Rashan Gary’s Production Has Hit a Wall - and the Packers Are Running Out of Patience
Six games. Zero sacks. Just three quarterback hits.
That’s the cold reality for Rashan Gary since Week 8 - a stretch that’s gone from a quiet lull to a full-blown concern for the Green Bay Packers. What was shaping up to be a breakout season has stalled at the worst possible time, and now the Packers have a tough question to answer: Can they afford to keep betting on Gary as a cornerstone pass-rusher?
Let’s rewind. A little over two years ago, Green Bay committed to Gary in a big way - a four-year, $107.5 million extension that signaled belief in his trajectory.
The expectation was clear: Gary would take that next step into elite territory. But as the season winds down, the production simply isn’t matching the price tag.
The Numbers Don’t Lie - and They Don’t Look Good
Through the first seven games of the season, Gary had 7.5 sacks - matching his total from all of last year. It looked like he was on pace to finally crack double digits and maybe even reset his career high of 9.5 sacks.
But since then? Nothing.
Not a single sack, and only three hits on the quarterback.
And it’s not just the lack of sacks. The deeper metrics paint an even more troubling picture.
According to Pro Football Focus, Gary is winning just 10.7% of his pass-rush snaps - good for 68th among edge defenders. That’s not what you expect from a player with a cap hit set to balloon to $25.77 million next season, then $28.02 million in 2027, and $31.02 million in 2028.
For comparison, Kingsley Enagbare - who’s been rotating in more and more - is winning on 10.2% of his snaps, ranking 73rd. Meanwhile, Micah Parsons, who arrived in a blockbuster midseason trade, is winning a staggering 23.1% of the time - and he’s doing it while facing constant double and even triple teams.
That’s the frustrating part. Parsons’ presence should have made life easier for Gary.
With all the attention on No. 11, Gary has had more one-on-one matchups than ever.
But instead of capitalizing, he’s faded into the background.
Snap Counts Tell the Story
Gary’s declining snap count is another red flag. Over the past four games, he’s logged 155 snaps.
Enagbare? 121.
Parsons? 219.
In last week’s win over the Bears, Gary played just one more snap than Enagbare. For a player on a $100-million-plus deal, that’s not the kind of usage you want to see.
Head coach Matt LaFleur brushed it off, saying Gary has “never been a huge snap count guy.” But let’s be honest - if you’re paying a pass-rusher like a top-tier edge, you expect top-tier impact. And right now, Gary’s role is shrinking, not growing.
That raises another question: What happens when Lukas Van Ness and Brenton Cox Jr. return to the lineup? With Gary’s production dipping and his snap share already slipping, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll continue to see his role diminish even further.
A Contract That’s Getting Harder to Justify
Let’s talk cap implications. Moving on from Gary before June 1 would actually cost the Packers $8.49 million in cap space. But if they wait and designate it as a post-June 1 move, they’d free up $8.56 million next year - though they’d still be on the hook for $8.52 million in dead money in 2027.
It’s a tough pill to swallow either way. But keeping Gary on the books without the production to justify it might be even harder to stomach.
The Packers went all-in by bringing in Parsons - a move that signaled urgency and a desire to compete now. That puts even more pressure on every roster decision, especially when it comes to high-priced veterans.
Four Games. One Audition.
There’s still time - barely. With four regular season games left and the potential for a playoff run, Gary has a narrow window to flip the script.
But make no mistake: He’s not just playing for stats anymore. He’s playing for his future in Green Bay.
Year 7 is supposed to be the prime of a player’s career, especially for a former first-round pick with a massive contract and a defense built to give him favorable matchups. But instead of ascending, Gary is plateauing - or worse, regressing.
If he can’t turn it around in the next few weeks, the Packers may have no choice but to look elsewhere for pass-rushing help in 2026. And for a team that’s trying to maximize its championship window, sentiment won’t carry much weight.
Gary’s time to prove he belongs in the Packers’ long-term plans is running out. And the clock is ticking.