The Green Bay Packers head into the 2026 offseason with one of the most talented rosters in football - but also one of the most expensive. That’s the price of success, and now it’s up to general manager Brian Gutekunst to navigate a tight financial landscape while trying to keep the core of this team intact.
One name that’s suddenly in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons: Aaron Banks.
The veteran guard signed a four-year, $77 million deal just last offseason, a contract that signaled Green Bay’s belief that he could be a cornerstone on the offensive line. But after just one year in the green and gold, the results haven’t lived up to the investment - and Banks may now be staring down the barrel of a cap casualty designation.
Why Aaron Banks Could Be the Odd Man Out
The Packers have big decisions ahead. Key players like Rashan Gary and several other soon-to-be free agents are due for new deals, and the front office needs to clear serious cap space to make that happen. Banks’ contract, unfortunately, is a prime candidate for trimming the fat.
Restructuring his deal doesn’t offer much long-term relief - it would only kick the financial can down the road. What’s more pressing is the $9.5 million roster bonus Banks is due in March, according to Spotrac. That deadline gives the Packers a clear window to act.
If Green Bay cuts Banks before March 13, they can save over $4.5 million in cap space. But if they designate him a post-June 1 release, that number jumps significantly - to over $18 million in savings. That kind of flexibility could go a long way in keeping the roster’s core intact while addressing other areas of need.
Performance Didn’t Match the Paycheck
Let’s be clear: Banks wasn’t brought in to be average. At $19.25 million per year, expectations were sky-high. But the on-field production simply didn’t match the paycheck.
Banks finished the season with a Pro Football Focus grade of 53.0 - 65th out of 81 qualified guards. His pass-blocking grade?
Just 50.8, ranking 69th. As a run-blocker, he fared slightly better at 54.6, but still well below what you expect from a player in his salary bracket.
Over the course of the season, Banks allowed two sacks, three quarterback hits, 24 hurries, and 29 total pressures while playing 83% of the offensive snaps. He was also flagged five times, including three false starts - the kind of mental mistakes that can stall drives and frustrate coaches.
And it wasn’t just the pass protection that suffered. The run game never found consistent footing, either.
Josh Jacobs - a player who thrives on vision and downhill acceleration - was often met by defenders at or behind the line of scrimmage. While the blame doesn’t fall solely on Banks, his inability to consistently win at the point of attack certainly didn’t help.
A Tough Call, But a Necessary One
Banks has never played a full season in his five-year career, and while he only missed two games this year, durability remains a concern. Combine that with subpar performance and a hefty price tag, and the writing on the wall starts to come into focus.
Cutting Banks would not only free up much-needed cap space, but it would also give the Packers a clearer picture of how to retool the offensive line - whether through free agency, the draft, or internal development. This is a team with Super Bowl aspirations, and every roster spot, every dollar, has to be maximized.
The bottom line? Banks didn’t deliver the kind of impact Green Bay needed in Year 1.
And in a league where production has to match the paycheck, his future with the Packers is looking increasingly uncertain. As the offseason begins, this feels like the first domino that may need to fall.