The Green Bay Packers decided this offseason that Rashan Gary was expendable. One bold prediction suggests his best individual season could come immediately after leaving them.
The Athletic’s Jon Machota predicted Gary will reach double-digit sacks in his first season with the Dallas Cowboys, something the former Packers first-round pick never accomplished during seven years in Green Bay.
Gary came close. His career high is 9.5 sacks, set in 2021, and he finished with 7.5 in each of his final two seasons with the Packers.
Machota believes a change of scenery could finally push him over the line.
“He has looked like an extremely motivated player throughout training camp,” Machota wrote, “getting as much pressure as any Dallas edge rusher.”
Former Packers Pass Rusher Gets Career-Best Prediction
Green Bay traded Gary to Dallas in March for a 2027 fourth-round pick, closing the book on a productive seven-year run.
The Packers selected Gary No. 12 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He developed from a rotational player into one of Green Bay’s primary pass rushers, recording 46.5 sacks, 111 quarterback hits and seven forced fumbles across 106 regular-season games.
Gary’s 46.5 sacks rank sixth in Packers history since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.
He also earned his first Pro Bowl selection after the 2024 season, but he never produced a double-digit sack campaign.
That is what Machota sees changing in Dallas.
Gary enters a defensive front that includes former Packers teammate Kenny Clark and All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Dallas also has Donovan Ezeiruaku opposite Gary, with Von Miller and rookie Malachi Lawrence providing additional options off the edge.
Machota wrote that “the opportunities should be there” for Gary because of what Dallas can create around him.
The Cowboys have discussed how Williams and Clark can demand attention inside and create more favorable one-on-one situations for their outside rushers.
That could be exactly what Gary needs to finally break through his previous ceiling.
Rashan Gary Gets Fresh Start After Packers Trade
Gary’s departure represented a significant decision by Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Green Bay received a future fourth-round pick while the trade created nearly $11 million in salary-cap savings.
“We want to thank Rashan for his commitment and hard work during his seven seasons with the Packers,” Gutekunst said when the trade became official.
Gary finished his final Green Bay season with 45 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Those numbers weren’t enough to keep Green Bay from moving on.
DallasCowboys.com’s Patrik Walker listed Gary as a starting outside linebacker in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s system, pairing him with Ezeiruaku while building around Williams and Clark inside.
Gary also said after the trade that reuniting with Clark helped Dallas feel like a second home.
The setup gives him a chance to make Green Bay’s decision look considerably more interesting in hindsight.
A 10-sack season would establish a new career high for Gary at age 28. It would also come directly after the Packers decided the future draft capital and cap flexibility were worth more than keeping him.
That won’t automatically make the trade a mistake. Green Bay made the move as part of a broader reshaping of its defense.
Former Packers 1st-Round Pick Gets Career-Best Cowboys Prediction