Just days before the NFL Draft, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst stood at the podium and answered a question about his looming fifth-year option decision on Lukas Van Ness.
"We're working through that," Gutekunst said. Why hadn't the Packers made a decision yet? Because he hadn't had a chance to speak to Van Ness about it. It's a hilarious excuse, and exactly the type of cryptic, vague answer you'd only give if you weren't planning on picking up Van Ness' fifth-year option.
Fast forward to Saturday afternoon, and Gutekunst's actions may reveal more than his words.
Packers' decision to draft Dani Dennis-Sutton may tell us everything about Lukas Van Ness' future
The Packers upgraded their pass rush in Round 4 by selecting Penn State's Dani Dennis-Sutton, a move bound to delight Micah Parsons.
Dennis-Sutton is relentless on every play, an elite athlete, and a strong run defender. The Penn State product has areas to iron out as a pass-rusher, but he still recorded 8.5 sacks in back-to-back seasons for the Nittany Lions. He had received second-round projections, making the Packers' pick on Day 3 even more of a steal.
It places immense pressure on Van Ness and could hint at the Packers' decision on his fifth-year option.
Picking up the option would cost the Packers $13.75 million, all fully guaranteed, in 2027. That's risky business for a player who has underwhelmed for three seasons and fallen well short of first-round expectations. What if he has another disappointing season? The Packers would still be on the hook for the 2027 money.
Why was Gutekunst non-committal? At best, perhaps he wanted to see how the draft shook out and whether the Packers could land another pass-rusher. At worst, maybe the answer on Van Ness' fifth-year option is already "no."
Van Ness is under pressure, and there's a very real possibility he will now enter Year 4 with an expiring contract.
Picking up the fifth-year option would be a high-risk move for the Packers, and having spent 2025 draft capital on Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver, and now a 2026 pick on Dennis-Sutton, we may have our answer to Gutekunst's vagueness.
The Dennis-Sutton pick potentially tells us where Gutekunst stands on Van Ness.