If you had hoped the Green Bay Packers would move on from Aaron Banks this offseason, I'm afraid I've got some bad news.
Not only has Green Bay committed to keeping Banks in 2026, but likely well beyond that, too. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Packers are doing a simple restructure of Banks' contract, which will lower his $24.8 million cap hit by pushing it into future years.
It's a short-term win as it helps the Packers get under the salary cap and have additional flexibility in free agency, but the long-term risks may not be worth it.
Packers are rolling the dice by committing to Aaron Banks beyond the 2026 season
Spotrac's updated projections have Banks' 2026 cap hit falling to just over $12 million, which is more than half the previous figure. It would be a significant saving for 2026, but it comes at a cost.
That money doesn't disappear from the salary cap completely. The Packers have instead pushed it into future years, which means moving on from Banks beyond this season becomes a far tougher financial task.
The Packers didn't need to make this move. Releasing or trading Elgton Jenkins and Rashan Gary will create significant cap space, more than enough to get them under the cap and provide some additional flexibility. Releasing Banks would've saved $4.6 million this year and completely wiped future cap hits off the books. Instead, they've added more long-term financial pain.
Per Spotrac's projections, following the restructure, releasing or trading Banks in 2027 will leave the Packers with an enormous dead cap hit of $26.29 million.
In other words, the Packers likely believe he will stick around for at least two more seasons and have confidence he will improve. After handing Banks a $77 million contract in free agency, he battled injuries, missed two games, and ranked 66th among 81 guards for PFF grades. Not ideal.
Having already made Sean Rhyan one of the highest-paid centers in football, the Packers have locked down two positions along the offensive line. If we assume Jordan Morgan starts at left tackle and Anthony Belton at right guard, and Zach Tom is healthy for Week 1, that's the five. Whether it's the right call remains to be seen, but the Packers have shown confidence in their guys.
But by pushing the can down the road, the Packers are taking a significant gamble with Banks.