We have entered the off season realm of hypotheticals and cap casualty conversations. While I’ve seen arguments both ways, in my mind, the Packers signing Quay Walker long-term is a no brainer. He has consistently improved year over year, and when he is absent from the lineup, it is more than noticeable. Isaiah McDuffie and Edgerrin Cooper both had great years, however, Quay Walker is the 3rd leg of a linebacker tripod that the Packers can’t afford to do without.
Quay Walker Stepped Up Again in 2025
Walker delivered a career year in 2025. He racked up 128 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. He accomplished this despite missing 3 games due to injury this season. These are numbers that not only led the Packers, but solidified him as a true four down player.
Quay Walker Career Stats
Over the course of his 4 seasons in Green Bay, Walker has become one of only a handful of Packers since the 1970s to register 100+ tackles in 3 straight season. All a testament to his durability, instincts, and relentlessness around the ball.
Quay Walker also ranked in the top 20 for missed tackle percentage, and maintained a presence in run defense.
Here’s a full break down of his stats by year for you fellow nerds out there, courtesy of Wikipidea:
- 2025 Season:
- Tackles: 128 combined (58 solo), a new career high.
- Sacks: 2.5.
- Games Played: 14 regular-season appearances.
- Notes: Missed two games due to a neck injury but reached the 100-tackle milestone for the fourth straight year.
- 2024 Season:
- Tackles: 102 combined (72 solo).
- Sacks: 2.5.
- Games Played: 13 regular-season games.
- Notes: Ranked 5th in the NFL in solo tackles per game (5.54) among players with 10+ games.
- 2023 Season:
- Tackles: 118 combined (59 solo).
- Sacks: 2.5.
- Interceptions: 1 (returned 37 yards for a touchdown vs. Chicago).
- Games Played: 14 regular-season games.
- 2022 Season (Rookie):
- Tackles: 121 combined (75 solo), leading all NFL rookies in games with 5+ tackles.
- Sacks: 1.5.
- Forced Fumbles: 3 (ranked 2nd among NFL rookies).
- Games Played: 17 games (16 starts).
- Notes: Named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Wikipedia +7
Total Career Stats (2022–2025): 469 combined tackles, 9.0 sacks, 17 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 interception.
Personal Growth And Leadership
Aside from great production, Quay has been the green dot for the defense, regularly communicating calls and aligning the front seven. A leadership role not easily replaced by a cheaper alternative. In a division where elite offenses demand disciplined, fast linebackers, his combination of size, speed, and football IQ makes him uniquely suited to keep this defense competitive.
It’s also been great to see Quay get his mentals in check. We all remember the tear filled helmet spike in the tunnel after being ejected. Over the last 2 seasons there has certainly been a vast difference in Quay’s demeanor and approach to the game.
Quay Walker & The Packers Cap Situation
Quay Walker’s fate will ultimately be decided by the man pictured above.
Every season we watch for cap casualties. Quay and Romeo Doubs are pretty consistently the 2 most debated this off season. Most people (I not being one of them) are more or less convinced that Romeo will find his bag elsewhere.
WIth Quay on the other hand, the financials make more strategic sense for Green Bay.
Walker’s 2025 cap charge was a modest $4.4 million. An absolute bargain for a team captain and tackling leader. Had the Packers picked up his fifth-year option, his 2026 cap number would have ballooned to nearly $14.8 million. Which would put Walker among the league’s higher-paid inside linebackers. A figure the front office smartly avoided.
Now heading into free agency, the market for starting linebackers has surged, with comparables like Jamien Sherwood and Nick Bolton earning $15 million+ per year. Structuring a long-term extension ahead of that kind of bidding war won’t just save cap space, it preserves precious draft capital and continuity on a defense that has taken measurable steps forward.
Letting Walker hit the open market, or tagging him at a prohibitive price, risks stranding the Packers with a leadership void and a financial squeeze at a position they cannot afford to see weakened.
