The Green Bay Packers are not having a good season. They have fallen to 2-5 after their latest disappointing loss, this one to the Minnesota Vikings at home. However, it is easy to see that there are a few players that are currently on the team that they need to build around in the future.
One of these players is edge rusher Rashan Gary, who leads the team in sacks and pressures, even as he has played limited snaps in his return from a torn ACL. All season long, many have wondered when the Packers would extend him, as he is playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract.
Early Monday morning, Gary posted to his Facebook page that he and the Packers have agreed to a four-year extension worth over $107 million.
Rashan Gary Says He and the Green Bay Packers Have Agreed to a Contract Extension
Early Monday morning, Gary posted the following to his Facebook page:
According to Gary, he has signed a four-year extension worth $107.5 million. The deal includes a $34.6 million signing bonus.
Gary has 4.5 sacks on the season, but is only playing 40% of defensive snaps as the coaching staff works him back slowly from his torn ACL.
Gary’s annual salary averages out to $26.875 million per season. This ranks second in the NFL among edge rushers, behind San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa, who is earning $34 million per year.
Miles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns has an annual salary of $25 million per year.
The Green Bay Packers Were Waiting to See How Rashan Gary’s Knee Healed
By all accounts, the Packers and Gary were working on a possible contract extension last season when Gary had six sacks in the team’s first nine games. Unfortunately, a torn ACL ended his season and put those contract negotiations on hold.
The Packers did not offer him an extension over the offseason either, allowing him to play on his fifth-year option and waiting to see how his knee responded.
Gary worked extremely hard and is arguably, still, the team’s best player on defense, and arguably their best player overall. They rewarded him by making him the NFL’s second-highest paid edge rusher in terms of annual earnings.
Well deserved!
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