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The Green Bay Packers locked up another one of their foundational players to start the week, agreeing to a three-year, $57 million contract extension with defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt on Monday. The deal, which includes a $20 million signing bonus, appears to be a calculated gamble by the Packers, given Wyatt's obvious pass-rushing talent but also recent injury history.
Here are five more specific thoughts on the contract extension between Wyatt and the Packers:
-- The Packers didn't wait to do the deal, even though Wyatt suffered a significant lower leg injury in late November of last year and was not able to participate during the offseason workout program. This contract extension is a show of faith in Wyatt's ability to come back from a major injury, play at a high level and maintain the performance over multiple years. The Packers could have waited, taking their time to ensure Wyatt could put together a healthy stretch (in a new defensive scheme) before doing the extension. But waiting also involved rather significant risk. A strong stretch of play from Wyatt in 2026 could have skyrocketed his cost and put the Packers in a tough spot. By going this route, the Packers have created the possibility of the $57 million extension looking like a great deal in a few months' time.
-- Then again, it's fair to wonder if the Packers should have let this one play out during a contract year. Wyatt has played fewer than 400 snaps in each of the last two seasons due to injuries, and as an older draft pick, he's already 28 years old when signing his second deal. While he's been productive as a pass-rusher when available, in-season injuries set him back in both 2024 and 2025, stunting what could have been truly breakout seasons. Wyatt's career best in sacks in only 4.5, and he has just 16 total in 57 career games. Sacks aren't everything, and Wyatt has created 110 career pressures. But his 22 pressures last season were a three-year low, and he's now coming off a major injury. The Packers obviously see Wyatt as a foundational piece of the roster, but it's easy to see how this deal could backfire given Wyatt's last two seasons.
-- While $19 million per year in new money looks like a lot, it's simply the cost of doing business in the pass-rushing defensive tackle market right now. Wyatt's new money would only place him 18th in average per year among defensive tackles. Considering this is an extension, and the three years will be tacked onto the final year of his previous deal, Wyatt's really on something like a four-year, $70 million deal -- or roughly $17 million per year. He's making good money but not making top money at the position. The Packers were willing to pay because pass-rushing production is so important, and so few quality defensive tackles exist in today's NFL.
-- Let's see what the final guarantees look like. Initial reports pegged the signing bonus at $20 million, and the Packers typically only guarantee money via a signing bonus. If the Packers added various playing time and performance incentives into the $57 million, like they did with Christian Watson's new deal, this could be another safe extension for the team. Check back when the full details are known. Either way, this is what the Packers do operationally as a franchise: draft, develop and re-sign to their preferred contract structure.
-- But like Watson's deal, the success or failure of the extension will almost certainly be determined by availability. Wyatt is undeniably talented as an interior disruptor. Keep him on the field and good things happen. But he's played at least 400 defensive snaps -- a relatively small number over a 17-game season, only about 23 per game -- just once in four NFL seasons. Can he stay healthy, avoiding the nagging injuries that have slowed him in recent seasons? And can he bounce back from a significant lower leg injury as a 300-pound lineman who lives off generating explosive power from his lower body? These are important questions to ask. The Packers need Wyatt, who turned 28 in March, to finally become a consistently disruptive player who can be available throughout a full season. This extension will look like a steal if he does, but it could look like a waste if Wyatt's two-year injury trend continues. Such is life with expensive contracts in pro football.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 5 thoughts on Devonte Wyatt's $57M contract extension with Packers
