
It has not been an easy couple of weeks for the Green Bay Packers and their fan base. Still coming to grips with a season ending prematurely, and at the hand of a bitter rival, isn’t for the faint of heart.
But, for those fans who have been behind head coach Matt LaFleur, the good news came recently when the team announced a deal that would keep him in Green Bay rather than doing what many thought the Packers would: fire him.
With LaFleur not going anywhere, the offseason can officially progress. The Packers did lose defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, but that was bound to happen eventually.
Now, one of the hottest topics is that of free agency and just how the Packers are going to climb out of the current hole they’re in, cap-wise. At the moment, Green Bay is sitting $10.6 million over the cap. There are certainly some cuts they could make in order to relieve that number, but what about some other potential shuffling?
The Packers can save another $20 million by reworking some current contracts, starting with Jordan Love
First and foremost, Green Bay could opt to restructure the contract of quarterback Jordan Love. Doing so would open up an additional $7.7 million. It isn’t much, but the way things are looking right now, the Packers can use every dime.
Love is going to be around for a while, too, so fronting a bit of cash in the form of a bonus isn’t a huge deal when it comes to his contract.
Secondly, the Packers could restructure the contract of stud safety Xavier McKinney. Another guy who isn’t going anywhere, McKinney receiving some added bonuses in order to free up some money isn’t out of the question. Doing so with his deal would give Green Bay another $5.96 million in space.
Third, a similar amount would be opened up if Green Bay were to restructure another contract — running back Josh Jacobs. They’d get $4.75 million from making that decision, and again, it’s safe to say Jacobs is a guy who is here to stay.
Finally, wide receiver Christian Watson could be the team’s fourth restructure and give them $2 million more in cap relief. It isn’t a big number, individually, but all four of these guys together gives the team a nice chunk of space.
This isn’t even counting the cuts they could make. Of course, the big one is Rashan Gary, who would help save nearly $11 million if cut.
We aren’t too far away from finding out if any of these moves will be made, so stay tuned.