Exclusive: Packers Will Sever Relations After $50 Million Agreement

The cutting season for the Green Bay Packers is quickly approaching, and the front office’s saw is already keen.

When the new league year officially begins on Wednesday, linebacker De’Vondre Campbell will be released by the organization, according to a story published on Sunday, March 10 by Tom Silverstein of the Milwuakee Journal Sentinel.

In contrast to cutting him immediately, they can generate more salary cap room by delaying until Wednesday and designating his release for June 1. The Packers have been taking actions to open up salary cap space, giving them the opportunity to sign a player in free agency. They could go after players at different positions in addition to a safety.

However, Green Bay’s cap-saving measures go beyond free agency. A few players from the team’s 2023 roster are also available, and Silverstein stated that they will be given priority in the near future.

“Moreover, they wish to re-sign a number of their own free agents, including tight end Tyler Davis, linebacker Eric Wilson, and cornerback/returner Keisean Nixon,” he added.

DeVondre Campbell Changed in Green Bay From Affordable Find to Expensive Extension 

When the Packers signed Campbell to a one-year contract paying just $2 million in 2021, general manager Brian Gutekunst was regarded as one of the great bargain finds of the season.

The following season, Campbell recorded a career-high 146 tackles, along with 5 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 sacks, to earn first-team All-Pro honors according to Pro Football Reference.

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The next offseason, Campbell inked a five-year, $50 million contract with Green Bay. Unfortunately, his play declined, partly as a result of injuries, and the Packers have now decided to back out of that signing as an example of a low-value contract.

This move will save the team around $10.6 million in 2024 and almost $8.9 million in each of the next two years. The move will cost Green Bay $3.7 million in dead cap hits in each of the following three seasons and $657,000 in dead cap hits in 2027.

David Bakhtiari, a left tackle, is expected to be cut by the Packers in the near future. 

In 2024, Campbell was the first major cap casualty for Green Bay, but he won’t likely be the last. David Bakhtiari, a left tackle, is still a top contender to be traded given his stellar 2024 cap figure and history of recent injuries.

Entering his fourth and last season on a $92 million contract, the five-time All-Pro will cost the Packers more than $40 million if they don’t take care of his contract problem. By cutting or moving Bakhtiari at any time during the spring and summer, Green Bay may save about $21 million, which is nearly twice as much money as the team will save by parting ways with Campbell.

The fact that the Packers haven’t decided to cut off Bakhtiari yet gives some hope that the 32-year-old left tackle could be retained by the team in the future through a possible restructure or contract. His future in the NFL is, at best, uncertain because of persistent knee problems that have kept him out of action for the majority of the last three years.

During that time, Bakhtiari has only appeared in 13 regular-season games, including one each in 2021 and 2023. Before deciding on a cut, it is more likely that Green Bay is investigating whether Bakhtiari has even a little trade market, and therefore an opportunity to obtain some sort of value in exchange for him.