Getty Linebacker Rashan Gary (left) of the Green Bay Packers celebrates with defensive lineman Jarran Reed (right) after sacking quarterback Tom Brady (not pictured) during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in September 2022.
The Green Bay Packers face a somewhat difficult decision on one of their top performers, though a deal should get done if he can demonstrate adequate health over the coming months.
Edge rusher Rashan Gary numbers among the unfortunate test cases that explain why stars holdout for multiyear deals and loathe the franchise tag, as essentially nothing is fully-guaranteed in the NFL, including lucrative contracts even after they are signed.
Rob Demovsky of ESPN on Thursday, June 15, reported that Gary remains in line for a massive extension from the Packers, but only if he can prove he has bounced back after suffering a devastating mid-season knee injury against the Detroit Lions in 2022.
Gary was looking at a massive payday before he tore the ACL in his right knee [November] 9 at Detroit. That’s now on hold until the Packers are sure Gary can come back as the same player who ranked among the top 10 linebackers in sacks, quarterback hits and pressures through the first nine games last season.
The Packers wouldn’t mind lowering his $10.892 million cap number based on his fifth-year option, and a contract extension would do that. Don’t be surprised if that gets done as soon as the Packers know he has recovered from his knee injury, possibly by the start of the regular season.
Green Bay picked up Gary’s fifth-year option ahead of the 2022 season, which NFL teams are allowed to do with former first-round picks. The Packers edge rusher played out the fourth and final year of his initial $15.9 million rookie contract last season.
Rashan Gary Crucial to Packers’ Pass Rush This Season
GettyLinebacker Rashan Gary of the Green Bay Packers participates in an OTA practice session in May 2023.
Gary’s trajectory has been beyond encouraging, as he has steadily improved on the stat sheet with each passing year.
The outside linebacker tallied 47 quarterback pressures, 28 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks and two forced fumbles during his third professional campaign in 2021, per Pro Football Reference. Through eight games and change in 2022, Gary had already amassed 17 pressures, 12 QB hits and six sacks.
Then the knee injury hit.
As impressive as the edge rusher has been on the field, perhaps even more evidence of how crucial Gary is to Green Bay’s defense came by way of his absence during the second half of last season. The Packers finished tied with the Cleveland Browns for 27th in the league in total sacks in 2022, tallying just 34 as a team.
Packers’ First-Round Pick Lukas Van Ness Should Add Sacks in 2023
GettyDefensive lineman Lukas Van Ness of the Green Bay Packers participates in an OTA practice session in May 2023.
Gary still finished second on the roster in total sacks, despite missing the latter half of the 2022 campaign. The only player to out-do him in that category was fellow outside linebacker Preston Smith, who produced 8.5 sacks on the year.
The Packers wasted literally no time adding help in that regard during the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting edge rusher Lukas Van Ness out of the University of Iowa with the No. 13 overall pick. Van Ness tallied 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks across 26 games for the Hawkeyes over the previous two years, per Football Reference.
A versatile defender, Van Ness is expected to make an immediate impact on a pricey Green Bay defense that may need to carry the load for a team with an inexperienced set of skill players projected to line up at several key positions on the offensive side of the football in 2023.
