwhile, the Packers have been looking for upgrades on their defensive line all offseason, so Armstead would make sense as another addition.
The Green Bay Packers Could be a Fit for Defensive Lineman Arik Armstead
GettyJacksonville Jaguars DT Arik Armstead.
One of the best traits that Armstead presents is his versatility. For example, Armstead had 335 snaps as an edge rusher in 2024 with just 66 snaps in the B-Gap, per PFF. Then, in 2025, he had 340 snaps in the B-gap and just 7 snaps out as an edge rusher. For his career, he has 2,134 snaps on the edge, 1,974 snaps over the B-gap, and even 1,690 as more of a 5-technique over the tackle. This is a player who can move around.
This would fit great with new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who has admitted that he does not want to run one main scheme. Gannon wants to get creative with how his fronts look, and Armstead is the perfect option to do it.
More than that, the Packers need help across the entire defensive line.
Armstead Gives Packers Needed Versatility
The Packers’ edge rusher room has obvious questions with Micah Parsons expected to miss time. The team is relying heavily on Lukas Van Ness, who has a first-round pedigree but has not lived up to it. The depth behind Van Ness is Brenton Cox, Barryn Sorrell, and Dani Dennis-Sutton. So there is a great chance Armstead could start on the edge for Green Bay despite seven snaps in that role last year.
The Packers also have Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, and Chris McClellan as their top three interior linemen. Wyatt is coming back from an injury. Hargrave signed in free agency but had a down year for the Vikings, and they are looking for a bounce-back. Then, there is McClellan, who brings potential, but with that comes no NFL action as a third-round rookie.
There is a world where Green Bay is satisfied with this trio, but at the same time, all three could hit roadblocks. Armstead sliding in as a starter on the edge until Parsons comes back, and depth on the interior throughout the year would solve significant needs at multiple spots. It makes sense why the two sides would be connected.
Packers Linked to Veteran Who Could Transform Defense