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'Dumbfounded by the opportunity' - Packers' free agent signing is ready to have immediate impact against top competition

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Wendell Ferreira | Last updated Mar 11, 2025 12:10 PM ET

Cornerback was the Green Bay Packers' biggest need entering free agency, and the team quickly addressed it, agreeing to a four-year, $48 million contract with Nate Hobbs , a former Las Vegas Raiders slot corner.

The structure of the contract makes it look better for the Packers. It's a $16 million signing bonus, which is the entire guarantee, and cap hit in 2025 will be $5.588 million. It's basically two years and $26 million, and then two team options that total around $20 million for the final two seasons.

Nate Hobbs' cap hit in Year 1 will be 5.588M, then something between 7.9M and 8.5M in 2026 (presuming they convert the roster bonus into a signing bonus).

Year 3, as the Packers always do, it's the inflection point. https://t.co/tYUhw93a13
— Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) March 11, 2025

Right after reaching the agreement with the Packers, Hobbs texted reporter Josina Anderson to talk about his decision.

"I'm ecstatic," Hobbs told Josina. "It has not sunk in yet. I'm still dumbfounded by the opportunity, and I am ready to get to work."

Direct Quote: Nate Hobbs on the phone with me on going to Green Bay: "Im ecstatic. It has not sunk in yet. I'm still dumbfounded by the opportunity, and I am ready to get to work. Being with the #Raiders in that division and facing those quarterbacks, I feel like I’m ready for… https://t.co/3fQGT0CxFA
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 10, 2025

Nate Hobbs played four seasons in the AFC West, facing quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. He feels like that experience will be helpful now, going to an NFC North that has strong offensive units.

"Being with the Raiders in that division (AFC West) and facing those quarterbacks, I feel like I'm ready for anything and I am going in with a lot of confidence," Hobbs added. "It prepared me for this."

Versatility

Even though Hobbs is primarily a slot cornerback, his positional versatility is something important for the Packers. Another former Raiders defensive back, Keisean Nixon, moved to the boundary in 2024 and had success in Green Bay.

Throughout his first four NFL seasons, Hobbs played 1,616 snaps in the slot, 740 as a boundary corner, 400 in the box, 66 at the line of scrimmage, and 11 as a deep safety.

In 2024, he allowed a 96.3 passer rating when targeted, his best over the last three seasons and a solid number for a slot player.

The biggest problem for Hobbs during his time in Las Vegas, and ultimately why the Raiders allowed him to walk in free agency, is availability. Over his final three seasons on the team, he missed 16 of 51 regular season games. At least for the Packers, they were all minor injuries that are not expected to impact his long-term productivity.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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