Brian Gutekunst loves coachspeak as much as the next general manager (we even decoded his messaging at his end-of-season press conference), but sometimes he sends a clear message about where things stand.
Take his answer about Rashan Gary's future with the Green Bay Packers as a prime example. Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, Gutekunst delivered an update in coachspeak, but let's be honest: his poker face isn't fooling anyone.
"Sixty pressures, 7.5 sacks, that's tough to replace," Gutekunst said, via Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. "He's on our roster and I expect him to play at that level or higher if he's back next year, and we'll see how that goes."
Let's repeat that last part: "If he's back next year, and we'll how how that goes." If he's back? That tells us everything we need to know.
Brian Gutekunst made his stance on Rashan Gary's future with the Green Bay Packers clear
If you pay attention to Gutekunst's offseason comments for long enough, you'll notice a pattern. A year ago, the Packers faced a similar situation with Jaire Alexander. Barring some contract gymnastics that would drastically lower his cap hit, it felt inevitable that his time in Green Bay was over.
At last year's combine, Gutekunst said this about whether Alexander would return: "We'll see. We're working through that."
Notice the vagueness? The uncertainty? Now compare that to what he said about Josh Jacobs on Tuesday. When asked if Jacobs will return as the featured back, Gutekunst gave a definitive "absolutely."
There was zero reason for Gutekunst to say he expects more from Gary if he's back next season. He's under contract. Gutey then dropped a similar "we'll see" message to what he said about Alexander last year.
Releasing or trading Gary would create about $11 million in cap space, which makes sense after his massive decline in production. The 2019 first-round pick recorded 7.5 sacks in the opening eight contests of the season, putting him on pace for double-digit sacks for the first time. However, in the final nine games, he failed to record another sack.
The production is one thing, but his performances had many questioning his effort. That includes former Packer Mason Crosby, who highlighted Gary "kinda jogging" behind Micah Parsons, which he called "inexcusable."
And that's the key point. If Gutekunst agrees with Crosby's assessment, it's tough to justify bringing Gary back on his current deal.
The Packers' GM didn't outright say what's next, but he sure left the door open for Gary's exit. With Gutekunst, that usually means the end is near.