After the Green Bay Packers released offensive tackle David Bakhtiari and running back Aaron Jones, defensive tackle Kenny Clark is the only Ted Thompson's pick left on the roster. But don't think that current general manager Brian Gutekunst is eager to let him go.
According to Tom Silverstein, from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers are expected to secure an extension with the 28-year-old defender that would reduce his cap hit in 2024.
How his contract is right now
Kenny Clark's situation is, in fact, intriguing. In the last year of the deal he signed back in 2020, Clark is slated to make $17 million and to count $27.49 million against the salary cap. Moreover, the Packers would still have $13.747 million in dead money in 2025 letting Clark walk, thanks to multiple restructures the team has made over the last few years.
Market
A good parameter to understand Kenny Clark's potential market is Christian Wilkins. The defensive tackle left the Miami Dolphins in free agency to sign a four-year, $110 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders, though, tend to give players a different structure. They gave Wilkins $57.5 million in guarantees between 2024 and 2025, but only a $24 million signing bonus.
When the Packers signed Clark to a four-year extension, the total value ($70 million) and guarantees at signing ($27.69 million) were much lower, but the signing bonus was still higher ($25 million), and proportionately much higher.
Wilkins received $29.5 million in year 1, which could base the Packers' new deal for Clark.
New contract
If the Packers sign Kenny Clark to a new extension with a total value of $110 million, but keep the old structure in terms of signing bonus and guarantees, that would mean a $43.51 million signing bonus, and there wouldn't be extra future guarantees. He would get more than Wilkins in year 1, but less in total guarantees — which is a reasonable outcome considering the Packers historic modus operandi.
It’s still a huge deal, especially considering that Clark would surpass Rashan Gary as the highest-paid defender in Packers history, but the market is dictating the high price with some big-ticker interior defensive linemen getting significant contracts.
Cap space
If that's what happens, Kenny Clark would count $21.85 million in cap space in 2024, opening up $5.64 million in extra room this year.
2024 cap hit:
- $1.21 million base salary
- $8.7 million prorated signing bonus
- $10.49 million in past money that hasn't hit the cap
- $1.45 million in roster and workout bonuses
Performance
A first-round pick in 2016, Kenny Clark is still relatively young because of how early he got into the NFL. Last year, he finished the season with a career high 7.5 sacks, just behind Rashan Gary (9) and Preston Smith (8), plus 61 total pressures, the third best mark of his career.
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