The Green Bay Packers made the playoffs, but it turns out, only by the hair on their chinny-chin-chin. That tie ended up being very helpful in the end.
But they were touted as Super Bowl favorites back in September, so if they don’t turn this postseason trip into something, major changes could be coming. Heck, they're already being linked with free agent cornerbacks before they even play their Wild Card game.
The Packers have a solid quarterback and a great defense. They have an elite head coach and a variety of quality skill position players. But they were just 9-7-1 this season. We know he’s now injured, but after the big Micah Parsons trade, the Packers seemed to be saying they were in win-now mode in 2025.
If they get bounced before the Conference Championship for the fourth straight time and third in three years, questions are going to be asked about how they maintain the sixth-most expensive roster in the sport.
Some heads are going to have to roll, and they could be very big and important heads.
Josh Jacobs & Rashan Gary are cut candidates if the Packers exit the playoffs early
If the Packers are unable to make any headway this year in what is the most wide open playoff field the NFL has seen in decades, that means the team composed as is won’t get the job done.
And if they are going to change, they’ll need to make moves at the top. And that means chopping and changing starters.
Though they weren’t the only stars to be surprisingly included, two major Packers players appeared on OTC’s Top 100 Possible Cut Candidates list of 2026.
Running back Josh Jacobs checked in at No. 72 and edge rusher Rashan Gary at No. 75. The list is calculated using their “OTC Valuation Above Starter Median” metric, which is explained here.
According to OTC, neither player has any guaranteed money left on their deal in 2026, which would mean cutting them would cost relatively less in dead money. Cutting them would cost about $17 million for Gary and $6 million for Jacobs, while keeping them on would cost about $28 million for Gary and $14.5 million for Jacobs.
Both players have played well for the Packers. Though both were Pro Bowlers in 2024 and not in 2025. Gary, 28, had 7.5 sacks this season and is one of just nine players to record 6+ sacks in each of the last five seasons. Jacobs, 27, failed to reach 1,000 yards but still had 13 TDs in 2025.
With Parsons expected back next season, Gary does become a bit of a luxury. And considering he’ll have the second-highest cap hit on the team next year behind QB Jordan Love, cutting him makes sense. As a running back getting paid significantly less, Jacobs is likely to stay on at least one more season.
Either way, if the Packers are gone by Divisional Weekend, Green Bay better brace itself for the winds of change.
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