It is officially the dead portion of the NFL offseason. This is the point of the year where content topics are far and few. Despite the fact that there are no football activities at the moment, the Packers front office is busy. Green Bay has three key players who are in need of an extension. As training camp approaches, it will be interesting to see if the Packers can extend RT Zach Tom, LB Quay Walker, and DT Devonte Wyatt.
Packers RT Zach Tom
The Packers have an emerging star in Zach Tom. The 2022 fourth round pick out of Wake Forest has far exceeded expectations. When Green Bay selected Tom, it was hard to imagine that he would become such a valuable player. In his three seasons in Green Bay, Tom has done nothing but block and block at a very high level. Tom has settled in as the Packers RT but he has the versatility to move around. Tom has played LT, LG, and RG for the Packers over his three year career.
According to PFF, in the 2024 season, Tom ranked 4th out of 140 NFL tackles with an overall grade of 87.5. He is the 3rd highest graded run blocking and 12th highest graded pass blocking tackle in the NFL. Back in February, Houston Texan star pass rusher Will Anderson was asked who the best offensive lineman he’s faced in the NFL. His response was “Number 50. Tom from Green Bay. He is legit”. Anderson even went on to compliment Zach Tom’s explosive hands and quick feet.
The great news for Green Bay is they have a star offensive tackle. The bad news is they are going to have back up the armored bank truck to extend Zach Tom. Tom is going to demand a hefty day and rightfully so. Green Bay may have to pay Tom upwards of $28 million dollars a year. This extension will require some Russ Ball magic as Green Bay tries to finesse their way around the salary cap. So far, the conversations between the Packers and Zach Tom’s representatives have gone quite well.
Packers LB Quay Walker
Earlier this offseason, the Packers chose not to pick up Quay Walker’s fifth year option. Their logic was valid because outside linebackers inflate that number. If the Packers had chosen to go that route, Walker would have been owed $14.75 million dollars in 2026. Despite declining his fifth year option, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has made it clear this offseason that their goal is to extend Quay Walker, “We are going down the extension road with him as well to see if we can make that happen as well.”
Green Bay believes that Walker has yet to reach his potential. Gutekunst has mentioned that he thinks Walker’s best football is still ahead of him. Both Gutekunst and LaFleur think very highly of Quay Walker and believe that he is an integral piece in the Packers defense. Walker’s three year career has been a roller coaster ride. There are plenty of highs and plenty of lows. It did look like Walker started to put it all together during the second half of the 2024 season. During his final six games of the season, his PFF grade increased from 54.7 to 64.5.
Packers DL Devonte Wyatt
Unlike Quay Walker, the Packers chose to exercise Devonte Wyatt’s fifth year option. Wyatt is slated to make $12.9 million in 2026 if him and the Packers cannot come to terms on a new deal. The future of the DT position in Green Bay is rocky. Kenny Clark is scheduled to have a $31.37 million cap hit in 2026. The chances that Green Bay lets Clark play on that number are slim to none. A strong 2025 campaign could lead to an extension for Devonte Wyatt.
Prior to an injury, Wyatt was off to a great start in 2024. He had 3 sacks in the first 4 games of the season. The Packers are hopeful that Wyatt can find that early 2024 level of play again this season. An extension is not currently on the table for Wyatt but with Kenny Clark’s future in doubt and a lot of questions mark behind Wyatt, an impressive 2025 season could secure his long term future in Green Bay.
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