The Packers have a real decision coming, and Lukas Van Ness is the reason why.
Through this season, Van Ness has become Green Bay’s sack leader with 4.5, and he’s already blown past his previous career best. His rookie year ended with 4.0 sacks, a number that hinted at what he could become. Now he’s backing that up with production that has the Packers weighing what comes next.
This isn’t just about sacks, either. Van Ness has also piled up 28 pressures so far, which puts him among the top 10 edge rushers at the position this season. That kind of all-around disruption is exactly why his future is suddenly such a tricky conversation.
The Packers already exercised next year’s player option, so they do have time. But that clock is ticking toward the end of the 2026 season, when Green Bay will need to decide whether a trade or an extension makes more sense. Waiting longer could make things even more expensive if Van Ness keeps stacking strong seasons.
What makes the situation even more interesting is that Van Ness has done this without Micah Parsons in the lineup. Parsons is expected back Thanksgiving week, and that could change the entire feel of Green Bay’s pass rush down the stretch. There’s reason to think Van Ness could find another gear once Parsons is back drawing attention.
That idea isn’t just theory. The source points to what happened last season with Rashan Gary, who got off to a hot start while playing alongside Parsons before production dropped once Parsons was injured and out of the lineup. The lesson for Green Bay is obvious: star help can make life much easier for the other edge rusher.
For now, though, Van Ness has given the Packers a season they can’t ignore. He’s checking the boxes fans wanted to see, and he’s doing it at exactly the wrong time for a franchise trying to figure out whether to pay him, move him, or wait and risk the price going up. Either way, Green Bay is finally getting the consistent version of Van Ness it hoped for.
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Micah Parsons Is Back At Practice But Packers Fans Want One Answer
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For Packers fans, the real question is how soon that return turns into game action. Projections point to a wait that likely stretches beyond the next few weeks, with the window creating a built-in deadline for activation and a return that appears more realistic in the middle of November than immediately. The practice field is the first checkpoint, but the bigger answer still hangs over what comes next. [Read more 🡒]