The Green Bay Packers have nearly 25 players set to enter some form of free agency this offseason, and they've already made a couple of decisions in that regard, the most notable being the surprising choice not to place a restricted free agent tender on backup running back Emanuel Wilson.
In a far more low-profile move, the Packers, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, have also decided not to tender restricted free agent safety Zayne Anderson, which has more than a few Cheeseheads up in arms, as he's become a bit of a fan favorite over the last few years due to his aggressive style of play on special teams.
But while some may not like it, the move makes plenty of sense for Green Bay at this point in time.
Zayne Anderson could still return to the Packers
Undrafted out of BYU in 2021, Anderson was signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs, with whom he spent two seasons before signing a two-year deal with the Buffalo Bills ahead of the 2023 season.
But he ultimately never took a regular-season snap for Buffalo, as he was waived as part of final roster cuts, at which point the Packers picked him up.
While the Utah native hasn't seen a ton of time at safety, he has provided some valuable depth at the position at times and even started a couple of games during the 2024 season. But his most valuable contributions have come on special teams, and he recorded the fourth-most tackles for the team in that regard this past season despite missing three games.
Now, for those unaware, the minimum cost to tender a restricted free agent to a one-year deal (the first right of refusal tender) this year is $3,520,000. Clubs can also place second-round ($5,767,000) and first-round ($8,046,000) tenders on players, but those were never going to be options for a guy like Anderson. Truth be told, even the $3.52 million figure was never really on the table, as he played this past season on a one-year, $1.17 million contract.
With the Packers opting not to tender Anderson, he's now set to become an unrestricted free agent, which obviously means he's free to sign with any team. And that team could very well be Green Bay, as it wouldn't be surprising to see new special teams coordinator Cam Achord lobby for his return as long as it's affordable.
Tripling Anderson's contract makes no sense, but if the Packers, who still need to get under the salary cap before the new League Year begins on March 11 (which they will), can get him for somewhere close to what they paid him last season, it's safe to assume that they would do so.