News broke on Monday evening from the NFL Network that the Green Bay Packers have signed Zach Tom to a four-year contract extension worth up to $92 million. The base value of the deal is worth $88 million, including a $30.2 million signing bonus. This extension will keep Tom under contract with the Packers through the 2029 season. All in all, getting this deal done before the start of training camp is a win for both sides.
Tom’s extension could be the first of several moves that the Packers make before the 2025 season begins. A number of players will head into their final year under contract with the team, including starters Quay Walker, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Rasheed Walker, and Sean Rhyan. The Packers also picked up Devonte Wyatt’s fifth-year option, which could make him a candidate for a contract extension. Elgton Jenkins also remains unhappy with his current contract.
Brian Gutekunst and Russ Ball could be very busy over the next couple of weeks. Getting the extension done with Tom was likely the priority for the Packers front office all offseason, and rightfully so. Now that the Tom deal is done, Gutekunst and Ball can shift their attention to other players. Could there be more deals on the way?
Quay Walker
When the news of Tom’s extension broke, NFL Insider Jordan Schultz also reported that the Packers were having discussions with Quay Walker and Elgton Jenkins about their current contracts. The Packers’ front office has said all along that they have Walker in their long-term plans despite declining his fifth-year option back in May. When discussing Walker and Devonte Wyatt, Gutekunst shared, “For both those guys, whatever mechanism we use, we’d like to keep those guys around for ’26 and beyond. So whether that’s through doing the fifth-year option on these guys or extending them one way or the other, we’re planning to do that, we’d like to do that.”
Walker will open camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list after not practicing at all during Organized Team Activities (OTAs). While nothing has been reported about Walker sitting out due to a contract dispute, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he’s opting to “hold-in” until he gets a contract extension. Until that possibility is confirmed, it should be assumed Walker is working through an injury and will play when he’s healthy.
Two things are known: the Packers want Walker on the roster beyond 2025, and Walker likely wants to be paid. The Packers may be most comfortable waiting as long as possible since Walker’s career thus far has been a bit of a rollercoaster, while Walker likely would prefer to get a new deal done sooner rather than later. The next month should be telling for what the Packers plan to do with their fourth-year linebacker.
Elgton Jenkins
Reports surfaced in May that Jenkins would be skipping the Packers offseason workouts due to issues with his contract. It’s expected that Jenkins will be moving to center full-time after spending most of his career at left guard. Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com shared that Jenkins doesn’t seem to have a problem with moving positions, but would like more guaranteed money.
Two years ago, Jenkins signed his most recent extension: a four-year deal worth $68 million. With two years left on that extension, Jenkins is due to make $12.8 million in 2025 and $20 million in 2026. That said, the Packers have a clear out after 2025 because of the way his contract is structured. If the Packers were to move on after 2025, Jenkins would only count $4.8 million in dead cap for 2026. Jenkins wants more guaranteed money, but the Packers never address contracts when they have two or more years left on them – hence the deadlock.
How this situation unfolds is impossible to predict. If the Packers cave, they would be setting a precedent that they are willing to modify contracts with two or more years left on the deal. The Packers won’t want to do that. If the Packers dig their heels in and play hardball, it’s possible Jenkins could “hold-in.” If things get pretentious between the two sides, a trade can’t be ruled out either. As of now, the situation seems amicable and Jenkins is expected to be on the practice field soon.
The most likely scenario is a compromise of some sort. The Packers may guarantee a significant portion of Jenkins’ 2025 salary but leave his 2026 salary as is. While Jenkins will want financial guarantees, he doesn’t hold much leverage. The Packers almost always structure their extensions this way to give themselves options in third and fourth years of the deals. Knowing that, Jenkins still signed the extension (albeit before the position change). Hopefully this situation is resolved sooner rather than later, but that might be wishful thinking.
Devonte Wyatt
Wyatt is currently under contract for both 2025 and 2026. The Packers decided to pick up Wyatt’s fifth-year option. Considering he’s under contract, the Packers don’t need to address his contract. The Packers may be motivated to work out an extension, though. In picking up Wyatt’s option, the Packers are due to pay Wyatt almost $13 million in 2026 – fully guaranteed. That’s a strong number that the Packers may look to adjust.
It’s common practice for teams to pick up fifth-year options while they continue to work out extensions. The Packers themselves did it with Rashan Gary and Jaire Alexander. The difference between those situations and Wyatt’s is that he hasn’t made a consistent impact. Last season, Wyatt ranked 93rd amongst all defensive linemen in total snaps (361), 135th in run defense snaps (107), and 76th in pass rush snaps (247). He played fewer snaps in 2024 than he did in 2023.
The Packers are expecting Wyatt to be a key contributor in 2025 and beyond. Paying Wyatt almost $13 million of fully guaranteed money to play less than 50% of the snaps doesn’t make much sense, though. The Packers likely would look to work out a new deal that gives Wyatt future security, while also lowering the amount of guaranteed money the Packers have to pay him in 2026.
The Other Offensive Linemen
Walker and Rhyan are entering their final year on their rookie contracts. Both players have shown to be quality offensive linemen, but aren’t being paid as such. Walker has a cap hit of $3.426; Rhyan’s is $1.611 million. Unfortunately for both players, neither holds any leverage to ask for a pay raise.
Neither Walker nor Rhyan will enter training camp locked into a starting spot. The Packers have at least seven players capable of starting along the offensive line. Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton will likely rotate in to compete for Walker and Rhyan’s positions. The Packers have used a rotation along their offensive line before, so it’s possible they could do the same this season.
There was a small window this offseason where an extension for Walker could have made sense. Good tackle play can be hard to come by, and by all accounts, Walker is a good left tackle. But as time passed, the tackle market exploded. Dan Moore signed a four-year, $82 million contract extension with the Steelers. No disrespect to Moore, but Walker might be just as good. Walker likely saw that contract and is licking his chops at what he might get in free agency next season.
Rhyan’s future could be tied to how the Jenkins’ situation plays out. If the Packers really dig their heels in with Jenkins and he is either traded or released after 2025, Rhyan could become a strong candidate for the Packers to re-sign. In limited action, Rhyan has shown the ability to play both center and guard. He also wouldn’t be nearly as expensive as Walker or Jenkins. If the Jenkins situation is resolved, Rhyan likely hits the free agent market too.
The Packers have invested heavily in the offensive line. Drafting Morgan and Belton has given them options if players like Walker or Rhyan depart in free agency. The Packers are in a strong position because they have several options, but they don’t have to do anything. 2025 could be the last season of Walker or Rhyan in Packer uniforms.
The Wide Receivers
Doubs and Watson are in a similar situation as Walker and Rhyan. Both Doubs and Watson have shown their value to the offense over the past three seasons, but neither player holds any leverage in working on a new contract with the team. Both players are on inexpensive contracts through 2025 (Doubs has a small cap hit of $3.532 million; Watson has one of $2.940 million). The Packers are not going to be looking to change that. Not to mention, neither has been able to consistently stay on the field.
The Packers know what they have in Doubs. He likely will play 12-15 games, have around 500 yards receiving, and catch a handful of touchdowns. While there’s value in having a reliable receiver like Doubs, his play is not irreplaceable. Doubs has dealt with his share of injuries, including multiple head injuries. He was also suspended for a game last October for skipping practice. If anything, Doubs should be more motivated than ever to show the Packers that he can be more than an average pass catcher.
Watson is in a much different position than Doubs. Watson’s performance on the field can’t be replicated by anyone else. His speed and field-stretching ability are second-to-none. The problem is that he always seems to be dealing with an injury. He now is expected to miss a large chunk of 2025 due to a torn ACL. Until he’s healthy, the Packers aren’t going to address his contract. If he comes back later on in the season and performs well, the Packers may be motivated to extend him for a couple more years because he brings a unique element to the offense.
The Packers brought in Matthew Golden and Savion Williams to give the offense additional weapons, but also insurance if Doubs and Watson miss time or move on after 2025. Watson seems to be the more likely candidate for a new contract before 2026, but that’s entirely dependent on his health.
