The Packers have 19 contract year players on their 53-man roster

Now that the Green Bay Packers have officially announced their 53-man roster, let’s take a look at which of their players are on expiring contracts. In total, 19 of their 53-man roster players, a huge year-to-year increase, are set to be 2026 free agents.

There are three different types of free agents, though: unrestricted, restricted and exclusive rights. We’ll get into how these 19 fit into those three groups and the differences between them.

Unrestricted Free Agents (8)

• QB Malik Willis
• WR Romeo Doubs
• WR Christian Watson (PUP)
• TE John FitzPatrick
• LT Rasheed Walker
• RG Sean Rhyan
• DE Kingsley Enagbare
• LB Quay Walker

The eight players listed above are set to be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. This means that they’ll hit true free agency if they play out their contracts.

Generally, if players are going to stick around on the roster beyond their rookie contracts, these extensions are usually done ahead of them seeing the field for their contract season. The reason? The risk players assume by testing out free agency is more about them finishing that contract year healthy, not the risk associated with hitting the actual free agent market. Usually, players who hit free agency are rewarded for doing so. That’s why the middle-class starter, non-Pro Bowlers, are seeing the most salary growth league-wide.

If you’re looking for comparable contracts right now:

• Chicago Bears backup quarterback Tyson Bagent, who didn’t start a game last year, received a two-year, $10 million extension recently. You’d have to think that Malik Willis, who won two games in 2024, would net at least in the range of Bagent.
• With Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who has posted 1,593 yards over the last three years, signing a four-year, $53 million extension, Romeo Doubs, who has 1,7000 receiving yards in the NFL, is probably looking at that $13 million per year range. Obviously, though, Doubs’ concussion history is a factor.
• New Tennessee Titans left tackle Dan Moore, who led the NFL in sacks allowed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, raised the floor for the starting left tackle market in free agency by signing a four-year, $83 million deal. Now you get why the Packers are banking reps with Jordan Morgan at left tackle, so that they have a non-veteran plan post-Rasheed Walker.
• The minimum cost for a full-time starting linebacker in the NFL right now is probably $15 million per year, based on what Jamien Sherwood and Nick Bolton received this offseason. This market is moving quickly, like the tackle position. A rapidly moving receiver market got the Packers off of attempting to extend Davante Adams in the past. Now it could be Green Bay’s turn to opt out of the linebacker market with Quay Walker’s extension. Remember, the Packers already turned down picking up Walker’s $14.8 million fifth-year option earlier this offseason.

I’m not comfortable pinning down a number for the market value of...