The Green Bay Packers may be just one or two moves away on offense from being set for a long time. The offense is full of young and talented weapons who proved to the league that they can put up points on nearly any defense in the NFL.
While the defense may need some work, there are plenty of talented pieces in place for a promising future. The overhauled defensive coaching staff is hoping to bring a new era to Green Bay’s defense. However, that era could very well be without one of their interior playmakers.
Could The Green Bay Packers Defense See A Retirement In The Near Future?
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
Freddie Boston of FanSided annotated how inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell may have seen his last snap in the NFL:
Once again, De’Vondre Campbell is not currently a free agent for the Green Bay Packers, but he might soon be.
We’ve been seeing the Packers restructure a number of deals around their roster this offseason, including key veterans like Rashan Gary and Preston Smith. The fact that a player like De’Vondre Campbell hasn’t been approached about a restructure at this point (at least as far as we know) is pretty telling.
Campbell had a great run with the Packers as a former “reclamation project” type of free agent signing back in 2021 when he was named a first-team All-Pro. Ever since then, his availability and production have dipped. He played just 11 games last season for the Packers and frankly, this team might have better options available in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Campbell will be 31 next season, so he’s not getting any younger. And the combination of age and recent injury history could end up being determining factors for Campbell landing any sort of deal with another NFL team.
If the Packers eventually let go of Campbell, he could be done in the NFL.
What Has De’Vondre Campbell’s Career Looked Like Thus Far?
Campbell was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. In 2016, the Falcons selected Campbell as their second linebacker after Deion Jones from LSU. He was the 16th linebacker drafted that year. The Falcons signed Campbell to a four-year, $2.90 million contract with a $565,528 signing bonus on May 5, 2016.
Following his stint with the Falcons, the Cardinals signed him to a one-year contract on April 3, 2020. After his time with the Cardinals, Campbell signed with the Packers on June 9, 2021. The team named him the starting inside linebacker alongside Krys Barnes.
Campbell re-signed with the Packers on March 17, 2022, for a five-year deal worth $50 million. In 2024, Campbell will have a cap hit of just over $14.2 million under his current contract, according to spotrac.com. By releasing the former University of Minnesota star, the Packers would save approximately $2.6 million. There would also be a dead cap cost to the Packers of $11.6 million.
There are similar rules about retirement and being cut by a team when a player decides to do so.
The money would be treated the same way if Campbell chooses to retire instead of being cut. If he officially retires on or after June 1, the money is counted as if he was cut on or after June 1.
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