Devonte Wyatt won’t be playing out a contract year in Green Bay after all.
The Packers and their defensive tackle agreed to terms Monday on a three-year, $57 million contract extension that includes a $20 million signing bonus, according to ESPN, which reported the news came through Wyatt’s agency, Win Sports Group, to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal ties Wyatt to Green Bay through the 2029 season.
Wyatt was set to play out the fifth-year option on his rookie deal in 2026, a season that would have paid him roughly $12.9 million, according to Yahoo Sports. That left him one snap away from testing free agency as a 28-year-old with something to prove. Now he doesn’t have to.
A Deal Built on Flashes, Not Full Seasons
Wyatt’s four years in Green Bay have been a study in what-if. A first-round pick out of Georgia in 2022, he took time to find his footing before erupting in 2023 and 2024, piling up 10.5 sacks and 59 tackles across those two seasons. Then 2025 hit different notes entirely.
He missed two games early with an ankle injury, came back, and looked like the player Green Bay drafted him to be — four sacks and 27 tackles in 10 games, according to NBC Sports. Then came Thanksgiving against Detroit. Wyatt suffered a broken fibula and torn ankle ligaments in that game, ending his season and leaving the Packers to wonder what a full 17 games from him might actually look like.
They bet on it anyway. Over four seasons, Wyatt has 101 tackles and 16 sacks in 57 games, per NBC Sports. The per-game production, when he’s on the field, has trended up every year.
“Me personally, I know I got a lot more in the tank,” Wyatt said after last season, per ESPN.
How the Numbers Compare
Wyatt’s deal lands in a similar tier to other recent defensive tackle extensions, though the guaranteed money tells its own story.
| Player | Team | Contract | Signing Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devonte Wyatt | Packers | 3 yrs / $57M | $20M |
| John Franklin-Myers | Titans | 3 yrs / $63M | $12M |
According to Acme Packing Company, Franklin-Myers’ deal with Tennessee has been the frequent comparison point for Wyatt’s camp, and while Wyatt’s per-year value is roughly $2 million lower, his signing bonus and total guarantees come in well ahead of that benchmark. The Packers, as Acme Packing Company notes, typically guarantee money only through signing bonuses outside of their quarterback and Micah Parsons deals — a structural detail that makes the size of Wyatt’s bonus notable on its own.
Why Green Bay Moved Now
This isn’t an isolated transaction. The Packers have spent the offseason locking up their own before the market could set the price for them. They signed receiver Jayden Reed to an extension shortly before the draft, followed that with a lucrative deal for fellow receiver Christian Watson, and now Wyatt joins that list, according to Sports Illustrated.
The timing works on two levels. First, Green Bay projects roughly $14.4 million in 2027 cap space, per Over The Cap, giving the front office room to build this deal without immediate strain. Second, waiting even one more year would have meant negotiating with Wyatt as a pending free agent with full market leverage — and at 28, this deal likely represents his one shot at peak earning power on the open market. Green Bay chose to pay ahead of that curve rather than compete for him in it.
Wyatt now becomes a foundational piece for a defensive front trying to hold things together to start the season without Micah Parsons, who’s still working back from a torn ACL. Parsons has said he expects to return around October, according to Yahoo Sports. Until then, the line runs through Wyatt, veteran Javon Hargrave, Karl Brooks and Lukas Van Ness.
What Comes Next
Green Bay isn’t finished. Reporting from Heavy Sports indicates the team has already turned its attention to tight end Tucker Kraft, hoping to get a long-term deal done before training camp opens and contract talk becomes a locker-room distraction. Cornerback Keisean Nixon remains the other notable starter without a multi-year commitment, though Heavy Sports notes a long-term deal there looks less likely given Nixon turns 30 this week.
For now, the Packers have their defensive tackle locked in through 2029 — an injury history and all.
