Receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb didn’t exactly live up to their contracts in 2017. Cobb hasn’t really lived up to his at all. Linebacker Clay Matthews would also fall into the same category in recent years.
However, it doesn’t appear Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst plans on being without any of them in 2018.
“It’s hard enough in this league to find them, so we certainly wouldn’t want to let them walk out the door,” Gutekunst said. “But there are restraints and there’s things that every decision kind of affects something else, so we kind of want to let all the information come in before we get to that point.”
That’s not exactly a guarantee right there. However, Gutekunst also praised Nelson, saying he still thinks he’s a good player.
Nelson had just 53 catches for 482 yards and six touchdowns in 2017. All six TDs came with Aaron Rodgers under center. Cobb caught 66 balls for 653 yards and four touchdowns. Matthews had 43 tackles and 7.5 sacks.
All three players have salary cap numbers north of $11 million, with Nelson and Cobb above $12 million.
It is largely believed that if the Packers don’t release one or even two of the trio, they’ll be asking someone to take a pay cut. The Packers currently only have $16 million of available cap space. That is the ninth-lowest number in the NFL.
Complicating things, especially at the receiver position, is the Packers also have huge money invested in Davante Adams. He received a four-year, $58 million extension in December.
The Packers will have some decisions to make before free agency begins and they aren’t exactly easy ones.