The Green Bay Packers made a $13.8 million bet on Lukas Van Ness this offseason.
Two games into the 2026 season, that investment is already starting to look a lot better.
Van Ness delivered the best game of his NFL career Sunday in Green Bay’s 20-17 overtime win over the New York Jets, piling up nine tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits.
He also made two of the biggest defensive plays of the afternoon, stuffing a fourth-and-1 late in regulation and combining on a sack in overtime.
The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman didn’t hesitate to name him Green Bay’s best player.
“Lukas Van Ness:
Nine tackles
Four TFLs
Sack and a half
Four QB hitsFourth-and-1 stuff late in regulation and a half sack in OT.
He’s the player of the game.”
Lukas Van Ness Makes Packers’ $13.8 Million Decision Look Better
Green Bay exercised the fifth-year option on Van Ness’ rookie contract in April, guaranteeing him $13.8 million for the 2027 season.
The move wasn’t insignificant considering where Van Ness stood after three NFL seasons.
The former No. 13 overall pick had totaled 8.5 sacks in his first 43 regular-season games and played only nine games in 2025 because of a foot injury. He finished last season with 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits.
Green Bay still chose to lock him in for another year.
Van Ness is making a little more than $3.1 million in 2026 before that number jumps next season, according to Spotrac.
His start to this season has given the Packers early reason to feel good about that decision.
Van Ness recorded four tackles and a sack in Green Bay’s Week 1 loss to Minnesota. Add Sunday’s production, and he has 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks through the first two games.
That already puts him one sack away from matching his entire 2024 total and one sack above his 2025 production.
Lukas Van Ness Delivers When Packers Needed Him Most
Sunday’s performance was even more notable because there had been uncertainty over whether Van Ness would play at all.
The Packers placed him in concussion protocol after their Week 1 loss. He practiced on a limited basis during the week and initially carried a questionable designation before Green Bay announced Saturday that he had cleared protocol and been removed from the injury report.
One day later, he took over stretches of the game.
Van Ness tackled Breece Hall for a 3-yard loss and then sacked Geno Smith for a 4-yard loss on third-and-13 during an early Jets possession.
“It might be,” Matt LaFleur said on if it was Van Ness’ best game. “He was all over the place. He’s really coming into his own.”
“It might be. He was all over the place. He’s really coming into his own.”
His biggest work came later.
With Green Bay trying to complete a fourth-quarter comeback, Van Ness helped stop New York on fourth-and-1 late in regulation. Then, after the Packers forced overtime, he added another half-sack as the defense gave Jordan Love and the offense a chance to finish the comeback.
Green Bay eventually won on Trey Smack’s 26-yard field goal with 5:26 remaining in overtime.
Van Ness entered the year needing to prove that the Packers were right to guarantee another season before seeing how his fourth NFL campaign unfolded.
Two games won’t settle that question.
But after Sunday, the $13.8 million decision looks a lot easier to defend.
Packers’ $13.8 Million Decision Looks Better After Jets Win