The Green Bay Packers defense is going to look meaningfully different in 2026, and not just because Jeff Hafley left to lead the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay replaced him with Jonathan Gannon as defensive coordinator.
At least one major personnel change in the middle of the unit is likely, as linebacker and former first-round pick (No. 22 overall in the 2022 NFL draft) Quay Walker is headed to free agency in March.
The Packers declined to pick up their fifth-year team option on Walker’s deal for the 2026 campaign, which would have cost $14.75 million. Instead, Green Bay opted to let him play out Year 4 of his rookie contract and test the waters of free agency.
Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports predicted on Tuesday, January 27 that the Packers’ decision will ultimately result in Walker landing with the Washington Commanders out of the NFC East Division.
“Washington desperately needs to add youth, speed and athleticism across the defense especially, and the 25-year-old Walker fits the bill for what should be an overhauled unit,” Pereles wrote.
He added that the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans are other potential suitors for Walker, noting also that a return to Green Bay is not out of the question.
Quay Walker Graded Out Among Worst Linebackers in NFL Last Season
GettyLinebacker Quay Walker of the Green Bay Packers.
Walker isn’t liable to get a monster offer from anywhere after the year he produced in 2025.
He started all 14 games in which he played, but Walker has now missed 10 contests over the last three seasons. While that doesn’t lend itself to overly-troubling injury issues, it is at least something of a concern as he turns the corner into the latter half of his 20s.
More than that, Walker was not tremendously impactful on the field. He tallied a career-high 128 tackles, adding eight tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, five pass breakups and 2.5 sacks.
While his counting statistics were reasonable, they aren’t reflective of a player worth a $15 million annual average salary, so the Packers appear to have made the correct call last spring with regards to his player option. Spotrac projects Walker’s market value at a three-year deal worth approximately $29 million total.
Pro Football Focus also ranked him 74th out of 88 linebackers who saw enough snaps to qualify in 2025 based on the website’s advanced-metrics grading system. Walker came in well below average with regards to his coverage grade and run defense grade.
Micah Parsons’ Contract, Packers’ Exceptional LB Play Outside of Quay Walker Make Parting Ways Simpler
GettyPass-rusher Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers.
The money Green Bay paid edge-rusher Micah Parsons after trading two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys to acquire him over the summer does not help Walker’s cause with regards to a return to Green Bay.
The Packers immediately signed Parsons to a four-year contract extension worth $186 million total, which made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.
Linebackers Isaiah McDuffie and Edgerrin Cooper were also well above average last season based on PFF rankings, coming in at Nos. 38 and 17, respectively. Those grades render Walker the worst-rated Packers’ LB among the group of players who saw enough snaps at the position to earn a ranking.
