![\"Green](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_42,w_4920,h_2767\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/325\/01jt8dyfgbwfhm1fhwew.jpg\")
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The Green Bay Packers\u2019 front office clearly has more faith in their pass rush than most fans do. That much has been obvious, given how little they’ve done to address last season\u2019s glaring issues.<\/p>\n
On the surface, the Packers weren\u2019t terrible at pressuring quarterbacks. They tied for eighth in the NFL in total sacks (45), ninth in sack percentage (7.4 percent), and ranked 17th in quarterback hits (91).<\/p>\n
But a deeper look tells a different story. One-third of those sacks came in just two games\u2014against the struggling Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks. To match that 15-sack total, it would take their 11 least-productive games combined. That\u2019s not the kind of consistency a contender needs.<\/p>\n
Unsurprisingly, the pass rush went silent against top-tier opponents. In five combined games against the Vikings (twice), Lions (twice), and Eagles, Green Bay registered just seven total sacks\u2014and lost all five matchups.<\/p>\n
Given those struggles, fans had every reason to expect a splash move this offseason. Maybe a proven veteran, maybe an early draft pick to bolster the front seven. But the Packers went in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n
They didn\u2019t sign a single proven pass rusher. They didn\u2019t spend a Day 1 or Day 2 pick at the position. Instead, their top additions were fourth-rounder Barryn Sorrell and fifth-rounder Collin Oliver\u2014solid prospects, but not immediate difference-makers.<\/p>\n
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In other words, Green Bay is betting big on last year\u2019s core to step up. And no one carries more weight in that bet than Rashan Gary.<\/p>\n
If the Packers\u2019 defense is going to take a step forward in 2025, Gary must be the engine that drives it. He has to be their most valuable defensive player.<\/p>\n
Last season, Gary posted 7.5 sacks, 10 hurries, eight quarterback knockdowns, and 26 total pressures. Decent numbers by most standards, but the Packers are expecting more. A lot more.<\/p>\n
Gary has the second-highest cap hit on the roster in 2025 at $25.77 million, and it\u2019s the fourth-highest among all NFL edge rushers. Let\u2019s revisit those production numbers with that context in mind:<\/p>\n
37th in sacks
\n27th in hurries
\n47th in quarterback knockdowns
\n32nd in total pressures<\/p>\n
Not. Good. Enough.<\/p>\n
At 27 years old, Gary still has the tools to become one of the league\u2019s premier pass rushers. That\u2019s exactly what the Packers are banking on.<\/p>\n
Green Bay\u2019s defense hinges on his development. If Gary can elevate his game to an elite level, the rest of the unit benefits\u2014coverage tightens, linebackers flow freer, and opposing quarterbacks get rattled early and often.<\/p>\n
He has the talent to take this defense from solid to elite. That\u2019s the ceiling\u2014and the expectation.<\/p>\n
Now it\u2019s time to turn elite athleticism, untapped potential, and that eight-figure paycheck into game-changing results.<\/p>\n The Green Bay Packers\u2019 front office clearly has more faith in their pass rush than most fans do. That much has been obvious, given how little they’ve done to ad<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green-bay-packers"],"yoast_head":"\n