The Green Bay Packers could use reinforcements in the pass rush while Micah Parsons recovers from an ACL tear. After all, he won't be ready for the start of the season, but the Packers will still need someone who can get after the quarterback. The issue is that they're quickly running out of options.
Cameron Jordan is back with the New Orleans Saints. Joey Bosa no longer seems interested in playing, and A.J. Epenesa just joined the Philadelphia Eagles. That leaves Von Miller and Jadeveon Clowney as the best options available, but what if Green Bay looked for other ways to give the pass rush a boost?
Lukas Van Ness has fallen short of expectations the past few years. However, the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft is seemingly turning the corner, and there's a chance he will finally put it all together next season. Perhaps he and rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton can hold the fort while Parsons recovers. That said, the Packers could still look for other ways to bolster the pass rush. Maybe they should set their sight on a potential cap casualty: Arik Armstead.
The Packers need to keep track of Jaguars DT Arik Armstead
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report drew up a list of five cut candidates who should be on every NFL team's radar. He included Arik Armstead, arguing that the Jacksonville Jaguars could free up nearly $14 million in space if they cut ties with him.
Kay goes on to say that Armstead would be a solid pickup for teams who are in need of reinforcements on the interior trenches. He's right. The 2015 first-round pick lines up at defensive tackle with the Jags, but has also played defensive end in a 3-4 scheme. That kind of versatility would come in handy in Titletown, as he would give defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon a movable chess piece.
Moreover, Armstead would turbocharge a rotation that includes Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, and rookie Chris McClellan. However, there could be a major roadblock to landing the former Oregon Duck.
The Jaguars probably won't release Arik Armstead
In theory, the Jaguars should most definitely release Armstead. Leaving aside the cap relief, he posted 5.5 sacks to start the 2025 season but failed to record a single one in the last seven weeks of the year. Coupled with the fact that he's 32, it makes sense for Jacksonville to cut ties with him.
But if Armstead is really losing a step, the Packers are better off without him. But here's the catch. He cooled down because he dealt with a hand injury that prevented him from shedding blocks and wreaking havoc at the line of scrimmage. The Sacramento, California native appears to be back at full strength and is ready to pick up where he left off before he hurt his hand.
But that's the thing: The Jaguars aren't in a cap crunch. They don't really need to free up space. If they were to release Armstead, they would have nobody else at defensive tackle to fill the void, so they're better off keeping him. When you factor in that local beat writer Mia O'Brien says that Jacksonville plans to hold onto the veteran defensive lineman, Green Bay's odds of bringing him in don't look that great.
There's no doubt that Armstead would be an intriguing addition to the Packers defensive line, but don't hold your hopes too high, as he's trending toward suiting up for the Jaguars next season.
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