The Green Bay Packers are widely considered to be one of the more respectable organizations in the NFL. They operate based on a specific set of principles and are unwilling to waver based on outside opinions.
But the franchise doesn't always act as the steady machine it's made out to be. In recent years, general manager Brian Gutekunst has made a few erratic decisions in the face of pressing needs.
Some of the worst contracts on the Packers' books show a trend of overpaying free agents to address areas of need on the roster.
Packers' three worst contracts show Brian Gutekunst overpays to fix areas of need
3. Javon Hargrave: 2 years, $23 million
Maybe it's harsh to judge this contract before Hargrave plays a snap for Green Bay. Still, $23 million for a 33-year-old defensive tackle who hasn't been productive at a high level since 2023. The deal includes $10.5 million in guarantees, and the Packers will be paying the veteran defender in 2027 even if he's cut before then.
There's no question that Gutekunst needed to add a defensive tackle to the mix this offseason, but there were cheaper options available with similar skill sets.
2. Nate Hobbs: 4 years, $48 million
We're cheating with this one. Hobbs is no longer on the roster, but he's responsible for $12 million in dead cap space over the next two years. The four-year, $48 million deal the cornerback signed with the Packers was questionable when he signed it last offseason, and it aged terribly.
This is another example of Gutekunst seeing a glaring need and overpaying to fix it. Hobbs hadn't even played much outside cornerback after playing in the slot for most of his career. Green Bay made a $48 million gamble that he could switch positions and solve their cornerback need. It didn't pay off.
1. Aaron Banks: 4 years, $77 million
When the entirety of the NFL world raises its eyebrows at the dollar amount on a free agent signing, it might be an overpay. The Packers gave Banks a massive contract based on a few years of passable guard play in a system that propped him up.
Banks isn't a bad player. He's a capable starter who filled a pressing need at the time. But $77 million for passable guard play is an obvious mistake. He's the seventh-highest-paid guard in the NFL, and he's nowhere near that mark in terms of talent.
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