Rashan Gary was activated off the PUP list on Monday and was back on the practice field for the Green Bay Packers, working through individual drills. With Gary back, the big question becomes: when will his contract be extended?
As a former first-round pick, the Packers picked up Gary’s fifth-year option for the 2023 season back in the spring of 2022. Essentially, this is like a one-year deal, and Gary’s salary for this season was predetermined based on the position he plays and hitting certain playing time and production benchmarks.
Gary’s salary for 2023 is $10.89 million, and because it’s only a one-year contract, that entire figure counts toward this year’s salary cap, accounting for the third-highest cap hit on this Packers team, behind only David Bakhtiari and Kenny Clark.
Prior to his injury last season, Gary was one of the most productive edge rushers in football. Through nine games, Gary’s 38 pressures were tied for the fifth-most. He also ranked third in pass-rush win rate and fifth in PFF’s run-stop rate metrics.
For some context around what an extension for Gary could look like, Pittsburgh’s TJ Watt is currently the NFL’s highest-paid edge rusher, earning just over $28 million on average annually, according to Over the Cap. Khalil Mack ranks fifth, earning $23.5 million per year, and Cam Jordan 10th at $17.5 million annually. Gary’s next contract likely puts him in the top five among edge rushers.
Another name to watch is Brian Burns with the Carolina Panthers. Burns was drafted 16th overall in 2019 — the same year as Gary – and is extension eligible. Last season, Burns ranked ninth in total pressures and eighth in sacks. If Burns receives his extension before Gary does, that will likely impact what Gary’s contract looks like.
Although an extension would infuse new money into Gary’s deal, it would also add more years, which would actually lower his cap hit for the 2023 season because a large portion of those dollars can be pushed to future contract years. According to Ken Ingalls, who independently tracks the Packers’ salary cap situation, an extension prior to the regular season would save the Packers $3.025 million in cap space this season, and it’s important to note that any cap space that goes unused does rollover to the following offseason.
As far as when this extension has to be completed by, there really is no deadline other than free agency next March–although it won’t get to that point. As reference points, Clark was extended in mid-August 2020. Bakhtiari received his in November 2020, and Elgton Jenkins in December 2022.
Perhaps step one was for Gary to get back onto the practice field, and I’m sure conversations have been taking place behind the scenes. But the question isn’t if an extension will happen, but rather when and how much will Gary earn?
