Examining the Status of Packers Entering Contract Years in 2026
Green Bay has decisions to make on several players from their recent draft classes.
By markoldacres
The Packers already locked up multiple players from their 2023 draft class beyond this upcoming season, with Lukas Van Ness and Jayden Reed under contract at least through 2027, the former via his 5th year option, and the latter through a three-year extension.
But what about the other players from that 13-man class? Let’s examine where they stand in terms of getting long-term deals to stay in Green Bay.
Colby Wooden, Sean Clifford, Dontayvion Wicks, Anders Carlson, Lew Nichols, Anthony Johnson and Grant DuBose are already playing elsewhere, with Brian Gutekunst managing to turn Wooden into veteran linebacker Zaire Franklin and Wicks into multiple picks through trades.
There are still several players on the roster from that class though, all of whom are entering contract years.
Tucker Kraft is by far the most obvious candidate for an extension, and keeping him around for the long haul is a no brainer. The only question at this stage is how much he will get paid.
Given he has not been able to produce a full season of production at the same level as a George Kittle or Trey McBride, who both earn right around $19m per year in average annual value (AAV), Kraft probably cannot command quite that much.
He should really earn more than Kyle Pitts, who ranks third at the position at just over $15m, but Pitts only earns that much because he is on the franchise tag, which is set at a pretty reasonable number if you have a prized tight end like Green Bay does in Kraft.
The Packers probably do not want to use the tag though, as they rarely do. Kraft is almost certain to get a long-term deal with the Packers for somewhere between $14m and $18m per year.
When Gutekunst selected Kraft and Luke Musgrave in the same draft, taking multiple swings to fill a baron tight end position at the time, it was always likely only one of them (at best) would get a second contract.
Musgrave is probably going to be the victim of that, and therefore playing his final snaps as a Packer in 2026. It is unlikely they will trade him though, due to a lack of depth – especially after no draft pick was used on a tight end this year – and Kraft recovering from an ACL tear.
There has been some buzz around the team being interested in keeping Karl Brooks around beyond this season, but should they want to?
Brooks had an impressive rookie year as a rotational defensive tackle, but as is often the case, once he became more of a full time player, his production waned on a per snap basis.
He put up 30 pressures and four sacks per PFF as a rookie in just 309 pass rush snaps, and similar numbers in 2024, but last year he only had 29 pressures and one sack despite playing 420 snaps against the pass.
Similarly against the run, he had a career low 11 stops (tackles resulting in a failure for the offense) while playing a career high 238 run defense snaps.
Green Bay’s defensive interior got pretty thin last season due to trading away Kenny Clark and then suffering injuries, so perhaps Brooks can bounce back in 2026 if he can get more of a breather here and there.
Still, he will need to be more productive this year to justify a contract extension.
Carrington Valentine had a chance entering last season to kick on and make himself a long-term pillar of the defense, after flashing some high level play in coverage in his first two seasons.
That did not happen, and instead the Packers coaching staff seemed to want to bench him near the end of the year, before injuries to other players intervened. He is a good cover corner, but his run defense is a real problem, and that matters to the team.
After signing Benjamin St-Juste, then drafting Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson this offseason, the competition at cornerback has ramped up, and unless Valentine can improve as a tackler and establish himself as a true starter, his time in Green Bay might be winding down.
Veering away from the 2023 draft class, Devonte Wyatt is a fascinating situation to unpack. He is one of the better pass rushing defensive tackles in the league, but whether for injury or coaches choice, he has not been an every down type of player for the Packers.
They picked up his 5th year option, which is what he will play on this season, and it would not be surprising if Green Bay wanted to keep him around past this year, but it is important to remember he will turn 29 in March 2027. This is one of the pitfalls of drafting older players.
At this stage it would be understandable if they did do an extension with Wyatt, or if they let him walk after this season.
Wyatt and Brooks are probably the two players whose situations could still go either way, and their performance in 2026 will be important to that end.
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Mark Oldacres is a sports writer from Birmingham, England and a Green Bay Packers fan. You can follow him on twitter at @MarkOldacres
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Comments (22)
GregC
May 11, 2026 at 10:59 am
Hard to see them keeping Karl Brooks. If he has a good season, another team will sign him away for Kingsley Enagbare money, and if he does not have a good season, he is very replaceable.
If DeVonte Wyatt stays healthy, I think he will play well and should earn a second contract. With the fifth year option in place, the Packers have the advantage of being able to sign him to a long-term deal before he hits the free agent market.
Carrington Valentine could possibly stick around on a low money contract, although my guess is that he will want to get a fresh start somewhere else. Tucker Kraft is here to stay, and Luke Musgrave will be gone.
HarryHodag
May 11, 2026 at 02:47 pm
Not so sure Musgrave is gone. I suspect they will want to keep him around(if he signs cheap) on a one-year extension perhaps. If Musgrave is gone in 2027 and Kraft gets hurt again, a key piece of the offense is in the hands of Josh Wylie? Musgrave has his injury issues too, but he knows the offense and can block.
The next offseason offers far less in terms of a long roster of free agents plus the Packers will have a possible 11 draft picks in 2027. This year drafting corners was important and I bet 2027 will be drafting tight ends.
Oppy
May 11, 2026 at 10:43 pm
Musgrave is not a good blocking TE by a long shot.
Arguably the biggest impact from losing Kraft in 2025 was revealed to be the lack of any solid blocking from the rest of the Packers' TE group.
It also exposed how poor our OL unit was doing in the run blocking game- they floundered to find Jacobs much room to operate without Kraft on the field to either give defenses a reason to take a moment to assess the run/pass or without Kraft available to help crack and wham as necessary.
Coldworld
May 12, 2026 at 07:30 am
If I were Musgrave, I’d want to move to a team that has an offense that makes use of a move TE. Here he’s miscast. From our perspective, he, and any move type, really doesn’t fit into how LaFleur wants to run this O. LaFleur is a scheme first guy, if you don’t really fit, that seldom changes.
LambeauPlain
May 11, 2026 at 11:24 am
"...taking multiple swings to fill a baron tight end position at the time..."
So instead of a Baron playing TE for the Packers, Gutey desired a viscount, earl, marquess, or a duke?
Guam
May 11, 2026 at 11:40 am
LOL Yeah, I saw that too LP. A little surprised spell check didn't catch that one as it has a decent grammar component.
TKWorldWide
May 11, 2026 at 01:45 pm
Eggs
Act
Lee,
Brother! 😂
stockholder
May 11, 2026 at 11:44 am
I'm a No on Wyatt-
The guy has played DT/De
At 6’3 304# 32/5 arms. age 28 @13 mil
Forget the NT- plug and play. -
This guy is trade bait.
Brooks is too small to be a NT.
Yet- that is where they put him.
6’3 303# 31.5 arms age 26 @Less
The 28 reps showed the power.
I say keep him, and let him be
Wooden's replacement.
Extend him. He has versatility.
Most wanted a NT .
The plug and play gravedigger.
Overpayment doesn't fit,
when the DL is still revolving
Oppy
May 11, 2026 at 10:49 pm
It's almost like you didn't watch Wyatt play a single snap before the injury last year. He was leading the league in pressures early on and looked near unstoppable when allowed to get after the passer. He was a massive disruptive force from the interior of our defensive line. Looked like he could be better than Daniels or Jenkins ever were, and they both played 3-tech at a high level for the packers.
stockholder
May 12, 2026 at 06:23 am
A rotational piece that plays
50/50 on the field.
If thats worth 13 mil.
It defies logic.
He has been over-achieving, and it has
led to injuries.
Trick or treat is replaceable.
Oppy
May 12, 2026 at 08:08 pm
One day, you'll learn how to identify talent by watching players play, instead of being told who's talented by random draft guides.
GreenandBold
May 11, 2026 at 12:33 pm
Currently in a horse year so we have to figure out who was born in a rat year before we re sign anyone .
splitpea1
May 11, 2026 at 12:43 pm
There's probably no reason to keep Brooks around if the combination of McClellan, Stackhouse, and Brinson show they're up to the task. Valentine is probably gone too if Jackson shows promise.
With Wyatt, there's no question the Packers were a better defense with him in there. So if he has another good year, he'll be re-signed maybe for three years. I just hope the contract isn't out of line with the dollar amount like it was for Gary. Also if Wyatt isn't re-signed, it's back to burning up more possibly high draft capital on the DL.
Speaking of fascinating, most Packer fans would like to see whether the option for LVN was worth it. You can make an argument for it in theory that the player is just beginning to enter his prime and also that we're a little thin in the edge department, but it also sends the message that you don't have to do a lot in Green Bay to get a big raise.
Musgrave: Not a smart selection to begin with given his lack of experience and blocking limitations, but he probably wasn't used by MLF to take advantage of his talents in the best way, either. Gone.
GregC
May 11, 2026 at 01:23 pm
LVN got a raise for year five because he will no longer be on his rookie contract. It was a business decision by the Packers. I don't think it sends any particular message. Being kept by the team for one more year on a mid-level contract is not a big win for the player.
splitpea1
May 11, 2026 at 03:22 pm
Whatever. Duh, they're all "business decisions." Whether it was the right one remains to be seen. Paying for potential over production after this amount of time seems pretty questionable. And I said it was a big raise, not a big win for the player--although come to think of it, it seems like more of a win than not for the player given how his development can be measured in turtle steps. Like it or not, he's getting his check more due to his draft status than play on the field so far.
Coldworld
May 12, 2026 at 07:35 am
Brooks is good at one thing: penetration. He’s never been good against the run. The more he’s used that way the less penetrative he becomes. He’s a nice back of the rotation option to disrupt behind Wyatt. Maybe this year we won’t try to pretend he’s more than, to both our benefit and his.
Collins26
May 11, 2026 at 01:07 pm
I respectfully disagree about Kraft not commanding what Kittle and McBride earn. He more than likely will produce more than either of them this year so if he gambles on himself he will be in a very good bargaining position for his second contact.
WestCoastPackerBacker
May 11, 2026 at 03:07 pm
So that kind of depends on how soon they extend him.
Since'75
May 11, 2026 at 04:08 pm
I think the Packers tend to lean towards the wait and see approach.
We'll see how it shakes out.
Whatever happens, i'm hoping Kraft stays healthy and balls out this season.
I'm guessing Guter feels the same as he's desperate for one of his draft picks to reach the elite level. From what i see so far, Kraft can be that guy.
Since'61
May 11, 2026 at 02:04 pm
Let's see what these players do during the season before extending them to longer term deals. Kraft is returning from an ACL injury. At this point we have no idea if he will be the player he was prior to the injury. He may lose a step or two. Wyatt is also returning from an injury. Brooks may become a solid rotational player with Hargrave and McClellan on the DL. I expect that Valentine will lose his CB position to Cisse or Jackson which is fine with me. He will probably be chucked by season's end.
Musgrave has not shown much for his first three seasons. Maybe the Packers can trade him for a 4th or 5th rounder before he goes to FA.
Botton line is that it's too early to know how much or how well these players will contribute in 2026. Let's get through the season before deciding who will be kept and who should be gone. Thanks, Since '61
Savage57
May 11, 2026 at 06:17 pm
Interesting no mention of Watson.
Foregone conclusion?
Swisch
May 11, 2026 at 08:26 pm
I like to pay our players generously, but am reluctant to make them highest-paid at their positions, or all that close to it.
Maybe an exception can be made (for paying at or near the top) for a proven superstar in his prime, like Parsons; or for an up-and-coming quarterback like Love if the Packers thought he was the real deal.
For the vast majority of players, it's too risky that they'll get injured, or fail to live up to the high standards associated with being at or near highest-paid.
***
A big reason for my thinking is that I want players who want their teammates to be taken care of financially, too.
If the front office proves itself generous with salaries (maybe top five or ten for our stars) -- but also conveys that it's going to take care of players across the roster and not just a select few -- I think that will be a good vibe for the types of players we want with the Packers -- team guys.
***
As examples:
(1) I really hope we can sign Kraft for a few more years, but not at $19 million per year, more like $14 million (as indicated in the article above). As much as almost all of us are excited about Kraft, he doesn't yet have a full season of excellence, and now there's a serious injury sustained by him with which to be concerned about.
(2) I can't see paying Watson anywhere near $28 million per year long term. We made a good deal with Reed for $18 million that seems to be win-win. Watson deserves more, but he does have a record of injuries. Maybe $20-22 million. Otherwise, the Packers have a good record of finding talented wide receivers.
(3) The Luke Ness Monster was a good signing because he is in his prime and it's only for one more season. It seems he has the potential to be a key piece of the defense, so let's give him a little more time.