Packers To Release CB Nate Hobbs
Nate Hobbs‘ Green Bay future was a question mark leading up to free agency. The veteran corner will indeed be on the move after just one year with the team. 
Hobbs is being cut, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. This will be designated a post-June 1 release, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky adds. Green Bay will create $8.84MM in cap savings as a result while generating a dead money charge of $4MM.
No restructure was worked out in this case as the new league year approached, leading to questions about a separation. Hobbs inked a four-year, $48MM contract in free agency last spring upon playing out his rookie contract with the Raiders. As usual, the Packers did not include any full guarantees beyond the first season of the deal, with Hobbs being owed a $6.25MM roster bonus on Friday. In advance of that date, Green Bay has elected to move on.
Hobbs joined the Packers with injury concerns, and that proved to be a problem in 2025. A meniscus issue in training camp marked the first of three knee ailments the former fifth-rounder dealt with in Green Bay. The last was a season-ending MCL injury. Hobbs had found himself out of the starting lineup by the time that took place, pointing further to a cut in this case.
The Illinois product struggled in coverage with the Packers, surrendering a passer rating of 111.1 as the nearest defender in 2025. Between that and his injuries, Hobbs will be hard-pressed to secure a long-term contract like he did last spring. Still, at the age of 26, he could be seen as a bounce-back candidate by teams seeking depth in the secondary.
The cornerback position was a sore spot for Green Bay down the stretch, as illustrated by the Trevon Diggs experiment to close out the campaign. He is no longer in the fold, and Hobbs will also be on the move in free agency. Early on Tuesday, though, the Packers lined up a CB addition by agreeing to terms with Benjamin St-Juste.
Packers To Sign CB Benjamin St-Juste
Cornerback was known to be an area of need for the Packers entering the 2026 offseason. An addition has been lined up early in free agency.
Green Bay has agreed to a deal with Benjamin St-Juste, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This will be a two-year, $10MM deal, he adds. Incentives could push the maximum value to $10.5MM.
The 28-year-old St-Juste will step in for Nate Hobbs, whom the Packers released Tuesday. St-Juste spent last season as a member of the Chargers, with whom he performed effectively as a rotational boundary corner and a regular special teamer. While logging a 34.97% defensive snap share over 16 games, St-Juste totaled 37 tackles, seven pass deflections and an interceptions.
Despite St-Juste’s limited role, Pro Football Focus ranked the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder 11th out of 112 qualifying corners in 2025. As PFF’s Mason Cameron notes, St-Juste led the league with a 90.1 grade in zone coverage.
Before his short but impressive stint with the Chargers, St-Juste was a Commander for the first four years of his career. Washington used a 2021 third-rounder (74th overall) on the Montreal native and former Minnesota Golden Gopher. St-Juste lined up on the boundary and in the slot in Washington, where he started in 45 of 54 games.
In 2023, his best year as a Commander, St-Juste racked up 17 pass deflections in 16 starts. However, PFF ranked St-Juste as a bottom-five corner in 2024. A couple of months after the Commanders benched him late in the season, they allowed St-Juste to walk in free agency. He enjoyed a resurgence in Los Angeles under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Green Bay is expecting that to transfer to new D-coordinator Jonathan Gannon‘s system.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Packers To Trade Rashan Gary To Cowboys
Until today, it remained unclear if the Packers would be moving on from Rashan Gary. The former first-rounder will in fact be playing elsewhere next season, though.
Gary is being traded to the Cowboys, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. A Day 3 pick in the 2027 draft will be heading the other way; NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarifies it will be a fourth-round selection. Dallas was a runner-up in the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes, leaving the team to explore other edge rush options. Instead of waiting for free agency to commence, the Cowboys have already swung a deal in that regard.
This agreement will allow for a reunion between Gary and new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Parker was a defensive quality control coach with Green Bay during Gary’s rookie campaign. A prominent role should await Gary, whose contract runs through 2027. This trade will create just under $11MM in cap savings for the Packers while generating a dead money charge of $17MM.
Gary said his Instagram account was hacked when a goodbye message emerged from it Friday, but rather than being released, the seven-year Packer generated (minimal) trade value. Gary comes over after a season as Micah Parsons‘ edge rush tandem partner but will now rejoin Kenny Clark — the player sent to the Cowboys in the blockbuster Parsons swap — in Dallas.
Two years remain on Gary’s four-year, $96MM contract, and this trade comes after the Cowboys were mentioned as interested in free agents Trey Hendrickson, Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe. The Cowboys fielded an abysmal defense and could conceivably add one of those options, but Gary is 28 and fills a need — even if he has not lived up to this $24MM-AAV extension. This marks the second time since August the Cowboys have taken on a Packers deal worth at least $22MM per year. Clark has since come up as an extension candidate, as the Cowboys will look to bring down his 2026 cap number.
After trading Parsons, the Cowboys have 2025 edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney, Sam Williams and Dante Fowler unsigned. The team used a second-round pick on Donovan Ezeiruaku last year and then tragically saw 2024 second-rounder Marshawn Kneeland pass away during the season. More work will need to be done at OLB for the Cowboys, and they will have a player who — despite playing as a 4-3 DE over the past two years — did his best work in a 3-4 scheme.
Gary registered 9.5 sacks in 2021 and nine in 2023, garnering a Green Bay payday. He still combined for 15 sacks over the past two seasons but came up as a name to monitor with regards to a release or trade. The Packers used a 2023 first-round pick on Lukas Van Ness but have not seen that move pay off yet. While Van Ness could see more playing time as a result of Gary’s exit, ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes the Packers should be expected to target defensive linemen soon after making two trades — the other sending Colby Wooden to the Colts — that cut into the unit’s depth.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
NFL Announces 2026 Compensatory Picks
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2026 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2025 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.
This year, the NFL awarded 33 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.
Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2026 compensatory selections:
By round:
Round 3: Vikings (No. 97), Eagles (98), Steelers (99), Jaguars (100, from Lions*)
Round 4: 49ers (No. 133), Raiders (134), Steelers (135), Saints (136), Eagles (137), 49ers (138), 49ers (139), Jets (140)
Round 5: Ravens (No. 173), Ravens (174), Raiders (175), Chiefs (176), Cowboys (177), Eagles (178), Jets (179), Cowboys (180), Lions (181)
Round 6: Steelers (No. 214), Eagles (215), Steelers (216)
Round 7: Colts (No. 249), Ravens (250), Rams (251), Rams (252), Ravens (253), Colts (254), Packers (255), Bronc0s (256), Broncos (257)
By team:
- Baltimore Ravens: 4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 4
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 4
- San Francisco 49ers: 3
- Dallas Cowboys: 2
- Denver Broncos: 2
- Indianapolis Colts: 2
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2
- Los Angeles Rams: 2
- New York Jets: 2
- Detroit Lions: 1
- Green Bay Packers: 1
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 1
- Kansas City Chiefs: 1
- Minnesota Vikings: 1
- New Orleans Saints: 1
* = awarded for Lions DC Aaron Glenn becoming Jets’ HC
The Bears lost a minority executive to a GM role, with Ian Cunningham taking over in Atlanta. But the NFL will not award Chicago two third-round picks for that hire because the Falcons have Matt Ryan positioned as their president of football. Although Cunningham — Chicago’s assistant GM for four years — holds plenty of organizational say, Ryan is atop its front office hierarchy. The Bears disagree with the NFL’s ruling, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.
Bears GM Ryan Poles confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin) the team spoke with the NFL about the matter, but the league did not rule in the team’s favor. Had this decision gone the Bears’ way, they would have received third-round picks in the 2026 and ’27 drafts.
Packers To Release OL Elgton Jenkins
In a move which comes as little surprise at this point, the Packers are parting ways with Elgton Jenkins. The veteran offensive lineman is being released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Mentioned as a trade candidate recently, Jenkins will join the likes of Tyler Biadasz and Lloyd Cushenberry in becoming center cap casualties. Green Bay will create $19.5MM in cap space with this release, which comes after the team traded Rashan Gary to Dallas. Jenkins is being let go with a failed physical designation, Schefter’s colleague Rob Demovsky notes.
The center market has ignited today, with Tyler Linderbaum smashing the position’s salary record — along with guard AAV numbers — on his Raiders deal before Cade Mays landed with the Lions. The Chargers added Biadasz late last week, while the Bills re-signed Connor McGovern before free agency opened.
The market will feature an accomplished pro in Jenkins, however. A versatile player who has booked Pro Bowl accolades at guard and played extended stretches at both left and right tackle, Jenkins is going into an age-30 season. The Packers gave Zach Tom an extension last year and signed guard Aaron Banks in free agency, kicking Jenkins to center. Sean Rhyan has since signed an extension, and the Pack — after finding a trade partner for Gary — will send Jenkins to free agency.
Moved to center to accommodate the Banks signing, Jenkins pushed for a contract update last year but did not succeed. He had agreed to a four-year, $68MM extension in December 2022. The Packers had moved Jenkins to guard that year, scrapping plans for him to play right tackle opposite the increasingly injury-prone David Bakhtiari. Jenkins had subbed for Bakhtiari previously at LT, but guard became his best position. Jenkins made both his Pro Bowls — in 2020 and ’22 — at that position.
While Jenkins would ordinarily represent an intriguing option on the market, his season ending due to a leg fracture and ligament damage may stall his free agency for a while. While the seven-year veteran — a starter for the Packer teams that earned byes in 2019 and ’20 — may be a bounce-back candidate to monitor down the road, it could take a bit for the 30-year-old blocker to find a new home.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
2026 NFL Trades
The modern NFL features four clear trade windows. Early March, the draft, the late-August 53-man roster-setting date and the November deadline reside as the primary points trades occur around the league. As the NFL resides in window No. 1 for 2026, it is a good time to check in on what has already transpired on the market.
Excluding pick-for-pick trades, here are the moves NFL teams have made thus far in 2026:
February 26
- Titans trade DT T’Vondre Sweat to Jets for DE Jermaine Johnson
March 2
- Browns to acquire OL Tytus Howard from Texans for No. 141
- Texans to obtain RB David Montgomery from Lions for OL Juice Scruggs, No. 128, 2027 seventh-round pick
March 4
- Rams to acquire CB Trent McDuffie from Chiefs for Nos. 29, 168, 210, 2027 third-round pick
March 5
- Bills to add WR D.J. Moore, No. 165 from Bears in exchange for No. 60
March 6
- Bears to acquire C Garrett Bradbury from Patriots for 2027 fifth-round pick
- Ravens to land OLB Maxx Crosby from Raiders for No. 14, 2027 first-round pick
Ravens nixed trade March 10, failing Crosby on a physical
March 7
- Packers to add LB Zaire Franklin from Colts for DT Colby Wooden
March 8
- Raiders to obtain CB Taron Johnson, No. 228 from Bills for No. 182
March 9
- Jets to acquire S Minkah Fitzpatrick from Dolphins for No. 238
- Cowboys to land OLB Rashan Gary from Packers for 2027 fourth-round pick
- Steelers to add WR Michael Pittman Jr., No. 230 from Colts for No. 214
March 10
- Jets to acquire QB Geno Smith, No. 228 from Raiders for No. 182
- Texans to obtain P Kai Kroeger, 2028 seventh-round pick from Saints for 2028 sixth-rounder
March 11
- Titans to add DL Solomon Thomas, No. 225 from Cowboys for No. 218
- 49ers to acquire DT Osa Odighizuwa from Cowboys for No. 92
March 16
- Chiefs to acquire QB Justin Fields, 2026 seventh-round pick to Jets for 2027 sixth-rounder
March 17
- Broncos to land WR Jaylen Waddle, No. 111 from Dolphins for Nos. 30, 94, 130
March 18
- Eagles to obtain QB Andy Dalton from Panthers for 2027 seventh-round pick
March 20
- Falcons to acquire S Sydney Brown, Nos. 122, 215 from Eagles for Nos. 114, 197
Rashod Bateman, Quentin Johnston, Dontayvion Wicks Available In Trades?
The NFL features four primary trade windows; we are in the first of those as free agency approaches. Teams will be targeting free agents soon, but trades are already happening. More are likely, as clubs will look to fill needs with players currently on other rosters.
Rashod Bateman and 2023 draftees Quentin Johnston and Dontayvion Wicks have come up as players potentially available in trades, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The Chargers and Packers‘ wide receivers are in the final years of their rookie contracts, though Johnston’s can be extended to 2027 via the fifth-year option. Bateman is signed through 2029, making his trade status rather interesting.
[RELATED: Ravens Land Maxx Crosby From Raiders In Blockbuster]
The inclusion of the sixth-year Ravens wideout is most interesting here considering he was discussed in trades last year — before signing a second Baltimore extension. The Ravens discussed Bateman with the Cowboys before they traded for George Pickens but circled back to the 2021 first-rounder on a three-year, $36.75MM extension. The Ravens had given Bateman permission to shop around last year, with the Patriots and Packers also showing interest. Bateman then went through a disappointing 2025 season, totaling only 19 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns after a strong 2024 performance.
Baltimore missed Lamar Jackson for a chunk of last season and did not exactly see MVP-caliber play from the superstar quarterback, for the most part, when he was available. During Jackson’s dominant 2024 season, the Ravens’ long-range threat produced career-best numbers in yardage (756) and touchdowns (nine). Bateman, 26, is due a $2MM base salary in 2026. As Nikhil Mehta’s Ravens Offseason Outlook detailed, Bateman is due a $4MM option bonus by Day 5 of the league year. With the ’26 league year starting Wednesday, the Ravens will need to make a call here soon.
Johnston appears unlikely to see his $16.47MM fifth-year option exercised. While the TCU product has been a productive auxiliary target around Ladd McConkey, the Chargers’ previous front office drafted him. Johnston has still improved under Jim Harbaugh, eclipsing 700 receiving yards and totaling 16 TDs over the past two years. The Bolts did draft Tre Harris in last year’s second round. Moving Johnston would allow for the Ole Miss alum to see a bigger role, though it would also create an ancillary need for a Bolts team flush with cap space.
The Packers appear likely to lose Romeo Doubs in free agency, even if they have him on the radar to stay. The team used first- and third-round picks on receivers last year and extended Christian Watson. Jayden Reed‘s rookie deal runs for one more season as well. Wicks may be the odd man out, though the Packers have been reluctant to cut into their WR depth in the recent past. Teams are interested in Reed, but Fowler adds it is unlikely the team’s 2023 and ’24 receiving leader is moved.
Wicks only totaled 332 receiving yards (on 30 catches) for two scores last season. That pedestrian stat line came with Watson missing half the season and Reed missing most of it. Still, with Doubs likely leaving, the Packers could need Wicks for a tertiary 2026 role before a 2027 free agency exit.
Packers Not Certain To Retain CB Nate Hobbs?
Brian Gutekunst said earlier this offseason the Packers were likely to move forward with Nate Hobbs and fellow big-ticket 2025 signee Aaron Banks. The guard just saw his contract restructured, ensuring he will be back. Hobbs’ future may be murkier suddenly.
The Packers have not turned to the Hobbs deal for cap space, and ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes rumblings about a quick separation have emerged. Green Bay gave the four-year Las Vegas cornerback a four-year, $48MM deal in free agency last year. The 2025 market was fruitful for a number of corners, Hobbs among them, but the ex-Raider did not end up making a big impact.
Packer contracts regularly include signing bonus money as the only guarantees, with roster bonuses also part of some such pacts — as was the case with 2024 free agency addition Josh Jacobs. As Adam La Rose’s Packers Offseason Outlook detailed, Hobbs is due a $6.25MM roster bonus on March 13. The Pack may be considering a quick departure to avoid being on the hook for that.
Hobbs’ only guarantees at signing came via his $16MM signing bonus. That represents the only locked-in money left on the deal, but $12MM in bonus prorations would bring dead money in the event Green Bay cuts bait before this roster bonus is due. If the Packers designate Hobbs as a post-June 1 release, they can save $8.84MM in 2026. Though, those funds would not be available until June. A standard release would tag the Pack with $12MM in dead money and just $838K in cap savings. Teams are allotted two post-June 1 designations each year.
The Packers benched Hobbs five games in and reduced his role. Formerly contributing as a slot and boundary corner in Vegas, Hobbs cleared 33% of the Packers’ defensive snaps just once after his Week 6 demotion. Hobbs underwent knee surgery in August, affecting his preparation for his fifth season. Not debuting until Week 2, Hobbs later missed five more games due to knee trouble and finished the season on IR.
NFL Restructures: Singletary, Stingley, Packers, Banks, Bills, Browns, Jaguars
Teams need to move under the $301.2MM salary ceiling by 3pm CT Wednesday, and many will be completing restructures to create funds ahead of Monday’s legal tampering period. Here are the latest moves clubs have made to clear cap space:
- Devin Singletary loomed as a cut candidate, as the Giants have been linked to a Kenneth Walker pursuit. But the veteran running back is accepting a notable pay cut to stay. Singletary agreed to reduce his salary from $5MM to $1.3MM, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. The former Bills and Texans starter has been a role player in New York, being usurped by both Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo. But it looks like Singletary will be staying on the roster after this change, which Raanan indicates also comes with a $1MM incentive package.
- The Texans created roughly $20MM in cap space by moving the majority of Derek Stingley Jr.‘s $21.59MM 2026 base salary into a bonus, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. This move, which will inflate future cap hits on Stingley’s three-year, $90MM extension, has slid Houston past $33MM in cap room as of Sunday afternoon. Also contributing to that total: a Jalen Pitre restructure, per Wilson. The versatile DB’s base salary is at the veteran minimum, freeing up nearly $9MM.
- Tied to a four-year, $77MM Packers deal, Aaron Banks will see his contract restructured as well. It is not known how much cap space the Packers will save here, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team is adjusting Banks’ 2026 numbers to create room. This will make a future release a bit more difficult while freeing up funds now.
- Taking on D.J. Moore‘s salary in a trade with the Bears, the Bills are still nearly $13MM over the cap. They continue to move toward the limit, though, with OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald noting Ed Oliver‘s deal has been restructured. That move creates more than $10MM in space.
- The Browns have been known to adjust a contract or two under GM Andrew Berry, who has completed four restructures on the disastrous Deshaun Watson deal. They are restructuring Denzel Ward‘s contract, but it is a limited change. This move will only bring Ward’s cap hit down $2MM, per Fitzgerald. It still sits at $30.89MM — second-highest on the team. Cleveland is using Ward’s $2.5MM roster bonus to make the conversion.
- The Jaguars adjusted three deals to create space recently. Patrick Mekari, Eric Murray and Jourdan Lewis‘ 2026 salaries have been reduced via simple restructures, according to Fitzgerald, Spotrac and the Florida Times-Union’s Ryan O’Halloran. The Mekari and Murray move created $10.72MM in cap space, per Fitzgerald. The Lewis restructure adds $7.7MM to that total. The Jags are barely $100K under the cap, however.
Packers, OL Sean Rhyan Agree To Three-Year Deal
The Packers have agreed to a three-year extension with offensive lineman Sean Rhyan, as Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network were first to report. The deal is worth $33MM and can max out at $39MM. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Rhyan will get an $11MM signing bonus.
The Packers selected Rhyan in the third round of the 2022 draft, and after appearing in just one special teams snap in his rookie season, he saw action in 12 games in 2023. Almost all of that work came at right guard, and in 2024, Rhyan became the full-time starter at RG.
In the eyes of Pro Football Focus, Rhyan performed adequately in 2024. His overall PFF grade of 62.0 was roughly league-average, but he lost his grip on the starting job after the first few games of the 2025 slate. 2024 first-rounder Jordan Morgan displaced him, and as ESPN’s Rob Demovsky observes, Rhyan appeared unlikely to remain in Green Bay as of the midway point of last season.
But in Week 10, starting center Elgton Jenkins sustained a lower leg fracture, and Rhyan was thrust into the pivot for the remainder of the season. His overall PFF mark for his 2025 efforts (59.0) was below average, and his 38.5 pass-block grade was abysmal. However, GM Brian Gutekunst viewed the situation differently, saying at this year’s scouting combine that Rhyan played the center position at a “very high level” once he got his feet wet (via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic).
Gutekunst backed up his comments with this deal, which makes Rhyan one of the league’s highest-paid centers despite just nine career starts at the position. The move also means that Jenkins will be released or traded, as Demovsky and Schneidman note (ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler had previously mentioned Jenkins as a trade candidate).
Morgan, who played at left tackle in college, did not keep the right guard gig for very long, as Anthony Belton took over there in Week 13. Nonetheless, with Rasheed Walker likely to depart in free agency, Morgan is in line to move back to the blindside for his pivotal third year in the pros.
From left to right, the Packers’ starting OL at the moment appears to be comprised of Morgan, Aaron Banks, Rhyan, Belton, and Zach Tom.