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GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 12: Rashan Gary #52 of the Green Bay Packers looks on after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field on October 12, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Green Bay Packers did not make any splash moves this offseason, and the overall philosophy was to let the youth on the roster step up and not add veterans. So, the offseason move that was praised the most was the team trading away veteran Rashan Gary for a draft pick, per Mike Sando of The Athletic.

Sando noted that Gary posted that he was going to get released on his own social media account, so the Packers getting anything for him should be seen as a win. They were able to save $11M with the move, and they added a 2027 fourth-round pick.

The pick being in 2027 is valuable because that draft class is expected to be strong, and those picks have more value than most years. This likely made the trade a no-brainer for Green Bay.

The Green Bay Packers are Jumping off Rashan Gary Before it is Too Late

Gary posted 7.5 sacks last season, so it is not like he is past his prime completely. However, the Packers are hoping to be out of the Gary business a year too early and not a year too late. Gary hit a career-high in sacks in 2021 with 9.5. While he did not repeat that mark, he did get nine sacks in 2023. However, back-to-back 7.5 sack seasons have the Packers thinking they have seen the best of Gary.

Gary was expected to thrive last year across from Micah Parsons. It was the first time that he was not the rusher with attention on him as the top threat. However, despite more manageable matchups, Gary did not see his play rise. He is going be 29 years old this year, and the team decided that the money saved and the draft pick were worth moving on.

Packers are Looking for Lukas Van Ness to Take Over for Gary

More than being ready to get out of the Gary business, the Packers mostly want to see what they have in Lukas Van Ness. They took Van Ness in the first round, but he is now entering year four, and he has not taken the proper steps forward.

This is a big year for Van Ness, who will be a free agent next year, and has to prove himself, not only to the Packers, but to teams across the NFL landscape.

With Parsons in the mix and Gary on the roster, they were never going to be able to get Van Ness enough snaps. Now that Gary is gone, they can see if Van Ness can perform similarly to Gary with the favorable matchup.

The issue right now is that Parsons is recovering from an ACL injury, and his status for Week 1 is up in the air. So, the Packers need a big year from Van Ness and they have to decide how he can perform across from Parsons this year before he is up for an extension. Still, the sample they get with those two on the field might be smaller than expected.

Still, this does not make the Packers moving on from Gary any less savvy.