General manager Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay front office has done yeoman’s work in retooling their salary cap sheet. But with their Super Bowl window reopening with the emergence of Jordan Love, more flexibility will be needed moving forward.
While restructuring and moving on from players has already taken place this offseason, it now is a good time to explore contract extensions. With a few players in line for a deal, let’s take a look at some players that should be considered.
Kenny Clark
Somehow, Kenny Clark has been with the Packers since being the 27th overall selection in the 2016 NFL Draft. The former UCLA Bruin has amassed 34 sacks and two Pro Bowl appearances for Green Bay in his eight seasons.
Those contributions have brought a veteran presence to the middle of their defensive line. Clark put together one of his best statistical seasons of his career in 2023, and being only 28 years young means Clark has plenty left.
A four-year extension would pay immediate dividends for Green Bay, while helping give Clark some clarity for his future. With his current four-year deal running out after the 2024 season, giving Clark a new deal would alleviate him even entering free agency next offseason.
Romeo Doubs
Handing out early extensions to skill players isn’t something Green Bay typically does, but handing Romeo Doubs one now could help down the road.
While his rookie deal doesn’t run out until after the 2025 season, now is the time to start those conversations. As long as Doubs’ production continues, locking him up now would save the Packers money down the road.
With as cheap as the receiver core is for Green Bay currently, it makes sense for them to capitalize and build out the rest of the roster. But looking into tacking on three years to Doubs’ deal would help lock him in until he turns 28.
Zach Tom
Following a similar path to Elgton Jenkins, Zach Tom enters his age-25 season with two years left on his deal. An invaluable asset to the offense, Tom should get paid big-time money as another cog in Green Bay’s offensive line.
Green Bay is known for building their offense through the trenches, and extending Tom makes a ton of sense. Tom has two more seasons left on his rookie deal, so beating his eventual massive payday now would be smart.
A four-year deal for Tom is likely what Green Bay is comfortable with, giving them a another core OL to build around. Plus, Tom can continue to pair with Jenkins as the two key cogs for the unit that protects Jordan Love.
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Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23
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