Green Bay Packers: Quay Walker Explains Important Ankle Surgery As He Races to Be Ready For Week 1 3 Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur approaches linebacker Quay Walker (7) after he was ejected from the game against the Detroit Lions during their football game Sunday, January 8, 2023, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinApc Packvsdetroit 0108231993djp

Packers Playmaker Should be Top Priority to Re-Sign

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Matt Lombardo | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 1:16 PM ET

The Packers have built a deep roster, loaded with young homegrown talent, and one of those playmakers is set to become a free agent at season’s end, but should be the franchise’s top priority to keep in the fold beyond 2025.

Quay Walker, 25, is entering the final year of his rookie contract after posting 341 total tackles with 6.5 sacks and one interception returned for a touchdown through his first three seasons.

Why Packers Extending Quay Walker is Vitally Important

As high as the Packers are on second-year linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, keeping Walker in the fold could allow Green Bay to boast one of the most dominant linebacker duos in the league over the next several seasons.

Bleacher Report NFL analyst Alex Ballentine suggests that extending Walker should be general manager Brian Gutekunst’s top priority.

“Green Bay is a franchise that leans heavily into its draft and develop strategy,” Ballentine points out. “That works best when a club is able to reward highly achieving homegrown talent with contract extensions. The Packers declined the fifth-year option on Walker’s deal as a former first-round pick, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in bringing him back on an extension.

“Walker has been a highly productive starter. He hasn’t made a Pro Bowl yet, but he has finished with over 100 tackles in each season and had a career-high nine tackles for loss last season.”

The Packers have done an outstanding job of identifying and developing young playmakers, and Walker has certainly done enough to remain a core piece of Green Bay’s defense.

Green Bay Packers: Quay Walker Explains Important Ankle Surgery As He Races to Be Ready For Week 1 2 Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker (7) goes through a drill during practice on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis.Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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