The Green Bay Packers have had their share of hits and misses in free agency over the past two offseasons, and the contrast between 2024 and 2025 couldn’t be more stark.
Let’s rewind to 2024, a year that saw Green Bay make two of the most impactful signings in the league. Running back Josh Jacobs and safety Xavier McKinney came in and immediately elevated the roster.
Jacobs earned a Pro Bowl nod, while McKinney took things a step further-earning not just a Pro Bowl selection, but also First Team All-Pro and Second Team All-Pro honors in back-to-back seasons. That’s the kind of production every front office dreams of when they open the checkbook in March.
Fast forward to 2025, and the narrative flipped. The Packers were aggressive again, handing out sizable contracts to cornerback Nate Hobbs and offensive guard Aaron Banks.
Hobbs inked a four-year, $48 million deal. Banks?
Four years, $77 million. On paper, it looked like Green Bay was shoring up two key areas: secondary depth and offensive line stability.
But when the games started, the returns just weren’t there.
Neither Hobbs nor Banks lived up to expectations in their first season with the team. Hobbs struggled to find consistency in coverage, and Banks-brought in to be a cornerstone on the interior line-had a tough year in both pass protection and the run game.
According to PFF, Banks graded below 56.5 in both categories, a disappointing outcome given the investment. It’s no surprise that both players are now being viewed as potential cap casualties heading into 2026 as the Packers try to navigate a tight salary cap and retool the roster.
In fact, the entire 2025 free agency class for Green Bay failed to make a meaningful impact. That’s not just a tough pill to swallow-it’s a missed opportunity in a league where roster building through free agency can make or break a season. Amid the underwhelming returns, one move stood out-not because it was flashy, but because it quietly paid off: the re-signing of linebacker Isaiah McDuffie.
McDuffie didn’t dominate headlines, but he delivered when called upon. He posted a career-best 68.2 run-defense grade and missed just 5.2% of his tackles-ranking fourth-best among qualifying linebackers. In a year where most of Green Bay’s free agent moves fell flat, McDuffie’s consistency and reliability made him arguably their most valuable signing from that cycle.
As for Banks, his massive contract and underwhelming debut season have made him the poster child for 2025’s free agency missteps. The Packers envisioned him as a long-term anchor on the offensive line-a physical presence who could help control the trenches for years.
Instead, his first year in green and gold raised more questions than answers. Still, there’s a chance he gets another shot in 2026.
He played through injury for much of the season, and with a significantly lower dead cap hit looming in 2027, the front office might decide to give him one more year to prove he can turn things around.
The Packers have shown they can hit big in free agency-2024 proved that. But 2025 was a reminder that big contracts don’t always equal big production. As they look ahead to 2026, the pressure is on to make smarter, more impactful moves that align with the team’s long-term vision.