Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has yet to show for OTAs, but his absence is apparently not related to his contract. Clinton-Dix has been away from the team due to personal reasons, Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin reports (on Twitter), and he will be with the team during the mandatory minicamp.
At first, it seemed that Clinton-Dix might have been angling for a better deal. The 2016 Pro Bowler is entering his walk year and is slated to earn $5.96MM. After playing out the fifth-year option season, he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency.
Clinton-Dix has yet to miss a game in his four-year career, and has started every game in each of the last three seasons. He enjoyed his best season in 2016, when he earned Second Team All-Pro honors after snagging a team-best five interceptions. Though he logged three picks in 2017, the Packers also allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns and ranked in the bottom ten in passing yards allowed.
Last year, Clinton-Dix graded out as the No. 40 ranked safety in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. His 79.1 overall score put him ahead of notables such as George Iloka, Bradley McDougald, Malik Hooker, and Morgan Burnett. Though it was a decent year, the advanced metrics indicate that he had better efforts in 2015 and ’16.
Dix will return as the Packers’ starting free safety this year with 2017 second-round pick Josh Jones at strong safety. They’ll be flanked first-round cornerback Jaire Alexander and free agent addition Tramon Williams.