Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst may have received a contract extension this offseason, though he's not out of the woods quite yet. His moves will be viewed under a microscope as the club looks to finally get over the hump following two straight early playoff exits.
Among the several burning questions Gutekunst must answer in due course is left tackle Rasheed Walker's looming free agency. There will be no shortage of suitors for the 26-year-old, so Green Bay must decide if they're willing to pony up. And if not, the Packers need to have a Plan B ready.
With franchise quarterback Jordan Love's health hanging in the balance, Gutekunst can ill afford to make the wrong call. Walker is a key cog of the Packers' offense and widely considered the top option who could be available at a premium position.
Rasheed Walker's free agency puts Packers GM Brian Gutekunst on the clock
A middling Packers front five that already appears set to lose veteran offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins for salary-related reasons may be desperate. Nevertheless, negotiating from a position of weakness is a dangerous game to play. That leaves the Packers balancing between possibly overpaying to retain Walker or risking letting him walk.
If the two sides cannot come to terms on an agreement, the Packers can table discussions for a later time. It's a short-term solution, but placing the franchise tag on Walker would prevent him from hitting the open market. The one-year tender for offensive tackles is roughly $28 million (h/t Spotrac), and Green Bay has until March 3 to do so.
There's also the Jordan Morgan part of this conundrum. The Packers spent their first-round pick on him in 2024 to be Love's long-term blindside protector. Alas, that plan hasn't gone accordingly thus far, yet committing to Walker would functionally be Green Bay's way of waving the white flag.
Are the Packers comfortable with pivoting to Morgan? Are they fine with practically writing the Arizona product off as a bust just two seasons after investing such heavy draft capital in him? Their stance on Walker will be telling.
Across 17 contests (16 starts) in 2025, Walker committed nine penalties and allowed five sacks. His efforts earned him a 64.6 overall Pro Football Focus grade, which ranked 52nd out of 89 qualified tackles. He was particularly effective in throwing situations, ranking 11th in ESPN's pass block win rate.