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4 Key Green Bay Packers Starters Who Likely Won’t Be Back in 2026
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- 4 Key Green Bay Packers Starters Who Likely Won’t Be Back in 2026
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Green Bay Packers effectively went all-in on the 2025 NFL season, only to fall short immediately in the playoffs as the NFC's No. 7 seed once again. While a healthier Packers roster could be a difference-maker in 2026, several key starters from recent seasons likely won't be back on the field next fall.
Whether for cap reasons or performance, here are four Packers starters who likely won't be back next season.
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Elgton Jenkins
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From 2019 to 2023, interior offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins had been one of the best Packers' starters and by far their most versatile player. He earned two Pro Bowl selections and ultimately a four-year, $68 million contract extension. Unfortunately for both sides, Jenkins' performance really started to dip in 2024. The club responded by signing Aaron Banks and kicking Jenkins inside to center, but things did not get any better. He is now coming off a lower-leg fracture, and the team found it could still have functional play on the interior without him. Given the $19.529 million in cap relief created by his release, Jenkins will be cut early this spring.
Rasheed Walker
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The moment the Tennessee Titans signed left tackle Dan Moore Jr. to a four-year, $82 million contract in free agency last offseason, Rasheed Walker's fate with the Packers was sealed. Walker has been a slightly above-average starting tackle for the team, playing over 3,000 snaps in the last three years. However, the former seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft is simply not worth paying $20 million or more per season in Green Bay 's eyes. The team will let him go, collecting a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
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Rashan Gary
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After the Micah Parsons trade, it seemed like edge rusher Rashan Gary would stand to benefit from playing on the same field as an All-Pro who commands so much attention from the offensive line. He made the most of it early on with 13 QB hits, 7.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss in is first seven games. However, across his final nine contests in the regular season, Gary netted just 7 QB hits and failed to record a sack or TFL. Factoring in the Wild Card Round, he played on just 55 perfent of the Packers' defensive snaps and the percentage didn't move after Parsons went down. By releasing Gary, the Packers free up $11 million of cap space in 2026 and $31.02 million of cap room in 2027.
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Romeo Doubs
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In what was likely his final game in a Packers' uniform, Romeo Doubs torched the Chicago Bears . While the end result wasn't what fans wanted, they at least got to see the former fourth-round pick go out on a high note. Doubs is expected to receive multi-year offers this offseason worth in the ballpark of $12 to $14 million per season. It's a price Green Bay really can't afford to match, especially with Christian Watson , Matthew Golden , Jayden Reed and Sayvion Williams poised to play bigger roles in 2026. Green Bay will likely get a fifth-round compensatory pick in 2027 for Doubs' departure.
Read More: NFL Power Rankings, One Player Each Eliminated Team Should Re-Sign
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