Cowboys’ Rashan Gary Accepts Pay Cut
One of the many defensive additions made by the Cowboys last week was the trade for Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary. The veteran agreed to a pay cut to help facilitate the deal. 
Gary reduced his compensation for 2026 and ’27 to $16MM, as detailed by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He was originally owed $19.5MM this season and $22.5MM for the final year of his contract, but none of that was guaranteed. Gary received a signing bonus of $13.2MM, per Pelissero, locking in most of his pay for his debut Cowboys campaign.
$1MM in active roster bonuses are present in both years of this new pact, ESPN’s Todd Archer adds. Gary’s 2026 cap charge has dropped to $5.4MM as a result of the restructure, which includes the addition of void years. The 28-year-old is on course to receive a $15MM base salary in 2027, but without any of that figure guaranteed at signing Gary’s future in Dallas will depend solely on how he performs next season.
Adding in the pass rush department was seen as a key priority for the Cowboys as part of their overall renovations on defense. Gary was acquired for a fourth-round pick, a sign of Green Bay’s willingness to move on from the remainder of his contract but also the former first-rounder’s poor finish to the 2025 campaign. A rebound would help Dallas’ production along the edge while also increasing the chances of Gary’s Cowboys stint lasting more than one season.
The team heavily pursued a Maxx Crosby trade leading up to free agency, and the Raiders All-Pro is still available at this point. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has not closed the door to renewed Crosby interest, but Dallas has been busy on multiple fronts with respect to defensive contracts. That includes the re-signing of Sam Williams, one of the team’s many edge rushers whose contracts recently expired. Jadeveon Clowney, Dante Fowler and Payton Turner remain unsigned at this point.
With nearly $19MM in cap space, the Cowboys have the ability to make more defensive additions during the second wave of free agency. Regardless of what happens on that front, though, Gary will be counted on to serve as a key EDGE presence. It will be interesting to see if he can play his way into an extended Dallas tenure.
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.
Packers To Move On From Rashan Gary?
1:17pm: We look to have an Instagram hacking situation here. That is the case, per Demovsky. Gary has not been informed he is being released or traded yet, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
12:48pm: Rashan Gary‘s Packers tenure looks set to end after seven seasons. The veteran edge rusher announced (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero) his time with the team will wrap soon.
Tied to a four-year, $96MM extension, Gary had played out the guaranteed portion of his contract — one that ran through the 2027 season. Gary was due an $18MM base salary in 2026. The Packers could designate the OLB as a post-June 1 cut, but they cannot do so until March 11.
It is not known if Gary will be traded or released, according to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. But it certainly appears the 2019 first-round pick has been informed he’s done in Green Bay. Gary has since deleted this post (h/t ESPN’s Rob Demovsky), injecting confusion into the proceedings.
Gary, 28, had been the subject of trade talks (per Pelissero) recently. The Packers would save $10.78MM with a standard release, which could take place today. They would, however, pick up $19.5MM in 2026 cap space with a post-June 1 designation. Teams are allowed two of those annually.
Gary’s production has not aligned with his $24MM-per-year pact, and the Packers could be searching for a new Micah Parsons bookend soon. Though, the team has 2023 first-rounder Lukas Van Ness — a player who has not lived up to his draft billing — as an option for 2026. Van Ness has started just two career games.
Packers Unlikely To Retain WR Romeo Doubs; OLB Rashan Gary A Cut Candidate?
In early October, we heard the Packers were interested in extending contract-year wideout Romeo Doubs. Now, multiple outlets are reporting that Doubs is unlikely to be back with Green Bay in 2026.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the Packers are expected to let Doubs walk, and just a day later, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic (subscription required) said the same thing. Schneidman views Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, both of whom are under contract through 2026, as the veteran wideouts who are more likely to land an extension from Green Bay.
The Packers also have rookie receivers Matthew Golden and Savion Williams on the books through 2028, and, like Watson and Reed, Dontayvion Wicks is not presently eligible for free agency until 2027. While Doubs is presently leading the team with 45 receptions and 542 receiving yards, that is largely due to injuries suffered by other players.
Watson did not make his 2025 debut until Week 8 as he rehabbed a January ACL tear – and he has played very well since his return – and Jayden Reed only recently got back on the field after sustaining a broken collarbone in Week 2. Tight end Tucker Kraft, meanwhile, saw his promising season cut short by an ACL tear of his own in Week 9.
Fowler previously had opined that Doubs could be eyeing a contract worth $15MM per year. Though the ESPN scribe did not offer a prediction as to contract value in his latest report, he did say Doubs will do well if and when he hits free agency. Given Green Bay’s WR situation, it stands to reason the club would be disinclined to pay market value for the Nevada product.
Another player who could be nearing the end of his Packers tenure is outside linebacker Rashan Gary. Under club control through 2027 by virtue of the four-year, $96MM extension he signed in October 2023, Gary has already tallied 7.5 sacks this season, which matches his output from his Pro Bowl showing in 2024.
That said, he has not tallied a sack since Week 7, and as Schneidman observes, Gary’s pressure percentage since Week 9 is tied for 38th in the league. Even in 2024, 4.5 of Gary’s 7.5 sacks came in a six-game span, so what Schneidman refers to as “stretches of futility” are not a new phenomenon for the 28-year-old edge defender.
However, with Micah Parsons in the fold to take pressure off Gary, those stretches are less excusable. As such, Schneidman believes the Packers could release Gary this offseason, though he concedes that will be more difficult if 2023 first-rounder Lukas Van Ness – who has missed extensive time this year with a foot injury – does not quickly start playing like a Day 1 draftee. Cutting Gary prior to June 1 would net roughly $11MM in cap savings, though it would come with a dead money charge in excess of $17MM. A post-June 1 release would be more palatable in that regard.
Schneidman echoes another prior Fowler report in saying that Green Bay will likely allow left tackle Rasheed Walker to sign elsewhere in the upcoming offseason.
Largest 2025 Cap Hits: Defense
The 2025 offseason has been defined in no small part by extensions amongst the league’s top edge rushers. A number of high-profile situations on that front remain unresolved at this point, which will make for interesting storylines over the coming weeks. Still, pass rushers once again account for some of the top cap charges around the NFL.
Just like on offense, here is a breakdown of the top 25 defensive cap hits in 2025:
- Maxx Crosby, DE (Raiders): $38.15MM
- T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $30.42MM
- DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $26.6MM
- Daron Payne, DT (Commanders): $26.17MM
- Rashan Gary, OLB (Packers): $25.77MM
- Montez Sweat, DE (Bears): $25.09MM
- Denzel Ward, CB (Browns): $24.56MM
- Micah Parsons, DE (Cowboys): $24.01MM
- Derwin James, S (Chargers): $23.86MM
- Roquan Smith, LB (Ravens): $23.72MM
- Dexter Lawrence, DT (Giants): $23.64MM
- Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $23.6MM
- Jeffery Simmons, DT (Titans): $22.7MM
- L’Jarius Sneed, CB (Titans): $22.58MM
- Vita Vea, DT (Buccaneers): $22.47MM
- Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (Dolphins): $22.36MM
- Jonathan Greenard, DE (Vikings): $22.3MM
- Jessie Bates, S (Falcons): $22.25MM
- Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $21.92MM)
- Quinnen Williams, DT (Jets): $21.59MM
- Jaylon Johnson, CB (Bears): $21MM
- Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $20.43MM
- Kenny Clark, DT (Packers): $20.37MM
- Danielle Hunter, DE (Texans): $20.2MM
- Zach Allen, DE (Broncos): $19.8MM
Crosby briefly held the title of the league’s highest-paid pass rusher when his latest Raiders extension was signed. That $35.5MM-per-year pact was quickly overtaken in value, but it put to rest speculation about a potential trade. Now fully healthy, Crosby’s level of play in 2025 will be critical in determining Vegas’ success. 
Garrett currently leads the way in terms of AAV for edge rushers (and, in turn, all defensive players). He landed $40MM in annual compensation from the Browns in a deal which ended his long-running trade request. The four-time All-Pro sought a change of scenery to a Super Bowl contender but then altered his stance following communication with Cleveland’s front office. Garrett is now on the books through 2030.
Other notable pass rushers face an uncertain future beyond the coming campaign, by contrast. That includes Watt, who is not close to reaching an agreement on a third Steelers contract. The former Defensive Player of the Year is reported to be eyeing a pact which will again move him to the top of the pecking order for pass rushers. He thus finds himself in a similar situation to fellow 30-year-old All-Pro Trey Hendrickson with the Bengals.
While Hendrickson is believed to be aiming for a new deal similar in average annual value to those like Bosa and Hunter’s, Parsons could leapfrog Watt atop the pecking order by the time the season begins. Little (if any) progress has been made since Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reached a handshake agreement on the framework of a deal. Time remains for a pact to be finalized before training camp; failing that, the possibility of a hold-in will increase.
Recent years have seen a major spike in the valuation of interior defensive linemen capable of producing against the pass. It comes as no surprise, then, to see a multitude of D-tackles on the list. Buckner and Chris Jones are among the veterans with the longest track record of success in terms of sacks and pressures (along with disruptive play against the run, of course). Payne, Lawrence, Simmons and Williams were among the players who helped moved the position’s market upward with similar second contracts during the 2023 offseason.
Gary, Sweat and Greenard will again be counted on to lead the way in terms of pass rush production for their respective NFC North teams. Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota each have upside elsewhere on the depth chart, but expectations will remain high for those three based on their lucrative deals. The highly competitive division will no doubt come down to head-to-head games, and they will be influenced in large part by the performances of each defense.
The cornerback market reached $30MM per year this offseason thanks to Derek Stingley Jr.‘s Texans extension. Given the term remaining on his rookie pact, though, his cap charge for this season checks in at a much lower rate than that of teammates like Hunter or other top CBs. Ward and Jaylon Jones are on the books through 2027, and the same is true of Sneed. The high-priced Tennessee trade acquisition did not enjoy a healthy debut season with his new team in 2024, but he appears to be set for full participation in training camp. 
Safety and linebacker are among the positions which have witnessed slower growth than others recently. Still, a few top performers are attached to deals landing them on this list. Smith has been a first-team All-Pro performer during his tenure with the Ravens; he will be expected to remain one in 2025 and beyond. James and Bates will likewise be counted on as key playmakers in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Fitzpatrick will, interestingly, return to his original team after being part of the blockbuster Steelers-Dolphins trade from earlier this week.
Vea helped the Buccaneers rank fourth against the run last season while Clark and the Packers finished seventh in that regard. Both veterans have multiple years remaining on their deals, although in both cases the final season does not include guaranteed money. Vea and/or Clark could thus find themselves discussing an extension next offseason.
Allen is among the players listed who could have a new deal in hand before Week 1. The former Cardinal is coming off a career-best 8.5 sacks from the 2024 season. To no surprise, then, Allen is high on Denver’s list of extension priorities, and it will be interesting to see if the pending 2026 free agent works out a new pact prior to the start of the campaign.
Packers Aiming To Reduce Aaron Jones’ Cap Number, Not Expected To Re-Sign AJ Dillon
Just more than a year ago, the Packers helped lay the groundwork for a rough running back year. They reached a pay-cut agreement with Aaron Jones, ensuring he would stay for the 2023 season. That pact paid off, with Jones helping drive the team to the divisional round.
GM Brian Gutekunst said earlier this offseason the team planned to retain Jones, who is going into his age-29 season. But the Packers are interested in lowering Jones’ $17MM 2024 cap number. With this being the final year of the talented running back’s contract, such a reduction is a trickier matter.
Packers brass and Jones’ agent met Friday about making the change, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein. It is unclear how the sides plan to accomplish this goal. Also unclear: how motivated Green Bay is to make the move. An all-or-nothing effort on this front would naturally put Jones’ roster spot in jeopardy. An extension would help here, as going deeper into the void years well would increase dead money associated with the contract-year RB.
Jones accepted a $5MM reduction in exchange for an $8.52MM signing bonus last February. The void years from that adjustment run through 2027. Were Jones to depart as a free agent next year, the Pack would be hit with $6.6MM in dead money. Should Green Bay release the productive back now, a post-June 1 designation would probably be necessary. That would only leave the team with $5.7MM in 2024 dead money, while bringing more than $11MM in cap savings. That said, Jones remains a valuable piece and the only veteran presence among the team’s skill-position corps.
A four-year Packer contributor, AJ Dillon is on track for free agency. The between-the-tackles bulldozer is not expected to be re-signed, Silverstein adds. Although Jones battled hamstring and knee injuries in 2023, he returned and ripped off a borderline-dominant stretch to help the Packers make a late-season charge that ended with the team putting a scare into the eventual NFC champion 49ers in Round 2. Jones put together for five consecutive 100-plus-yard rushing games to close the season. Dillon did not fare as well in a contract year.
The former second-round pick averaged a career-low 3.4 yards per carry, scoring just two touchdowns. The Packers leaned on their experienced RBs last season, deploying a WR-TE contingent consisting entirely of first- or second-year players. Dillon totaled 1,573 rushing yards and 12 TDs between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, becoming a popular presence in Green Bay despite a limited pass-game skillset.
Jones is one of the game’s best dual-threat backs, and the Packers would certainly miss the former fifth-round pick if he was jettisoned. That said, a host of options will be available to RB-needy teams in free agency. That spells trouble for Dillon, who joins Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, D’Andre Swift and Gus Edwards as notable backs set to hit the market. The Bengals may add Joe Mixon to this list soon as well. This would help the team with Jones, who is due an $11.1MM base salary next season. Though, it is unclear if the Packers are planning another pay-cut ultimatum.
The Packers recently created some cap space by restructuring the contracts of Preston Smith and Rashan Gary, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The moves created more than $7MM in cap space together. Green Bay, which is also likely to release David Bakhtiari, currently holds just more than $14MM in cap room.
NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Poles, Gary
Graham Glasgow became a cap casualty this offseason, seeing the now-Sean Payton-run Broncos dump his four-year, $44MM contract. The veteran interior lineman had taken a pay cut in 2022, after losing his job (to Quinn Meinerz) following an injury absence. Glasgow returned to the Lions, who had drafted him in 2016, on a one-year deal worth $2.75MM deal. Given backup money, Glasgow indeed began the season as a utility man. But the Lions have needed to use the eighth-year veteran at three positions this season, with injuries sidelining Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow and Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Glasgow has done enough to remain a starter when the unit is at full strength, Dan Campbell said (via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett).
Glasgow, 30, has started the past six games and done so at left guard, right guard and center. Moving forward, Glasgow will be Detroit’s RG starter. Vaitai won that job out of training camp but needed time off after an early-season injury. While Vaitai is back after knee and back maladies, the 2020 free agency pickup has not showed top form upon returning. Pro Football Focus grades Glasgow as the No. 5 overall guard. The former third-round pick now has the opportunity to use this season to fetch a nice contract in free agency once again, though the Lions could also have interest in retaining him. The team removed a year from Vaitai’s contract, amid a pay cut that followed his missed 2022, and has Jackson in a contract year. The Lions have some questions at guard moving forward.
Here is the latest from the NFC North:
- Although the Bears have since extended Montez Sweat, executives took issue with GM Ryan Poles‘ pre-deadline strategy. One anonymous GM said (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) the move of indicating Jaylon Johnson was available barely 12 hours before the deadline did not give teams enough time to gauge his trade value, assess the player’s future or negotiate a contract. A report indicating the Bears would let Johnson’s camp seek a trade — after Bears extension talks were not progressing — came out just after midnight CT on Oct. 31. The Bears ended up keeping Johnson, and Poles has said the team wants to keep the contract-year cornerback. No team has franchise-tagged a corner since the Rams cuffed Trumaine Johnson in 2017, but Chicago does have the tag available with Sweat signed days after that trade.
- The Bears obtained Sweat from the Commanders for a second-round pick. The above-referenced GM said the Falcons were on track to land Sweat for a third-round pick before Poles put the Bears’ second-rounder on the table. Atlanta is believed to have increased its offer twice in response. Another anonymous GM told La Canfora the Bears should have been selling at the deadline. While execs did not agree with the Bears giving up a pick likely to land in the 30s for Sweat, the team proceeded this way for Chase Claypool last year and now has an upper-echelon edge defender signed long term.
- Weeks after seeing DC Alan Williams step away, the Bears fired running backs coach David Walker, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns. Workplace behavior led to Walker’s dismissal, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin adds. The Bears’ HR department had previously disciplined Walker, according to Cronin, with the second infraction leading to the firing. Matt Eberflus hired Walker, 53, last year. HR was also involved in Williams’ exit; the two matters are unrelated. Omar Young is now coaching Chicago’s RBs.
- Rashan Gary‘s four-year, $96MM Packers extension calls for a $34.6MM signing bonus, which represents the fifth-year outside linebacker’s guarantee. Additionally, Gary will collect a $6.2MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2024 league year, according to OverTheCap. On Day 3 of the 2025 league year, Gary will earn an $8.7MM roster bonus.
- The Lions bumped linebacker Trevor Nowaske up to their active roster due to another team’s effort to poach him off the practice squad, Campbell said. A rookie UDFA out of Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), Nowaske joined Detroit’s active roster last week.
Packers, Rashan Gary Agree To Extension
While short-term changes to the Packers’ roster could be coming in the next two days, a cornerstone of their defense is set to remain in place for the foreseeable future. Edge rusher Rashan Gary announced on Monday that he has signed a four-year, $96MM extension.
The deal comes as Gary is playing out his fifth-year option to finish off his rookie contract. Taking into account his 2023 salary of $10.89MM, the extension will pay out a total of $107.5MM to the former first-rounder and keep him on the books through 2027. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the contract includes a signing bonus of $34.64MM.
Gary had a slow start to his career with only seven sacks across his first two seasons in the league. The Michigan alum took on a full-time starting role in 2021, however, and his increased workload produced an uptick in his statistical impact. Gary registered 9.5 sacks that year, leading to the Packers’ decision to exercise his option and expectations of a strong follow-up campaign.
However, an ACL tear limited him the 25-year-old to nine games in 2022. Despite showing continued effectiveness prior to the injury, it threatened to hinder Gary’s market for a new deal pending his recovery process. He rehabbed in time to suit up for Week 1, though, and he has yet to miss a contest in 2023. Gary made it clear last month he was open to negotiating a new long-term pact, and efforts on that front have now cemented his status as a key member of Green Bay’s core moving forward.
The $24MM AAV of the extension places Gary fifth in the NFL amongst edge rushers in that department. Nick Bosa‘s historic 49ers deal has set a new high mark at the position, and today’s agreement makes Gary the 10th pass rusher to eclipse the $20MM-per-year mark. He will now sit atop the pecking order (just ahead of left tackle David Bakhtiari and cornerback Jaire Alexander) as Green Bay’s highest-paid player.
Gary has recorded 4.5 of the Packers’ 19 sacks this season, giving him the team lead. Fellow starter Preston Smith has been floated as a trade candidate in the build-up to tomorrow’s deadline, with Gary’s extension on the horizon and first-round rookie Lukas Van Ness in place for years to come. While Smith’s future in Green Bay is yet to be determined, Gary’s is now taken care of for the foreseeable future.
Packers LB Rashan Gary Open To Extension
Packers linebacker Rashan Gary tore his ACL in November, and that ended up delaying whatever chance he had at earning an extension. The former 12th-overall pick is now playing on his fifth-year option, and Gary acknowledged to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that he’d be open to signing an extension now or after the season.
Gary made his return to the field in Week 1, and while the linebacker is certainly aware of his impending free agency, he’s more focused on regaining his old form.
“I’ve just been going through my rehab process and just trying to get back and focus on me,” said Gary
Gary remains on a pitch count for the Packers. He was limited to only 12 defensive snaps in Week 1, but he was still plenty productive; ESPN Stats & Information listed Gary with three pressures on seven pass-rush attempts. Demovsky writes that Gary should see an increase in snaps tomorrow against the Falcons, but the linebacker will continue to be on a pitch count.
“I felt I could’ve seen a lot of things just a little quicker,” Gary said of his season debut. “But for my first game back in live action, what I needed to feel, what I needed to see, I felt like I did.”
It took a few seasons for Gary to justify his draft investment, but he broke out in 2021 when he finished with 9.5 sacks and 28 QB hits. He looked like he was taking another step forward in 2022, collecting six sacks in nine games. Then the linebacker suffered a torn ACL in November, and instead of earning a big-money deal, he’ll be playing the 2023 campaign on a $10.89MM salary.
Gary probably has a long way to go to catch up to Nick Bosa‘s record-breaking $170MM deal with the 49ers, but the Packers defender could be in line for a significant pay day next offseason if he’s productive in 2023.
NFC North Notes: Packers, Lions, Hockenson
Rashan Gary is all set to debut in Week 1, completing his recovery from the ACL tear that ended his 2022 season in November. But the Packers will begin their top pass rusher on a pitch count to start the season, Matt LaFleur confirmed (via Packers Wire’s Zach Kruse). This could open the door for early-season Lukas Van Ness development. The Packers still roster Preston Smith, who is going into his fifth season with the team, and Van Ness contributed as an inside and outside rusher at Iowa. The team has versatile linebacker Justin Hollins and 2022 fifth-rounder Kingsley Enagbare, who became a primary starter after Gary went down last season, as options while Gary ramps up to a full workload.
Additionally on the Green Bay injury front, David Bakhtiari, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are viewed as game-time decisions for Sunday’s opener against the Bears. Bakhtiari, who has seen knee trouble sidetrack his career to a degree over the past two-plus years, is listed on the injury report with more knee trouble. He expects to play, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein tweets. Both starting receivers are battling hamstring maladies and have not practiced this week. Here is the latest from the NFC North:
- As for tonight’s game, the Lions ruled out cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. Although Detroit activated Moseley off its active/PUP list before roster-cutdown day, the free agency addition underwent a second knee procedure this summer and was viewed as a long shot to start the year on time. Moseley is finishing up a recovery from an October 2022 ACL tear.
- Isaiah Buggs started 13 games at nose tackle for last season’s Lions edition, but the veteran was informed in advance he would be a healthy scratch tonight, the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers notes. The Lions gave Buggs a two-year, $4.5MM deal in March but gave more snaps to rookie Brodric Martin and Benito Jones during camp. Buggs believes his lack of offseason attendance affected the team’s decision, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The former Steelers contributor said his wife giving birth led to him staying away during OTAs. Jones and Alim McNeill are expected to start in Kansas City, Birkett adds.
- Going into free agency, the Bears did extensive work on Dre’Mont Jones, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes. Although the Bears carried plenty of cap space into free agency, they chose to stand down on Jones and spend for the likes of Tremaine Edmunds, Nate Davis, T.J. Edwards and DeMarcus Walker. The team later addressed its D-tackle needs in the draft, choosing three — Zacch Pickens (Round 2), Gervon Dexter (Round 3) and Travis Bell (Round 7) — on Day 2. This duo should be expected to play bigger roles down the line, but in Week 1, Justin Jones and Andrew Billings are slated to start. A four-year Broncos regular, Jones ended up with the Seahawks on a three-year, $51MM deal.
- T.J. Hockenson‘s four-year, $66MM Vikings extension comes with $29.29MM fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. That number checks in fourth among tight ends — behind Kyle Pitts‘ rookie deal and the extensions for Mark Andrews and George Kittle. Hockenson’s 2024 base salary is fully guaranteed. His $10.9MM 2025 base salary is guaranteed for injury at signing, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes that number shifts to a full guarantee a year early (March 2024). The Vikings did not use the year-out guarantee structure for Hockenson’s 2026 setup, giving them more flexibility. Hockenson has $2.3MM of his 2026 base ($15.4MM) guaranteed for injury; it does not shift to a full guarantee until March 2026, giving the Vikings additional flexibility. Hockenson’s cap number will climb from $5MM this year to $14.1MM in 2024, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets.