Packers Linebacker Gets Encouraging News Despite Team’s 5th Year Option Decision

Green Bay Packers linebacker, Quay Walker, received some unfortunate news on Thursday when the Packers announced they would not be picking up his fifth year option, per Rob Demovsky.

The Packers are not picking up the fifth-year option on Quay Walker. However, as GM Brian Gutekunst said earlier this offseason, they would like to sign him to a contract extension perhaps even before this season begins. Walker remains very much in their long-term plans.

— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) May 1, 2025

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Whilst this is obviously disappointing news for Walker, who was selected with the 22nd pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the rejection of the option is not actually a huge indictment on his performances over the past three years.

Having met the benchmark for playing time, the ex-Georgia stud’s option is projected to come in at 14.7 million. For reference, that would place him seventh in the NFL in average per year due to the generally stagnant market in the league for off-the-ball linebackers – far higher ranked than almost any other fifth year option.

Defensive tackle, Devonte Wyatt for example, who was a first round pick in the same draft class (#28 overall) had his option picked up for $13.9 million, but due to the higher value of the position in league circles, ranks as only the 26th highest paid at his position by APY.

Why Are Linebackers’ Fifth Year Options So High?

As Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes, inside linebackers entering the league have their option prices merged with 3-4 outside linebackers who rush the passers and are compensated as rushers off the edge, who have some of the highest salaries in football after the quarterback.

“The reason the Packers did not exercise Walker’s option was that his fifth-year option figure was much higher than it would be for an average middle linebacker,” Silverstein notes, “because the league bunches inside linebackers with edge rushers when calculating the option number. Edge rushers are among the highest-paid players in football.”

Packers Still In On Walker Despite Declining Fifth Year Option

As Demovsky notes, Walker remains in the Packers’ long term plans despite not taking up the option, and could have an extension done with the organization as early as the end of the summer.

Indeed, with the emerging Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker, the Packers have one of the most athletic linebacking duos in the NFL. Factor into that the signing for former top-10 pick, Isaiah Simmons, who has struggled to find his footing in the league since getting drafted to the Cardinals in 2020.

Green Bay has long struggled to get it right at inside linebacker, with the team at points having such a dearth of options that they were forced to play De’Vondre Campbell at linebacker by himself in base defense for much of the 2021 season.

So one would imagine that general manager, Brian Gutekunst, and head coach, Matt LeFleur, would be reluctant to relinquish a talented player who has shown flashes of impressive play, without another “option”, so to speak, in place.