Packers Make Expensive Decision on Devonte Wyatt

Wyatt will play out the final year of his rookie contract in 2025. In 2026, the team will be on the hook for a guaranteed $12.938 million.

The team also has a decision to make on its other first-round pick from 2022, linebacker Quay Walker. That would guarantee his 2026 salary at $14.751 million.

The deadline is Thursday.

“I think that for both those guys, whatever mechanism we use, we'd like to keep those guys around for ‘26 and beyond,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said before the draft. “So, whether that's through doing the fifth-year option on these guys or extending them one way or the other, we’re planning to do that, we'd like to do that.”

Wyatt didn’t start a single game last season, with TJ Slaton starting opposite Kenny Clark all season. In fact, Wyatt has started only five games in three seasons – all in 2023, when he had a career-high 5.5 sacks. In 2024, he played in 14 games and had five sacks and a career-high nine tackles for losses. He might have had a much bigger season if not for an ankle injury sustained in Week 4 against the Vikings. In his first three games, he had three sacks, five tackles for losses and five quarterback hits.

However, in the draft class, he ranks eighth with 12 sacks. The seven players ahead of him on the list are edge rushers.

According to Pro Football Focus, 93 interior defensive linemen played at least 200 pass-rushing snaps. Wyatt ranked 10th in pass-rush win rate and fourth in pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap.

A more difficult decision looms with Walker.

The 22nd pick of the 2022 draft, he has played 44 of a possible 51 games with 43 starts. He had 121 tackles in 17 games as a rookie, 118 tackles in 14 games in 2023 and 102 tackles in 13 games in 2024. While he recorded a career-high nine tackles for losses in 2024, he had a career-low two passes defensed. He has four turnover plays – three forced fumbles (all as a rookie) and one interception (in 2023).

Whatever the decision on Walker, Gutekunst has said he wants to keep both players beyond the upcoming season. The Packers could trigger Walker’s fifth year, as well, or they could choose to negotiate a long-term contract that might be more cap-friendly in 2026, where the Packers face some challenges.

“We're super-fired-up about both those guys seasons this year,” Gutekunst said at the end of the season. “Quay continued to make a leap, and another guy who had struggled through injuries at the end of the year, but he was really impactful for us this year. Continues to be a great leader for us. Certainly think we would love to have him around here for longer than just a couple years. He's that kind of guy.

“And D-Wy was probably our most consistent pass rusher from the inside this year. Both of them dealt with some injuries and was really proud of how they attacked those and played through some things this year. But I think both those guys had their best years as pros so far.”