The Green Bay Packers are heading into a pivotal Week 14 matchup against the Chicago Bears with one of the league’s stingiest defenses-allowing just 18.8 points per game, good for sixth-best in the NFL. But numbers only tell part of the story. This unit has looked like a top-tier defense for much of the season, and while Micah Parsons continues to draw headlines-and rightfully so, with a team-leading 12.5 sacks-there’s another name that deserves more attention: Quay Walker.
Walker has been a force in the middle of this defense. Despite missing two games, he’s second on the team in total tackles with 84, and his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet.
He leads the team in both run tackles (42) and tackles for loss (25), and the defense simply performs better when he’s on the field. When Walker is in the lineup, Green Bay stuffs opposing rushers behind the line on 41.9% of carries.
Without him? That number plummets to just 15.4%.
That’s not a small difference-that’s the kind of split that shows just how disruptive he is in the run game.
Yet, despite all that, there’s been some chatter among fans about potentially moving on from Walker after the 2025 season. That’s hard to square with the reality of his performance.
Sure, his coverage grades haven’t been elite-his overall Pro Football Focus grade sits at 55.3, ranking 55th among 84 qualified linebackers-but he’s still 27th in total tackles with 60 solo stops. That speaks to his motor, his instincts, and his ability to be around the football when it matters.
The Packers have found themselves in a bit of a bind, though. With big contracts already on the books for quarterback Jordan Love and Parsons, Green Bay’s salary cap situation is tight.
And Walker’s value is only going up. General manager Brian Gutekunst opted not to pick up Walker’s fifth-year option before the season-a $14.75 million decision that now looks a lot more complicated.
While Walker isn’t in the Fred Warner conversation just yet-Warner is the league’s highest-paid linebacker at $21 million annually-Walker’s market value has clearly climbed.
And now, with defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt dealing with an ankle injury following the Thanksgiving Day win over Detroit, the Packers may need to lean on Walker even more. Wyatt had been solid early in the season before battling through a knee issue, but his absence could open the door for Walker to further showcase his value-especially against a Bears offense that leans heavily on the ground game.
Walker is listed as questionable for Sunday with a neck injury, but if he’s able to go, expect him to be a key figure in the Packers’ defensive game plan. He’s already shown he can handle a heavy workload and deliver results, and with more responsibility likely coming his way, this could be another opportunity for him to prove his worth-both on the field and in the front office’s long-term plans.
The Packers are facing a classic NFL dilemma: how to keep a productive player who’s earned a bigger payday while managing a tight cap. But letting Walker walk would mean more than just losing a linebacker-it would mean resetting a position that’s been one of the quiet strengths of this defense all season. Continuity matters, especially at a position that requires both physicality and intelligence, and Walker’s growth under this coaching staff has been real.
Bottom line: Walker’s done more than enough to warrant a return. Whether the financials line up is another question. But make no mistake-his presence has made this Packers defense better, and losing him would be a step backward for a unit that’s been trending in the right direction all year.