The Packers have created $10.892MM in 2022 cap space by restructuring Kenny Clark‘s contract (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). As As a part of the agreement, Green Bay has converted $13.615MM of the nose tackle’s 2022 comp into a signing bonus while tacking on two void years. 
[RELATED: Packers, Adams Not Discussing Deal]
The extra dollars could help the Packers carve out room for star wide receiver Davante Adams, who is expected to receive the franchise tag in the next couple of weeks. Clark, 27 in October, inked a four-year, $70MM extension with the Packers in 2020, so he remains under contract through the 2024 season. His original deal furnished him with $37MM over the first two years — now, by being a team player, he’ll get a good chunk of the remainder in his bank account sooner.
Clark appeared in 16 games for the Packers this season with 48 stops, four sacks, six tackles for loss, and one fumble recovery. His performance earned him Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his career while Pro Football Focus ranked him eighth amongst all interior defenders in pass rush proficiency.
Meanwhile, the Packers could also save nearly $20MM by trading Aaron Rodgers. The reigning MVP has not yet made up his mind about returning to the team, though he’s promised to make his decision soon.
lmao! Packers gotta pack their bags! Their time at the top of the NFC North is over! Bear Down!
Very Laughable lol.
nothing funny about it, Lions are still rebuilding, Vikings are entering a rebuild, Packers are entering a deep rebuild, Bears gonna be the last ones standing.
Yes, the bears may be the first 6 win team to top the division. I’d call that kneeling at best, bent over really.
You hope.
So division champ is the current bar in Chicago?
Yes
Funny you think your new Ryan and Matt are going to be better than the old ones. And Fields hasn’t shown anything yet.
The Packers minus Rodgers and Adams would still be better than the Bears. Lol
It’s not gonna be just Adams and Rodgers leaving, alot of their defense is either A. Free Agent B. Wants a payday C. Already received a payday.
And they’ll still have a better roster than the Bears unless Fields and Jenkins really take off.
Can’t really trust a Bears fan to evaluate other teams. I mean, how long have you thought the next coach or QB they got was gonna lead them to a Super Bowl?
I never expected the Bears do well this season, I set my expectations and even then I was shocked at how truly awful they were, I got hope for next year tho
Even if the packers time WAS over, the crappy ass bears aren’t winning the North. The Queens would be the next in line for a few seasons. The bears will remain on the bottom where they belong. Get a QB first, then talk.
Lol, I’m not a Go Pack GO Pack fans…Ravens Fan BTW next Year’s SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER BALTIMORE RAVENS!! BELIEVE IT, but GreenBay isn’t over and lol the what Bears?? Few players might not be coming back…
Trying to create room for a Adams tag
They have to do this with half the roster. Their cap situation is bad.
It’s not great, but not that crushing either. Cutting both Smiths will go a very long way.
They have options with a number of guys. Extensions, restructures or cuts that seem realistic at least.
Z Smith I think is gone regardless. Preston I think there’s a possibility of an extension (they can’t restructure his again from what I read) if he’s willing. Otherwise they’re down to Gary and (?) as edge rushers.
Good year to need pass rushing help in the draft.
nfl salary cap is a joke. just convert everyone’s salary to a signing bonus and do whatever you want.
When you do that, there must be trade offs. In this case, as any with a signing bonus, you are spreading the salary over 4 years, but paying him the money now. His contract will end in w years but you will pay him money in 2 void years, i.e. you are paying him not to play for you. This just kicks the can down the road as those years will now have less money for players actually on the team, so no converting salary to signing bonus is a bad idea for most teams. Green Bay is in their last years of a long run with Rodgers, assuming he stays, so if they suck in 2025 they wont care about the cap because they wont have players worth paying big money to.
While partly true JP8, word is the cap will be going up potentially quite a bit with the new TV deal/money. So while they are pushing money back (which I suspect a number of teams are going to do) it doesn’t automatically mean they’ll have huge amounts of dead money 2, 3 or 4 years down the road.
1 down, 10 or 11 to go.
Weird the story mentions how much they’d save by trading Rodgers, but not a word about a possible extension, which would provide similar savings. Or any of the roughly dozen other cuts, restructures or extensions that can free up a ton of room.
I believe it’s because it’s tough to assume what an extension for Rodgers would look like at this point.
As I’ve stated previously, there is about $30M of fat that can be trimmed off the roster, so the cap room isn’t as dire as previously stated, but it also means a decision will have to made about internal free agents & Adams. If he’s traded, does Rodgers then say “I’m done with Green Bay”?
Yeah I’m not sure what template I being used in Rodgers extension projections..I suppose whatever allows for the most cap space. Just found it odd there was no mention of it as it’s been talked about as a legitimate possibility (at least until yesterday..).
As for Adams, I don’t think they make the decision to trade him until/unless Rodgers says he wants out..via trade or retiring. But the tag gives them time to determine what to do with him. Tagging him doesn’t mean they have to extend or trade him right away.
That is very true, but if in the scenario, they tag him and the next day Rodgers says he wants out. Do the Packers still retain Adams to keep around for Love or do they trade him?
The Packers salary cap dilemma, literally revolves around Rodgers. Is he staying or going? And then, what are the ramifications of that decision on the roster?
Good question. I think trading him is the smart move as they won’t get good value with Love (most likely) at qb. It might limit their potential trade partners if Adams says he’ll only play with Rodgers, Carr or [insert random third choice here].
I think they can and will do a lot of the proposed cap moves regardless of 12’s decision..but some may be easier (not necessarily financially, but from players willingness) once his intentions are known.
It is difficult to dominate a team for more than 2 decades at a time, so it may be time for the Bears to win.