Updated Packers salary-cap space on the year's biggest shopping day

Despite all the dead money they have on the books right now and the fact that they recently signed Jordan Love to a four-year, $220 million extension, the Green Bay Packers are actually in pretty decent shape when it comes to the NFL salary cap.

Truth be told, this is the best salary-cap situation this team has seen in years.

Per Spotrac, the Packers currently have more than $64 million of dead money on their cap in 2024, the sixth-highest amount in the league, more than $30 million of which is going to David Bahktiari and Aaron Jones. Yes, Green Bay is paying current Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones more than $12.3 million this year.

Nevertheless, as Love's new deal has yet to kick in, the Packers still have more than $16.4 million in cap space at this moment if they wanted to add a free agent or two for their push toward the postseason.

And the next couple of years are looking good as well.

The Packers will have more than $65 million in salary-cap space this upcoming offseason

The dead-cap situation in Green Bay will be much improved once this current league year ends, as that $64 million figure will drop to just over $18.3 million. With Bahktiari and Jones coming off the books, the biggest hits here will be Preston Smith after trading him ($9.881 million) and De'Vondre Campbell ($7.971 million).

And with the way Love's contract is structured, his cap hit in 2025 will only be $29.757 million.

Throw in a few expiring contracts of players who undoubtedly won't be back, and Green Bay is projected to have over $65 million in salary-cap space heading into this upcoming offseason.

Yes, even with the big cap hits of Love ($29.757 million), Jaire Alexander ($25.864 million), Rashan Gary ($25.521 million), Kenny Clark ($20.365 million), Elgton Jenkins ($17.6 million), Xavier McKinney ($17.6 million), and Josh Jacobs ($11.325 million), Green Bay has the 10th-most money to spend.

One of the main reasons for that, of course, is because the Packers have so many players still on rookie deals.

For example, their top four receiving options this year — Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, tight end Tucker Kraft, and Christian Watson — have a combined cap hit of just over $7.68 million in 2025.

Things won't always be this way, of course. Love's cap hit will continue to rise until it reaches its peak of $74.2 million in 2028, and the Packers will eventually have to pay some of their young stars. For now, though, Green Bay is in good shape.

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