A significant roster upheaval is looming for the Green Bay Packers this offseason, driven by severe salary cap constraints and consecutive playoff disappointments. The team faces the potential departure of as many as five key starters, alongside the stunning prospect of losing backup quarterback Malik Willis to a massive contract in free agency.
The Packers are currently an estimated $4 million over the salary cap, a financial reality that will force General Manager Brian Gutekunst to make a series of difficult, franchise-altering decisions. This comes on the heels of another early playoff exit, creating a volatile mix of fiscal necessity and competitive urgency that could redefine the team’s core identity.
At the center of the financial storm is the quarterback position, but not where most would expect. Malik Willis, who spent the last two seasons developing behind starter Jordan Love, is now projected by league insiders to command a staggering $30 million per year on the open market. This represents a seismic leap from earlier offseason projections of $10-12 million annually.
Willis’s skyrocketing value is attributed to a weak quarterback free agent class and his tangible development in Green Bay’s system. Teams are reportedly prepared to bet on his elite athleticism, improved mechanics, and high ceiling. The Packers, however, are in no position to pay a premium for a backup, making his departure almost certain.
The wide receiver room presents another tough choice. Romeo Doubs, 25, is coming off a career-best 724-yard season and is poised to hit free agency. While a productive and homegrown talent, his potential market value as a WR2/WR3 may be too rich for a Packers team that has considerable depth already invested in Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and others at the position.
On defense, the linebacker corps could see a major change. Quay Walker, a former first-round pick, posted a career-high 128 tackles last season. Despite the gaudy tackle numbers, questions about his game-changing impact and the team’s prior decision to decline his fifth-year option suggest Green Bay may let him test a market they are unwilling to enter.
The offensive line is also in flux. Starting left tackle Rasheed Walker, a durable and solid performer, is a free agent. With a PFF grade that ranks him in the middle tier of NFL tackles and 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan waiting in the wings, the Packers may opt for the cost-controlled younger option over a market-rate contract for Walker.
Perhaps the most painful potential departure is pass rusher Rashan Gary. A defensive leader and cornerstone, Gary’s 2026 cap hit is a team-defensive high of $28 million. His production became a major concern last season, as he recorded 7.5 sacks in the first seven games but was shut out over the final ten contests, including the playoffs. A release would free approximately $11 million in crucial cap space.
The secondary is not immune to this reckoning. Cornerback Keisean Nixon, valued for his special teams prowess, struggled in an elevated role. As a primary perimeter defender in 2025, he allowed a 64.4% completion rate and a 105.1 passer rating when targeted. Releasing Nixon would save the Packers around $5 million as they seek to overhaul a struggling unit.
This confluence of factors points to an offseason of profound transformation in Green Bay. The organization must balance loyalty and legacy against the harsh economics of the modern NFL and the imperative to build a championship-caliber roster around quarterback Jordan Love. Each decision will carry significant risk, potentially creating new holes while attempting to fill others.
The potential exodus of Willis, Doubs, Quay Walker, Rasheed Walker, Gary, and Nixon represents more than routine turnover. It signals a potential strategic pivot aimed at long-term contention, demanding that the franchise’s notoriously patient fanbase brace for a period of unsettling change. How Gutekunst navigates this cap crisis will define the Packers’ trajectory for the remainder of Jordan Love’s prime.
