There are going to be some major changes to the Green Bay Packers' roster this offseason. That can be said all throughout the NFL, of course, but the Packers find themselves in a bit of a crap crunch, and they're going to need to make some big cuts to get out of it.

It's not all bad news, of course. Part of the reason they're feeling the squeeze is that they have two stars at two premium positions taking up a lot of cap space. That would be Jordan Love at quarterback and Micah Parsons at EDGE rusher, and you'd rather have both of those guys than not.

They also have several young guns they're going to want to keep around for a long time, so extensions will be due. Tight end Tucker Kraft headlines that list as he heads into the 2026 season, as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal.

In the here and now, before free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, the Packers find themselves about $19 million over the cap. This is according to Packers cap expert Ken Ingalls. He did a really nice breakdown with Zach Kruse of PackersWire that's worth checking out.  

General Manager Brian Gutekunst and executive vice president/director of football operations Russ Ball can work the cap in multiple ways this offseason. As mentioned, some players must be cut, but they can also do simple restructures and long-term extensions to free up some space.

The two players below are more than likely to be cut this offseason, though. In fact, it's all but guaranteed considering their cap hit numbers. They are also big names, though the league has a way of moving on from even the biggest names once their time is up.

Elgton Jenkins was a star for the Packers at guard. He was selected No. 44 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, and he immediately became a stalwart of the interior of the offensive line at left guard. 

Jenkins was a Pro Bowler in 2020 and 2022, and he could also play all five positions on the offensive line.

The problem? He just turned 30 and suffered a season-ending lower leg injury in early November. He also didn't look all that great at center this past season. This, despite the fact that the Packers were hyping him up as a potential All-Pro at the position.

The Packers can save a ton of money by cutting him, and per Ingalls, that's most likely going to be the case.

"I’ve had 2025 circled as Elgton Jenkins’ final year in Green Bay for some time," Ingalls said, via Kruse. "Jenkins is entering 2026 with a $24.3 million cap hit, fourth highest on the team, and I would be absolutely shocked if he returns in any way. The Packers will gain $20 million of much needed cap space with his release."

Rashan Gary has ultimately been a dissapointment as the former No. 12 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He's never notched over 9.5 sacks in a season, and he's averaged just 6.6 per season. 

That's not bad for a tertiary pass-rusher, but Gutekunst drafted Gary because he thought he could become a superstar. That just hasn't panned out.

There was a glimmer of hope that he could become a "Robin" to Parsons' "Batman" in 2025. Gary started the season with 7.5 sacks, but he went without a sack in his last 10 games, including the playoffs.

He also became public enemy No. 1 for moments like this: 

"Rashan Gary has a $28 million cap hit, second highest on the team, and I fully expect the Packers to release him to gain almost $11 million cap space," Ingalls said. "There are many reasons to move on from Gary, but most importantly is the visible lack of effort on the field playing backup level snaps while wearing a captain’s patch for this team. They simply can’t invite him back into a locker room and validate this as acceptable leadership."

There's a statement to be made by the Packers by releasing Gary, but that $11 million in cap space is just as important this offseason.

Notably, Ingalls does think the Packers may try to hold on to Gary in an attempt to swing a trade to at least get something else other than cap room out of him. 

Which team out there would trade anything of value, though?

"I don’t believe there is a market for his tape with two years and $42 million remaining," Ingalls said.

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