With the offseason comes talks of extensions and free agency, and Green Bay's Quay Walker is forcing conversations about his future on the team. In a list of free agents for 2026, Austin Gayle of The Ringer placed Walker in the top 12, emphasizing the weight of the decision the Packers face in the coming months.
After the team declined his fifth-year option last offseason, Walker entered a prove-it year, even with GM Brian Gutekunst confirming that the plan was to find a way to keep him on the team "for '26 and beyond."
While the 2022 first-round pick has led the team in total tackles in all four seasons, 2025 marks the first time that his assisted tackles outpaced his solo takedowns. PFF gave him a grade of 48.5 for the season, placing him at 74th out of 88 eligible linebackers. While he has been a consistent piece of the defense, playing a career-high 95 percent of defensive snaps this year, Walker's asking price could be something the Packers are unwilling to reach.
Packers left with a difficult decision on Quay Walker this offseason
Spotrac has Walker projected to earn a little less than $10 million per year in his next contract, comparing him to Logan Wilson of the Cowboys and Robert Spillane of the Patriots. Gayle, however, citing Quay's "rare combination of size and speed," places more value on the 25-year-old, predicting a deal worth $15 million per year, similar to that of Zack Baun in Philadelphia or Jamien Sherwood of the Jets.
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Walker hasn't matched the production of Baun, who was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his two seasons in Philadelphia, but he has outperformed Sherwood with his ability to get to the quarterback. It will be interesting to see how the Packers' front office handles the Walker situation, especially with defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt poised to get some form of extension this offseason.
While Walker's departure would cause a shakeup within Green Bay's defensive scheme, the Packers' linebacker group wouldn't be left completely gutted.
Edgerrin Cooper has cemented himself as an elite defender, while Isaiah McDuffie could elevate to a new level with more playing time. It isn't a guarantee that Quay has played his last game as a Packer, but Gutekunst has a lot of hard decisions to make this offseason, and Walker could find himself on a new team come September.