One of the bigger questions looming around the Green Bay Packers is Rashan Gary’s future. After a promising start to the 2025 season, the former first round pick ultimately vanished for the remainder of the season. So, to keep or not to keep Rashan Gary in Green Bay?
Rashan Gary is entering his eighth season in the NFL. The Packers selected Gary in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Since then, Gary has continuously fallen short of expectations and has not lived up to the hype of a first rounder.
While this upcoming season will be his eighth, the defensive end has yet to eclipse a 10-sack season. There were high hopes at the start of the season as Gary totaled 7.5 sacks through the first seven games of the 2025 season.
7.5 sacks through seven games meant that Gary was comfortably on his way to a double-digit sack season. After the 7th game, however, the defensive end did not earn another sack for the rest of the season nor a tackle for loss.
That is less than ideal, especially coming from a team captain. To add to the nightmare, Gary had this to say following Micah Parsons’ ACL tear “I told him to keep his head up, and we’re going to finish strong for him.”
The finish to the season in general for the Packers was everything but strong, and Gary was practically invisible. Despite the fall off, general manager Brian Gutekunst stated, “Sixty pressures, 7.5 sacks, that’s tough to replace” when asked about Gary.
Rashan Gary will charge the Packers a little over $28 million against the cap this year. If Brian Gutekunst decides to release the defensive end, the Packers would free up almost $11 million in cap space.
The only factor that complicates things is the lack of bodies in the pass rush department. Micah Parsons will be recovering from an ACL injury. Kingsley Enagbare is set to be a free agent.
Aaron Mosby and Brenton Cox are both restricted free agents. The uncertainty surrounding the pass rush room and the amount of help the Packers will retain is the only reason the Packers may keep Gary around.
Gutekunst added this when asked about Gary earlier this week, “Rashan’s got all the talent in the world, and he’s produced at a high level for us since he’s been here. We expect that from him next year, as well.”
The Packers have a big decision to make. There are, of course, other ways to navigate this situation. Green Bay could offer Gary a contract extension to take away some of the cap hit this season.
Green Bay could also offer a pay cut, which Gary would have to agree to. There are multiple ways to address this situation, and there is an argument for both sides.
The period to get under the cap is approaching quickly, so Brian Gutekunst has several big decisions to make, including this one surrounding Rashan Gary.
