The Green Bay Packers are preparing to play the most important game of their season. For Edge Rusher Rashan Gary, this is the most important game of his career. The seventh-year pass rusher is in the middle of his most disappointing season since being drafted 12th overall in the 2019 NFL draft.
Gary has failed to live up to his draft status, as he has never cleared the ten-sack mark through his first seven seasons. Somehow, this year feels even more disappointing. The addition of Micah Parsons was supposed to unlock Gary’s potential as a pass rusher. The first seven weeks of the 2025 season supported that notion, with Gary tallying 7.5 sacks.
The last nine games have set the stage for this weekend. Gary has failed to take down a quarterback since before Halloween. Beyond that, his pressure rate is down, and his effort has been criticized. It is very possible that Gary’s reduced snap count in Week 17 is an indicator that his Packers’ career is on life support.
Rashan Gary Not Living Up to the Money
Gary signed a contract extension through the 2027 season just two years ago. The extension led to a cap number exceeding $25 million for the 2025 season. The Packers cannot afford to pay that kind of money for a player who only played 33 snaps in their last game. Green Bay has already elected to utilize cheaper options, in Kingsley Enagbare and Lukas Van Ness, at a higher rate than Gary.
The Packers owe Gary zero guaranteed money in 2026. They can also save $19.5 million in cap space if they designate him as a post-June 1st cut. Green Bay is projected to be $11 million over the 2026 salary cap.
Time to Make a Statement
If Gary aspires to play in Green Bay beyond this season, he needs to have an impact this weekend. Packers-Bears is the most storied rivalry in football. A splash performance by Gary might be enough to make the Packers’ front office forget about his recent decline.
Green Bay has committed a lot of resources to ensure that they can roll out an elite pass rush. Gary needs to show that he can still contribute to that pass rush, or General Manager Brian Gutekunst will be forced to move on. Packers’ fans and Gary are both expecting a deep playoff run to allow this statement to be made.
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