The Green Bay Packers were able to wow everyone, including the
Even the most hopeful Wisconsin football fans were impressed by the Green Bay Packers during a season when expectations were kept low. After finishing 9-8 during the regular season, the team defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Playoffs’ Wild Card Round before losing narrowly to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
Despite being the newest team in the NFL in 2023, the Packers’ roster still includes a number of older veterans with big contract obligations. Four of the nine Packers players who will have at least a $10 million salary cap hit in 2024 are at least 29 years old, and three of them are 30 years old or older. As the team attempts to build on its recent success, these experienced and well compensated players will be the main candidates for cut come off the roster this offseason.
After the season, acquisitions are always the main emphasis, but internal arguments about which senior players to bench in order to save money might be among the most difficult choices. The top three players the Packers would cut this summer are listed below.
David Bakhtiari—a Tackle on Defense—
Due to injuries, David Bakhtiari, a three-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, has only participated in 13 games over the past 13 seasons. The left tackle is becoming a top cut target for the Packers as he approaches the last year of his deal in 2024. By far the highest salary of any Green Bay player in 2024, Bakhtiari is projected to receive just less than $40 million. The Packers would have to pay half of the veteran tackle’s contract if Bakhtiari was removed. However, this action would save
Considering Bakhtiari’s past injuries, the Packers should release the left tackle without hesitation.
Aaron Jones (Reverse Running)
Aaron Jones is a gifted athlete who is nearing the end of his Packers contract, much like Bakhtiari. Jones is also returning from a season marred by injuries, missing six games and averaging just 49% of offensive snaps while healthy (compared to 58% in 2022). Financial difficulties may have forced Jones to play his final game with the Green and Gold, but the running back for the Packers demonstrated his continued production by recording five straight 100-yard ground games between the regular season and the postseason.
By removing Jones after June 1, the Packers would save nearly $12 million, giving them a dead cap of $5.7 million for 2024 and $6.6 million for 2025. At 29, Aaron Jones will start his eighth NFL season.
De’Vondre Campbell—a linebacker inside
The Packers are concerned about the aging linebacking corps going forward. When the 2024 season begins, De’Vondre Campbell and Preston Smith will both be 31 years old. The Packers will be carefully examining both players, who have a 2024 salary cap charge of at least $14 million, as they seek for ways to cut costs this offseason.