Packers Not Certain To Retain Nate Hobbs?

Brian Gutekunst said earlier this offseason the Packers were likely to move forward with Nate Hobbs and fellow big-ticket 2025 signee Aaron Banks. The guard just saw his contract restructured, ensuring he will be back. Hobbs’ future may be murkier suddenly.

The Packers have not turned to the Hobbs deal for cap space, and ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky notes rumblings about a quick separation have emerged. Green Bay gave the four-year Las Vegas cornerback a four-year, $48MM deal in free agency last year. The 2025 market was fruitful for a number of corners, Hobbs among them, but the ex-Raider did not end up making a big impact.

Packer contracts regularly include signing bonus money as the only guarantees, with roster bonuses also part of some such pacts — as was the case with 2024 free agency addition Josh Jacobs. As Adam La Rose’s Packers Offseason Outlook detailed, Hobbs is due a $6.25MM roster bonus on March 13. The Pack may be considering a quick departure to avoid being on the hook for that.

Hobbs’ only guarantees at signing came via his $16MM signing bonus. That represents the only locked-in money left on the deal, but $12MM in bonus prorations would bring dead money in the event Green Bay cuts bait before this roster bonus is due. If the Packers designate Hobbs as a post-June 1 release, they can save $8.84MM in 2026. Though, those funds would not be available until June. A standard release would tag the Pack with $12MM in dead money and just $838K in cap savings. Teams are allotted two post-June 1 designations each year.

The Packers benched Hobbs five games in and reduced his role. Formerly contributing as a slot and boundary corner in Vegas, Hobbs cleared 33% of the Packers’ defensive snaps just once after his Week 6 demotion. Hobbs underwent knee surgery in August, affecting his preparation for his fifth season. Not debuting until Week 2, Hobbs later missed five more games due to knee trouble and finished the season on IR.