The Green Bay Packers had three players named to the Pro Bowl last season. Safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs were obvious selections based on their stellar play in 2024. McKinney finished second in the NFL in interceptions (eight) while Jacobs had 1,329 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
But it was the selection of Rashan Gary, who was voted in based on the votes of his fellow NFL players as well as coaches, that shocked many fans. Last season, the former first round pick had 7.5 sacks, which ranked just 36th in the NFL and was the same number of sacks that Detroit Lions star Aidan Hutchinson had in five games and Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby had in 12.
Obviously, Gary commands a great deal of respect from his peers, far more than he receives from the Packers fanbase. That being said, one does have to question how often Green Bay utilizes him based on how much he is being paid.
The Green Bay Packers Do Not Play Rashan Gary as Much as Other Star Pass Rushers
Gary is in the midst of a four-year $96 million contract that pays him $24 million a season. Based on his production, one might be surprised to learn that he is the eighth-highest paid edge rusher in the NFL.
But here is the thing: Gary plays far fewer snaps than other top-tier pass rushers across the league. A new report by Wendell Ferreira of A to Z Sports highlights a huge gap in his playing time compared to star players:
“In 2024, Rashan Gary played less than 60% of the snaps in the games he was active in. Comparing that to other top edge rushers in the NFL and you can see how weird the Packers’ approach is.
“Myles Garrett (76%), Nick Bosa (78%), Micah Parsons returning from injury (82%), and Maxx Crosby (97% and ok, that’s too much) all played much more frequently for their teams. Even rotational players who will hit free agency, like Josh Sweat (63%) and Chase Young (63%) had higher snap percentages than Gary.”
Gary playing fewer snaps during his first two seasons with the Packers was understandable as he was behind Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith. It was understandable when he came back from a torn ACL because, well, the Packers wanted to reduce the risk of another injury.
But why is Gary playing fewer than 60% of defensive snaps now? Is he capable of being a three-down player? The Packers are certainly paying him like he is, so perhaps is time that they start playing him like one too.
He is certainly one of the best pass rushers on the team, if not the very best. Others around the NFL obviously respect his game enough to have voted him to the Pro Bowl. If the Packers want their defense to be the best it can be, they need their best players to play, and play a lot.
One’s best pass rusher playing less than 60% of the snaps is not how that gets accomplished.
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