Isaiah McDuffie was on track to hit the open market, but that will no longer be the case. Packers have a new deal in place with one of their starting linebackers, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
This will be a two-year deal with a base value of $8MM, Fowler adds. The pact has an upside of $9.5MM. McDuffie’s rookie contract was set to expire at the start of free agency, but he has now secured a raise and ensured that he will remain a key figure on Green Bay’s defense moving forward.
McDuffie joined the Packers as a sixth-round pick in 2021, and over the course of his first two years with the team he primarily handled special teams duties. He then saw his defensive snap share rise to 48% and logged eight starts, a trend which continued this past campaign. The 25-year-old handled first-team duties every game in 2024, and his 699 defensive snaps were by far the most of his career. McDuffie registered 97 tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble and he will be counted on to remain a notable contributor next season.
That production came during Jeff Haffley‘s first season as the Packers’ defensive coordinator. Haffley coached McDuffie at Boston College, and the pair will now continue working together as a result of this new pact. If McDuffie’s production can remain consistent, he will provide the team with a cost-effective starter (although his work in coverage could stand to improve moving forward).
Green Bay’s linebacker setup also includes Quay Walker, who is unlikely to have his 2026 fifth-year option picked up. Walker has previously faced an uncertain future, but general manager Brian Gutekunst has indicated a long-term deal could very well be in the works. The Packers could ensure continuity at the second level by working out a Walker pact (and continuing to increase Edgerrin Cooper‘s role, of course) now that McDuffie is set to remain in place.