Cory's Corner: It's Time To Move On
The seven-year Packers veteran hasn't played good enough to warrant a spot.
The Packers have a decision to make about Rashan Gary.
The 28-year-old edge rusher had 7.5 sacks this year. He had the same number of sacks last year and was a Pro Bowler. The huge difference was Micah Parsons, who regularly got doubled, chipped and even tripled.
Gary didn’t consistently take advantage of that opportunity. He had more than four tackles one time last year and that was in the season opener and he didn’t get a sack after Oct. 26.
“I do think toward the end he wasn’t as productive as he was at the beginning,” said Brewers general manager Brian Gutekunst. “Certainly, that’ll be something I’m sure he looks at personally and we look at as a team how we can make sure that his production level is the same at the beginning and end of the season.”
Granted, it took Gary a couple years to get comfortable in Green Bay’s system after getting picked 12th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. He didn’t make his first start until Sept. 27, 2020 and didn’t become a regular starter until 2021 when he tallied 9.5 sacks.
The time is now. The Packers have the pieces in place to go on a run.
So what does that mean for Gary? Well, can the Packers be patient and wait and allow Gary to live under the radar when he was drafted to be a playmaker?
Contract wise, it would make sense. If the Packers release him after June 1, his dead cap number would be $8.5 million and Green Bay would also save $19.5 million in cap savings.
A guy like New England edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson would be perfect for Green Bay. He has a huge chip on his shoulder. The 2020 first round pick had three combined sacks in his first three years in Jacksonville. Last year, he was a key cog on the Patriots defense in leading that unit to the Super Bowl.
The Packers are no longer in a place for effort that is 50 percent and that’s exactly what it looked like at times for Gary this past season. He didn’t chase the ball downfield and actually looked disinterested. Gary has been in Green Bay seven seasons and the majority of it has been ho-hum.
That just isn’t good enough for a guy that is expected to make plays. According to cap hit, Gary was the second-highest paid edge rusher in the NFL behind Maxx Crosby. Gary was higher than Trey Hendrickson and Myles Garrett. I know that Garrett’s record-breaking sack was silly, but he’s the best defensive player in football. Gary isn’t even in the zip code as Garrett.
These decisions are never easy, but it’s also why Bill Belichick was so successful. He knew that if you held on to a player too long, it could cost a team years to make up for that mistake.
Gary is an OK defensive player, but he isn’t being paid like he’s OK. And that’s why it’s time for the Packers to move on. Even if the Packers don’t dip their toe into free agency, there will be guys available on Day 2 of the NFL Draft like Tennesse’s Joshua Josephs or Central Florida’s Malachi Lawrence.
Gary has done everything that was asked of him, but the production just hasn’t been there. With Parsons on one side, that other side has to be able to figure it out. And unfortunately, Gary is still scratching his head.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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Comments (53)
GreenandBold
February 14, 2026 at 07:24 am
Every Packers fan can see that the team needs to get rid of Gary not only for his play on the field but for salary cap reasons . So of course Gute will hold on to him to reward him for his lazy and uninspired play . The Brewers are screwed .
PackEyedOptimist
February 14, 2026 at 07:32 am
Cory: "said Brewers general manager Brian Gutekunst. "
Green and Bold: "The Brewers are screwed ."
Oh no! It's spreading!
:-D
Joster11
February 14, 2026 at 10:44 am
Maybe Rashan can play third base?
GreenandBold
February 14, 2026 at 01:47 pm
Doubt it if the ball is not hit directly at him he won’t move to go get it .
TKWorldWide
February 14, 2026 at 02:14 pm
Who’s on third?
gsd3
February 14, 2026 at 07:39 pm
Thought who was on 1st?
TKWorldWide
February 14, 2026 at 09:43 pm
I dunno. 😂
TKWorldWide
February 14, 2026 at 07:26 am
About a month after Parsons went down, Gary was asked (gently) about his “production.” (Implying that he hadn’t done diddly squat.) Gary answered to the effect of “playing great, and really stopping the run.”
Players need to be confident, agreed, but this bordered on delusional.
And it’s absolutely correct to expect guys with big paychecks to be big producers, and Gary hasn’t been. When GB really needed him, he disappeared. And his apparent lack of hustle combined with his low snap counts just seals the deal.
Adios, 52.
NickPerry
February 14, 2026 at 08:36 am
"Gary was asked (gently) about his “production.” (Implying that he hadn’t done diddly squat.) Gary answered to the effect of “playing great, and really stopping the run.”
Players need to be confident, agreed, but this bordered on delusional."
There seems to be a LOT of "Delusional" going on in Green Bay these days. It starts at the top with Gutey. After I listened to his season ending press conference by Gute the FIRST word that came to my mind was delusional. Now I understand Gute isn't going to openly bash a player when giving his opinion but does he think Packers Fans are stupid or just delusional like himself?
After listening to Gutes presser I'm extremely nervous of what the 2026 Packers will look like. The Packers O-Line is a mess without many options ready and waiting. This was NEVER a problem with Ted. The D-line may be worse off than the O-Line and when Nixon is your #1 CB, you've got problems Houston. Gary is one of several players not worth much of a damn. He just happens to make a shit ton of money.
Gary needs to be gone, no doubt about it. I'd much rather watch Oliver or Sorrell not make a play but give 110% effort trying than watch Gary pull up and not give it his all. I think it's going to get worse in Green Bay before it gets better. Unfortunately we just gave the two biggest reasons why Green Bay is where it is 5 year extensions.
Sorry, my comment got long and more about Gute than anything. But Gary is just one of MANY issues created by Gutes drafting.
dobber
February 14, 2026 at 08:42 am
The Packers have reached the point in Gary's contract where the cap hits rise, which generally forces the team to look for restructure/extension opportunities (that gets the player more bonus money) or to make a player take a pay cut or become a cap casualty by cut or trade.
I can see a few scenarios under which Gary is a Packer in '26, and they involve either a pay cut or some restructuring. It's possible they hang onto him until Parsons comes back and then shop him in trade. I'm usually averse to creating big holes in your lineup, especially when you don't have a concrete plan for succession. Usually. But Gary played so poorly down the stretch and was losing snaps to Enagbare and Sorrell that you have to ask how much of a hole a cut or trade creates. I think losing a try-hard guy like Enagbare AND Gary--two players who were in your regular rotation and ate a lot of snaps--will be a blow to the DE room unless they draft or sign a DE who can contribute right away (or they could give a guy like Brooks a chance to play on the edge).
'61's comment below about what Gannon thinks he can and can't do with Gary is a wild card here.
PackEyedOptimist
February 14, 2026 at 07:29 am
Before the 2019 draft, I said I hoped the Packers would NOT take Rashan Gary, because I had never seen a player who loafed as quickly as he did on plays which went away from him. He regularly would pull up almost instantly as soon as a play didn't head toward him. I described him as the "anti-Aaron Kampman." When Packers coaches etc. said he "gave great effort" I felt like I was taking crazy pills.
Lo and behold, he has shown the same tendency as a Packer, and he really leaned into it this past season.
Personally, in that draft, I selected Brian Burns, who has been much better. In the second round I picked safety Juan Thornhill, who has also played well (and was a starter on the KC Super Bowl winning team that year).
PLEASE cut Gary. I'd rather have ANY other of our DEs on the field.
golfpacker61
February 14, 2026 at 07:47 am
"These decisions are never easy, but it’s also why Bill Belichick was so successful. He knew that if you held on to a player too long, it could cost a team years to make up for that mistake." Move them a year too early rather than a year too late. Case in point, Aaron Rodgers to Denver was the "Kings Ransom" trade. We made the right move in trading Kenny Clark, although I would have been just as happy if Gary had been in that trade.
"Before the 2019 draft, I said I hoped the Packers would NOT take Rashan Gary, because I had never seen a player who loafed as quickly as he did on plays which went away from him." I posted the exact same thoughts PEO and got blasted because I knew hard core Michigan people who said the same things. Underperformer and Lazy, don't draft him. It's not even funny that Burns and Juan Thornhills were my picks that year too.
Van Ness was also overdrafted by GB, but no one will ever say he is lazy and takes plays off. That said we should not offer the 5th year option on LVN, let the year play out. I don't expect a "Breakout Year' because he is what he is, a solid rotational D-lineman. He needs to gain 20 lbs and move inside more where his quickness would be a big problem for any O-line. Then offer a contract for $5-8 million per year and keep a solid player on board. LVN has more potential than Wyatt and is younger.
Since'61
February 14, 2026 at 08:09 am
I'm wondering how much influence Gannon will have on whether or not Gary is retained by the Packers. Gannon may believe that Gary is a good fit for his defense and can get better production from him. As for me I think that the Packers should move on and put the cap savings to better use. Thanks, Since '61
dobber
February 14, 2026 at 08:25 am
"I'm wondering how much influence Gannon will have on whether or not Gary is retained by the Packers."
I think your comment is right on the money, '61: we don't have a feel for what Gannon will be pulling for. If he stays, they'll likely need to adjust his cap hit somehow. A max restructure would save about $13M against the cap this season, but kicks it down the road (they'd still be able to save money against the cap in '27 with a cut).
Since'61
February 14, 2026 at 08:48 am
Dobber,I appreciate your excellent feedback as usual. I was thinking they might be able to restructure Gary's contract if Gannon advocates for keeping Gary. I guess we'll find out in the reasonably near future.
Thanks, Since '61
dobber
February 14, 2026 at 09:06 am
FA is only a few weeks away...time to shit or get off the pot!
TKWorldWide
February 14, 2026 at 02:17 pm
Can Gannon (or anyone) fix ‘lazy’??
Guam
February 14, 2026 at 08:31 am
The Packers have a raft of young DEs (LVN, Cox, Sorrell, Oliver) that need playing time to develop. Gary is not producing at a level commensurate with his contract and as a seven year vet is highly unlikely to get better. Time to move on from Gary and see what the youngsters can do.
I'm sure Gannon will be asked his opinion, but because of the Packer need for cap space the Gary discussion has implications well beyond the defense. Without cutting Gary the Packers are going to have a tough time finding the cap space to resign any of their free agents including Rhyan and Q. Walker. Gute is going to have a lot to say about the Gary situation because of the roster building consequences of Gary's cap hit. The discussion isn't just about what Gary can produce for the defense next year.
NickPerry
February 14, 2026 at 08:45 am
I agree Guam get those youngsters out there playing and see what happens, at least Cox, Sorrell, & Oliver anyways. I think we know what LVN looks like, just like we know what and who Gary is. Personally I think if the Packers started the 2026 NFL season WITHOUT either Gary or LVN in a Packers uniform, they'd be a better defense. We know it wouldn't be any worse. Plus, they have a whole bunch of money they could hopefully put to good use.
dobber
February 14, 2026 at 09:15 am
"Personally I think if the Packers started the 2026 NFL season WITHOUT either Gary or LVN in a Packers uniform, they'd be a better defense. We know it wouldn't be any worse."
Yeah, after Gute threw all that capital and money after Parsons, it's clear he felt that a healthy roster was close. Whether or not we agree with his assessment, Gute's not going to blow a ginormous hole in the roster at one of the marquee spots by potentially starting '26 without Parsons, LVN, Gary, and Enagbare--and THEN only getting Parsons back--when he has no ammunition to fix those holes.
I'll reiterate what was said elsewhere: LVN is not flashy and doesn't look like a higher first round pick (yet), but he plays hard and is a capable NFL player. On his rookie deal, you can't hardly replace him for what he costs. He's gotta find a way to stay healthy.
"We know it wouldn't be any worse"
Careful what you ask for...see: Mennenga, Shawn.
Guam
February 14, 2026 at 10:07 am
Careful what you ask for, part two......see: Drayton, Maurice.
dobber
February 14, 2026 at 11:21 am
Bingo!
LeotisHarris
February 14, 2026 at 07:37 pm
Drayton has led the Citidel Bulldogs to a 9-26 record (0-11 in 2023) in the three seasons as HC. Like LaFleur said, "man, this guy is special."
Guam
February 14, 2026 at 10:05 am
I probably like LVN a little better than you do NP. He is not a star but he plays hard (something Gary forgot to do last season) and is still on his rookie contract. I don't mind him picking up some of Gary's snaps should the Packers let Gary go.
dobber
February 14, 2026 at 08:59 am
I think the complicating issue is that if they let Gary go and don't bring Enagbare back, they're very thin at DE, especially until Parsons comes back. Oliver will never be a base end, and probably will see his best success as a movable chess piece on passing downs. Admittedly, that's how it looks in February, and a lot can change in FA and the draft, but the Packers need to be careful to not push new needs into a draft where they're thin on high-end capital.
"Without cutting Gary the Packers are going to have a tough time finding the cap space to resign any of their free agents including Rhyan and Q. Walker."
I think that's the calculus here. What can you fix with Gary's money AFTER you use some of it to fill his spot? A Gary cut forces the Packers to dabble in the DE market and allows them to sign Enagbare (or someone who profiles like him), but it probably also forces the Packers' hand to give LVN his fifth year option (which I think he'll get, anyway). But it gets Gary off the '27 cap altogether and probably gets a starting C in '26, too.
Guam
February 14, 2026 at 10:17 am
I dunno Dobber, I might be willing to ride with LVN, Cox, Sorrell and Oliver to start the season as long as I believed Parsons was on track to return by mid-year. Not backfilling Gary and Enagbare gives the Packers the cap space to plug some larger holes elsewhere (OL, NT and CB). The Packers could also slide Brooks out to DE on running downs to provide more depth and beef and Cox, Sorrell and Oliver should be able to get after the passer on passing downs. I think they will be okay without Gary and Enagbare.
dobber
February 14, 2026 at 11:42 am
I think they'll need to shop if they let both walk. Here are projected available edge players...keeping in mind that some of these guys won't make it to market and some are really odd-front OLB only. If you look at the $10M and under AAV projections, there's a fair amount there of interest, and most of those would likely carry a 2026 cap hit of $6M or less. Someone in Enagbare's projected range probably carries a cap hit under $4M in '26. I think if the plan is to let both Enagbare and Gary go, you almost have to dabble in the FA market just to protect yourself from additional injury.
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/available/_/year/2026/position/ed
I will say that Haasan Reddick had two of his most productive seasons playing for Gannon in Philly, and while I'm not advocating for the Packers to sign Reddick, Oliver profiles as a similar kind of guy.
Guam
February 14, 2026 at 04:55 pm
It will be interesting to see what Gute actually does. If he feels like you do and wants another DE, I would just as soon see the Packers keep Enagbare. He has been solid and consistent - just not a star.
I like Oliver as a pass rushing piece for the Packers - hopefully Gannon can make good use of him.
golfpacker61
February 14, 2026 at 03:33 pm
"Oliver will never be a base end, and probably will see his best success as a movable chess piece on passing downs." This was not a good pick by GB. How about instead:
Zah Frazier-CB
Dorian Strong-CB
Orande Gadsden-TE
Drew Kendall-C
Jonah Monheim -C
dobber
February 15, 2026 at 06:05 am
He's a LB, not a DE, and as a 5th round pick recovering from injury, I'm not going to pass judgment on him, yet. He looked quite spry and active in his limited snaps last fall.
bjkdad44
February 14, 2026 at 08:40 am
“do think toward the end he wasn’t as productive as he was at the beginning,” said Brewers general manager Brian Gutekunst”… Brewer’s???
dobber
February 14, 2026 at 08:43 am
Gary's OPS was substandard.
buckyor
February 15, 2026 at 08:23 pm
Man I'm gonna miss Arnold
Ferrari-Driver
February 14, 2026 at 08:43 am
“I do think toward the end he wasn’t as productive as he was at the beginning,” said Brewers general manager Brian Gutekunst"
Not only is this on the list of understatements of the year, I'm surprised that the Brewers now have Brian Gutekunst as their General Manager.
Zapato
February 14, 2026 at 08:52 am
I'm glad to see at least one of the sports writers pointing out the bitter truth about one of the Packer players. Gary was a risky pick that never panned out. I'm tired of seeing the Packers draft prospects who don't contribute for years before finally getting a chance to play. In Gary's case, I thought he was overpaid for potential future performance that was never realized. It just seems like Gute wasted a lot of money on this guy.
On a side note, I think Golden could've been a much more productive receiver this past year if the coaches would've given him a chance. Just sayin!
golfpacker61
February 14, 2026 at 09:00 am
I drafted Gary's replacement, coincidently he is from Michigan, but he actually had solid production and has a good reputation. Trading back from #52 is our best chance for extra picks while still selecting a Top 10 CB who isn't a "1 year wonder."
57. Davison Igbinosun-CB Ohio State-Big, Fast, Tackles well and 3 year starter from Ohio State
84. Domonique Orange-DT Iowa State-Our 2 biggest needs filled
117. Derrick Moore-EDGE Michigan-Replacement for Gary
120. Malachi Fields-WR Notre Dame-not a need but has great hands-would be a solid #2 WR
158. Trey Zuhn III-OC Texas A&M-our Center of the future-All-SEC @ OT/OG/OC
167. Diego Pounds-OT Ole Miss-6'6 340 lbs-fits our OL @ OT or OG-All-SEC
195. Ephesians Prysock-CB Washington-6'3 195-double up on need
200. Sam Roush-TE Stanford-depth in TE room-great blocker
206. DJ Campbell-OG Texas-6'4 330 lbs-3 year starter @ Texas
242. Kendal Daniels-LB Oklahoma-6'5 240- played S/LB/Edge @ Oklahoma
254. Aaron Graves-DT Iowa-6'5 300-production @ Iowa-100 tackles career & 16 sacks
GreenandBold
February 14, 2026 at 09:57 am
Be careful golf on the corner from Ohio State . Being in Buckeye country he would drive us nuts with his grabbing and PI penalties . He led the nation 2 seasons ago . He worked on it and was much better this past season but still had his moments . Strong tackler for sure . But like Lombardi said grab grab grab in coverage .
stockholder
February 14, 2026 at 11:25 am
Moore will be gone by #52.
Very Deep class at CB-
The starters will go in rd. 1.
Domani Jackson. Cb AL.
( Is flying up draft boards)
Forget the edge and draft the DTs.
It usually takes 3 years for a DT.
Wyatt is the perfect example.
Chris McClellan DT Missouri
DeMonte Capehart DT Clemson
Harris DT MIs
Donate Corleone #58 pff. 72.6
will be better than orange
Te - is deep
Brian Parker 85.5 ot duke
should be brought in
golfpacker61
February 14, 2026 at 12:43 pm
I like Domani Jackson as well. Malik Muhammed, Hezekiah Masses, & Tacario Davis as well. Nebraska had some bigger really fast CBs this year-late round.
Corleone has had health issue-red flags- Aaron Graves from Iowa has more upside.
TE is more than a passing need SH, Our best TE tore his ACL. Our TE2, Musgrave hasn't shown $hit in 3 years. I do like Whyle and I would love to see GB sign Charlie Kolar to be TE2 and best blocker.
All of the draft centers are small. Trey Zuhn Tex A&M is projected to be a Center in the NFL. He is 6'6 315 already and was All-SEC as OT too.
stockholder
February 14, 2026 at 01:30 pm
Corleone already tested last year.
He was hurt this year.
The strong as a ox fit, and
he was double teamed.
Wing span and reach is what we need.
PeteK
February 14, 2026 at 09:44 am
IMO, cut or trade Gary and add Mosby to the long list of replacements, at the least we'll have fresh hustling players. With Jenkins and Gary gone we should have enough cap space to sign a CB, Quay is a dilemma for me.
dobber
February 14, 2026 at 12:20 pm
Remember also that both Cox and Mosby are RFA and the Packers need to decide whether to tender them (and risk losing them) or maybe signing them to a multi-year deal. I don't think they tender Mosby, but they might try to buy Cox for two years. No idea what it might take, but an RFA at the right-of-first-refusal level is $3.6M.
Other RFAs: Chris Brooks, Darrian Kinnard, Emmanuel Wilson, Josh Whyle. They may not tender anyone but Cox. I'd tender Wilson.
golfpacker61
February 14, 2026 at 12:45 pm
Cox has shown flashes when healthy. Not that it matters now but he was very highly rated coming into college and was kind of a trouble maker then, he seems to have matured. I think he would do no worse than Gary.
GregC
February 14, 2026 at 10:17 am
I often see defenders stop running when they know they are out of the play. It's common sense. They are just saving energy. Sadly, this happens to Gary sooner than it happens to most players. He just isn't very good anymore. Unless he was playing with some unknown injury that he can recover from, I don't see any reason to keep him.
Guam
February 14, 2026 at 10:27 am
I agree with about 99% of your comments GregC, but we differ on this one. Teams have rotational depth to keep guys fresh so they can pursue hard. Seattle just won the Super Bowl with a defense that had everyone flying to the ball on nearly every play. Gang tackling causes fumbles, fumble recoveries and prevents long gains.
Hafley had that in 2024 but I saw less of it in 2025, partly because Gary and a couple of others declined to pursue and saved their energy - which they could use sitting on the bench while the rotational players were on the field.
stockholder
February 14, 2026 at 11:40 am
Gary was considered a corner stone
of the defense, when drafted.
The wait is over. The regression obvious.
It does appear we should move on.
golfpacker61
February 14, 2026 at 12:49 pm
I keep waiting to hear Gary had some injury last year, like Kenny Clark had 2 years ago. If not, nobody can honestly make excuses for him, especially with Parsons taking all the extra attention away from him. Trade him for something like an early Day 3 pick or a need/player like D'Vondre Sweat or CB.
gsd3
February 14, 2026 at 07:44 pm
That's T'Vondre
LeotisHarris
February 14, 2026 at 07:29 pm
So, "the Packers are no longer in a place for effort that is 50 percent, Gary isn’t even in the zip code as Garrett, the Packers have the pieces in place to go on a run, and Gary has done everything that was asked of him."
Was this a particularly disjointed and ill-conceived edition of The Corner, or I am finally succumbing to a debilitating brain disease? If it is a brain disease, do you think Packers Team Physician, Doc Rivers, could help me?
Snap the ball
February 15, 2026 at 04:13 am
Gary looked slow in training camp. Going through the motions. It’s all about staying healthy so the pay check keeps rolling in
He learned that from Kenny Clark the year before
Healthy keep playing sub par. And the check keeps coming in..
HarryHodag
February 15, 2026 at 11:42 am
I always ask the question to the folks who want to boot someone after a mediocre season.
Who will replace Gary at an affordable price? Trey Hendrickson? No. Maxx Crosby? no. Both want Micah Parson's money. The Packers already have that contract.
I would first ask for a contract restructure. If he says no, then a cut is possible. But I'm not sure that a mid-round draft pick or members on the current roster are better than Gary.
Cory: line six should be Packers not Brewers.
joejetson
February 15, 2026 at 07:16 pm
They're paying Gary "filet mignon" money, and getting a "chuck steak".
He and his agent need a reality check about his salary. If he doesn't take a big pay cut, it's "Thanks for your service, goodbye".
Reality check #2: Nobody else is going to trade even a low draft pick for him at his current salary. We saw the same scenario a year ago with Jaire Alexander.
It's sad, but true.
marpag1
February 16, 2026 at 02:17 am
I saw the author write "It's Time To Move On" and for a moment I was very excited.... LOL.