Packers quietly send firm message with offseason approach as ascending defender becomes key piece after obvious shift
Green Bay didn’t add any edge defenders early in the offseason process.
Lukas Van Ness is still a player on the rise. Drafted in the first round back in 2023, the edge defender is entering Year 4 in the NFL, but for the first time the Green Bay Packers are showing true confidence in his game — and that’s what they meant by sending Rashan Gary to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Conscious decision
Because Micah Parsons is expected to miss some regular season time and Kingsley Enagbare left in free agency, it would be reasonable for the Packers to retain Rashan Gary — he took a paycut for the Cowboys, presumably he would have done the same in Green Bay.
But the decisions to move on from the veteran and to avoid adding another veteran to the position are not a coincidence. The Packers are finally seeing signs in Van Ness that show he can be a long-term piece of their defense.
“He’s starting to understand the position, how to use his hands, how to set edges,” former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said last offseason. “Some pass rush tools, some counter moves.”
Van Ness missed significant time last season due to injury, but it was still his most productive year. He had 23 pressures, 1.5 sacks, 13 stops, and a 75.5 PFF grade. Playing around 10% of his defensive snaps on the interior of the defensive line also shows the value he adds because of his positional flexibility.
Role and contract
This year, Van Ness is set to make $3.121 million — it’s his last inexpensive year for Green Bay. Until May, the Packers have to make a decision on his fifth-year option, projected at $13.752 million. It’s likely that the team will exercise it.
Nevertheless, this upcoming season will still be huge for his financial situation. If Van Ness plays well, he will be in line to get a big contract extension on top of the fifth-year option, giving the Packers more salary cap flexibility and long-term security.
The 2026 season is a big step for Van Ness. After three years as a rotational edge defender, he will finally become a full-time starter — and while Micah Parsons is out to start the season, he is the true number 1 edge. It’s time to show why the Packers invested so much in him three years ago.
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