The Green Bay Packers last offseason needed to sign some players to contract extensions before the 2024 season. One of the players that was signed to a contract extension other than Jordan Love was defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Clark’s original contract was set to expire after the 2024 season. His new three-year deal will kick into place for the 2025 NFL season. However, Kenny Clark didn’t perform as well in 2024 as he did during the 2023 season.
Lombardiavenue.com Writer Eric Fischer Thinks That the Green Bay Packers Should Get Rid Of Kenny Clark Before the 2025 NFL Season
Some people think that signing Clark to that contract extension before last season began was a mistake. Well, Lombardiavenue.com writer Eric Fischer thinks that Kenny Clark is one of three current players on the Green Bay Packers who needs to be off the roster before the 2025 season begins. Fischer said:
“This is a tough one to write. Financially, it would make sense for the Packers to actually hold on to Clark, despite a down year. He would count $20.3 million against the cap if he is on the team, and a dead cap of $26.8 million if he is cut. The question the team needs to answer is if Clark’s production outweighs the extra $6.5 million that the team could spend to move on?
Clark’s numbers were down in the 2024-25 season, as he totaled 20 solo tackles and only 1 sack. A lot of what Clark does may not show up in the stat column. Still, if Green Bay was going to move on from him from a cap perspective, now may be the time, as he has a $31 million cap hit next year.
Clark has been great, but he is a product of a 3-4 defense, and in the 4-3 base that Jeff Hafley runs, it may be time to build depth elsewhere.”
Interestingly, Fischer thinks that Clark would benefit from a different 3-4 defensive scheme on another team compared to a team that runs a 4-3 defense now. Kenny Clark last season recorded 37 tackles, one sack, two fumble recoveries, and two pass deflections. Clark is 29 years old. He has to bounce back in 2025 if not released.
Linked To Drafting Defensive Lineman
There is a very good reason why the Green Bay Packers are linked to drafting a defensive lineman in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Green Bay struggled to sack the quarterback last season. With Rashan Gary only recording 7.5 sacks and leading the team, the Packers must upgrade that part of the defense.
Maybe adding another defensive lineman in the interior would help Kenny Clark rather than just cutting ties with him entirely. For now, it may have looked like giving him that contract extension was a mistake but 2025 will tell the story about his contract. If Clark is bad again next season, then there is a chance that they should move off him then.
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